Seagate firmware update bricks 99.9% 500 GB 7200.11 Barracudas

AgentGOD · 01-19-2009, 09:27 PM

As you all know, the 7200.11 series of HDDs have been failing within 4 months of usage. Seagate claims that they are aware of this issue, and has released a firmware update that was supposed to fix it. All 7200.11 Barracuda 1 TB, 750 GB, 500 GB, 320 GB drives are affected (including server counterparts).

However, the firmware update did not work initially. This afternoon, they released another update which changed the firmware upgrading utility, and some had successes flashing the 750 GB and 1 TB drives, however, 99.9% of people that flashed on the 500 GB (ST3500320AS) bricked their drives.

People with multiple 500 GB drives had all of them bricked as the tool automatically flashes all of the detected models.

This thread is known as the "thread of the bricked 500 gig cudas":
http://forums.seagate.com/stx/board/...cending&page=1
This is where all people that have bricked their 500 GB drives with this new firmware posts.

This is the original 7200.11 firmware issue thread (official, stickied):
http://forums.seagate.com/stx/board/...thread.id=4771

Tonight, Seagate decides to remove the firmware from the site.
http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/cr...p?DocId=207951

"Note: This file has been temporarily taken offline as of Jan 19, 2008 8PM CST for validation."

A bit too late. I'm sure lucky I did not flash the firmware today. I played it smart and waited for other people to try it out first. Someone at the Seagate firmware testing center will most likely get fired soon. This is a big widespread problem.

Sly Fox · 01-19-2009, 09:28 PM

I really don't know if I'll buy another Seagate drive after this one...

I've been satisfied, but it really sounds like they might have gone down hill since.

RPGWiZaRD · 01-19-2009, 09:31 PM

Oh dear, more fail at Seagate. What's happened to them really and do they have like only 1 tester or something, how could they miss the firmware incompability with 500GB drive is beyond me.

AgentGOD · 01-19-2009, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sly Fox

I really don't know if I'll buy another Seagate drive after this one...

I've been satisfied, but it really sounds like they might have gone down hill since.

I really hope my two Seagates don't brick on me

I'm running them in Matrix RAID. I've personally had a drive brick on me, so one of the drives I'm using is from RMA.

And the bricking I experienced is, according to Seagate, a firmware issue. Well now they release a firmware that is supposed to fix that issue, but apparently it ends up breaking the 500 GB drives quicker (instantly)

.

firebane · 01-19-2009, 09:32 PM

People panic cause their drives fail.
Seagate wants to rectify this
Seagate rushes
Drives die
People scream

Hmm whose really to blame?

Cybercat · 01-19-2009, 09:32 PM

The firmware for my drive is apparently validating. I'm not too anxious to flash it, but I'd rather not wait to have it brick on its own either. Damned if I do, damned if I don't...

AgentGOD · 01-19-2009, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firebane

People panic cause their drives fail.
Seagate wants to rectify this
Seagate rushes
Drives die
People scream

Hmm whose really to blame?

Seagate for initial testing problems. The drives already had a firmware problem at first. Refer to my previous post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cybercat

The firmware for my drive is apparently validating. I'm not too anxious to flash it, but I'd rather not wait to have it brick on its own either. Damned if I do, damned if I don't...

Well I wouldn't (yet) because they just pulled the firmware from the site... obviously there's a problem with it.

Mr.Guvernment · 01-19-2009, 09:39 PM

glad it seems the ES2 500G arent hit by this, i got 8 of them in a raid 5 on a server! (basically the enterprise edition of these drives)

i have had issues with a few segate 500G last year but the 7200.10 models, i also had 3 320G 7200.10's go bad in the span of a month, i am with some others, i dont trust segate anymore, back to WD or hitachi for me!

I think the problem with the firmware is some people flash their drive and it then become unseen in the bios or in window, or you can see the files on your drive, but you cant access them.

AgentGOD · 01-19-2009, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Guvernment

glad it seems the ES2 500G arent hit by this, i got 8 of them in a raid 5 on a server! (basically the enterprise edition of these drives)

Unfortunately, yes they are.

Affected ES.2 drives:
http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/cr...p?DocId=207963

Original KB article: (Lists 7200.11's ES.2's, and some Maxtor drives as affected)
http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/cr...p?DocId=207931

Speederlander · 01-19-2009, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firebane

People panic cause their drives fail.
Seagate wants to rectify this
Seagate rushes
Drives die
People scream

Hmm whose really to blame?

Seagate for rushing. People always panic. Seagate should know better and fully test their updates.

SparkyJJO · 01-19-2009, 09:50 PM

Sounds strange to be "flashing" a hard drive

003 · 01-19-2009, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Guvernment

glad it seems the ES2 500G arent hit by this, i got 8 of them in a raid 5 on a server! (basically the enterprise edition of these drives)

ES.2 is affected. Seagate has a thing online where you can enter your drive serial numbers and it will tell you if your drive needs the update. My two 250GB ES.2 drives did not need it, thank god.

orangekiwii · 01-19-2009, 10:04 PM

I bought a 7200.11 320 GB barracuda 16mb cache hdd

Is mine one of the susceptible to the fail in the first place?

If so is the firmware ok to update for this since only the 500 gig gets bricked?

What are the specifics of this EPIDEMIC?

road-runner · 01-19-2009, 10:09 PM

Are the 1.5Tb dieing also?

T_Flight · 01-19-2009, 10:13 PM

Guys what the heck is going on with Seagate lately? This is the second huge failure report on this forum. These are pretty bad reports we're getting.

Segate and WD are about the best there is. Something must be up. Whatever it is they need to get control of it. This is gonna start to raise panic. People get real worried whehn it comes to their data. I mean you could potentially have a mirrored array of these things and both drives could get took out if you updated them. Even tyour backup would get killed in that circumstance. This could be really bad news.

It said they removed the file for validation?!? WTH?!? Did they not validate it before they unleased this onto the world? That is a serious "oooops" if they didn't.

zarathrustra · 01-19-2009, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firebane

People panic cause their drives fail.
Seagate wants to rectify this
Seagate rushes
Drives die
People scream

Hmm whose really to blame?

Seagate of course.

I can't see Seagate getting any money out of me again for a very long time. The trust is just gone.

User9498 · 01-19-2009, 10:21 PM

Reminds me of the game Lemmings for some reason. Price them cheap and watch those guinea pigs fall over into a pile of bricks.

BulldogPO · 01-19-2009, 10:43 PM

WTF! What is Seagate doing?
Situation could be interesting if that firmaware update would have been distributed trough windows update.

Mav451 · 01-19-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 003

ES.2 is affected. Seagate has a thing online where you can enter your drive serial numbers and it will tell you if your drive needs the update. My two 250GB ES.2 drives did not need it, thank god.

I was initially relieved when I entered my serial and found I was supposedly "NOT affected" - capitalization is Seagate's.

A quick google later, and I find that my firmware, SX15, is actually affected anyway - even those it's not on the "official list". Again, not surprised considering how lazily/haphazardly Seagate has been handling this. Found a Seagate forum thread where one user was only seeing one out of his two 1TB drives, with my firmware.

Needless to say, panic is a good emotion to have right now. OTOH, I'm not really, since my 1TB Seagate is just for backup purposes. I can't imagine those who have 100% 7200.11 HD setups tho. Or the random old man who checked out at Microcenter with 5 of those drives last weekend - now I'm pitying the old fool

Salsoolo · 01-19-2009, 10:50 PM

stoped using seagate since 2006.
saw samsung at friends rig, been a samsung guy ever since.

i feel sad for those who lost their data. seagate should die for this!
also look at how many oem builders could be using their drives as well.

highoctane · 01-19-2009, 10:56 PM

Damnit Seagate, WTF, I have two 500gb 7200.11's I bought in dec. I've always preferred seagate drives but after this fiasco I'd be lying if I said I'm still just as confident with them.

Luckily I haven't started migrating any data to them yet, now I'm a little paranoid about bringing them online for daily use if they are experiencing a high failure rate. I have them currently setup in a RAID1 config but how things sound I might as well be running them in RAID0.

T_Flight · 01-19-2009, 11:06 PM

Does anyone know if there has been a recall on these drives? Since there was already bad firmware and they botched the launch of a revision with bum firmware patch, shouldn't they be getting control of this by now?

naokaji · 01-19-2009, 11:09 PM

Ouch that hurts, first the drives fail, then the fix to prevent that bricks even more harddrives.

Goodbye Seagate, Margins on HDD's are allready rockbottom, I doubt they can afford a screw up like that, especially since people are sensitive about what hdd they trust with their data.

Karak · 01-19-2009, 11:17 PM

Just to bring some optimism to the discussion - i have Barracuda 7200.8 250 GB(for 3 or more years) and 7200.10 500 GB (since series 10 release). No signs of failure

Salsoolo · 01-19-2009, 11:19 PM

i notice some guys have the affected drives and still running? i would start backing up on ex-drives,dvds or whatever.