You can view the DFL case studies and FAQs here so that you can understand how to use the DFL data recovery tools better

Within DFL-WD hdd firmware repair tool, users get one very helpful firmware repair function: to extract firmware modules from SA region.

To read Western Digital hard drive firmware modules, the firmware repair software usually needs to read module directory(module map) and then read other firmware modules according to module directory. But when the module directory is located on bad sectors or corrupted, the module list is empty and firmware modules couldn’t be read. At this time, users usually find donor rom and loaders of the same microcode to write to patient hdd to access the firmware area or try hot swap method to access firmware modules.

After users have this function to extract firmware modules from SA region, users just need to load loaders to undetected patient hard drives and then read SA region copy 0 or copy 1 and then the software can extract the modules easily and automatically.

For undetected hard drives, only if users get the patient hdd firmware modules, specially key modules, firmware repair will become easier. For example, users can write donor rom and fw to get patient hdds detected and then write patient key firmware modules to access the data area properly.

After firmware repair, users can use DFL-DDP data recovery software to recover lost data.

Any question is welcome to [email protected] or add Dolphin Skype ID: dolphin.data.lab

MQ02ABF050H MQ02ABD100H Toshiba SSHD data recovery cases are common in many data recovery labs worldwide.

When users receive the MQ02ABF050H MQ02ABD100H Toshiba SSHDs or similar ones, users try to access the data area but failed. If running logical scan, users may get full disk bad sectors.

To fix above Toshiba SSHD failures, users need to enter the DFL Toshiba HDD firmware repair software, menu path: Firmware Operations>Change Disk Configuration>Turn Off Flash Permanent Cache.

Next users just need to click Tech Off mode and users can run logical scan successfully and access to data area.

Any question is welcome to [email protected] or add Dolphin Skype ID: dolphin.data.lab

Toshiba Desktop HDD DT01ACA100 head damage is one common failure for this Toshiba-Hitachi hard drive.

In many of above cases, users can hear head clicking noises or sometimes if no clicking noises when users try to access to data area, users get regular bad sectors from the logical scan result. For full data recovery, it is necessary to open the hard drive in clean room environment and swap the heads.

To find one donor hdd, users need to check the model number and PCB number and make sure the head number is the same. Some good drives may have less heads than they are supposed to have.

After head swap, users get the patient hdd ready, backup important firmware modules such as the PSHT, etc by DFL-Hitachi HDD repair tool and set up head map within DFL-DDP data recovery software and image good heads first and then weak heads and finally extract lost data from the image file, VHD(X) or target drive.

Any question is welcome to [email protected] or add Dolphin Skype ID: dolphin.data.lab

Recently Dolphin Data Lab got some request from DFL users to connect SAS hard drives as portable external USB hard drives to use the SAS drives easily.

Special hard drive adapters required to connect SAS hard drives as portable external USB hard drives:

01: HDD USB to SATA Adapter;
02: SATA to SAS Adapter

Steps to connect SAS hard drives as portable external USB hard drives:

01: Connect SAS hard drives to SATA to SAS adapter;
02: Connect SATA to SAS adapter to USB to SATA adapter;
03: Connect USB to SATA adapter to computer.

Video instruction to connect SAS hard drives as portable external USB hard drives here

Any question is welcome to [email protected] or add Dolphin Skype ID: dolphin.data.lab

This is one Seagate ST500LX005 Dead SSHD Firmware Repair and Data Recovery case study for one DFL user in USA.

Get lost data back from one Seagate Laptop Thin SSHD – 500GB Hybrid Hard Drive – ST500LX005!

ST500LX005-Family: Kahuna_5400
SSHD
Failure: motor not spinning

Similar models with similar not spinning failures:

ST500LM000
ST1000LM014

Similar case studies here:

ST500LM000 DEAD SSHD DATA RECOVERY STEPS
SEAGATE ST1000LM014 DEAD SSHD DATA RECOVERY STEPS

HDD Firmware Repair Tools and Data Recovery Tools Required:

DFL-Seagate HDD Firmware Repair Tool
DFL-DDP Data Recovery Equipment

ST500LM000, ST1000LM014, ST500LX005 Dead SSHD Non-spinning HDD Repair and Data Recovery Steps:

01: Backup original Rom;
02: Generate adaptive rom(500G/1T);
Menu path: Common Functions>Common Repair>SSHD>Kahuna_5400
03: Write adaptive rom to patient HDD;
04; Access to data area normally.

Any question is welcome to [email protected] or add Dolphin Skype ID: dolphin.data.lab

This is one successful Western Digital hard drive data recovery case study shared by one DFL user in India. The patient drive had head failure, kept busy and had no access to data area at all.

Patient HDD ID:

Model-WD5000AAKS
PCB: 1640 series

To recover lost data from head damaged hard drives, the very first step is to find one donor hdd with donor heads, users usually check the model and pcb number and sometimes, the DCM is to be checked as well.

After finding the donor hdd, users need to open the patient drive in clean room environment and swap the heads.

Next users need to enter the DFL WD hdd firmware repair software and backup the rom and important firmware modules including the 03, loaders, 31, 36, 40, 49, 4A.

Next users can test the firmware modules and find out which modules are damaged and then repair the damaged firmware modules. In most wd traditional hard drives, we need to run the slow fix.

Next we can use DFL-DDP data recovery software to set up disk image project, set up head map, image good heads and then weak heads.

Finally we can extract lost data from the image file or target drive.

Head Replacement Tools, HDD Repair Tools, Data Recovery Equipment required in above case study:

Hard Drive Ramp Toolkit Pro.
DFL-WD hdd firmware repair tool
DFL-DDP Data recovery tool

Any question is welcome to [email protected] or add Dolphin Skype ID: dolphin.data.lab

Case study name: WD20JDRW-11C7VS0 810082 USB undetected hdd firmware repair and data recovery steps

Patient HDD ID

Model number-WD20JDRW-11C7VS0
Capacity: 2TB
PCB: 2060-810082

Failure symptoms:

Undetected, spin up and down, data area was not accessed

HDD Firmware repair tools and data recovery tools required:

DFL-WD HDD firmware repair tool
DFL-DDP data recovery equipment

HDD firmware repair and data recovery steps:

01: Convert the USB PCB to SATA interface;
02: Backup the original rom and disable 411;
03: Backup important firmware modules, specially module 190;
04: Use the latest DFL-DDP to repair the module 190 to get one new T2data file;
05:  …
06: After above step, the patient hdd was detected properly and the spin up and down issue was fixed as well;
07: Enter DFL-DDP data recovery software and set up one new disk image project;
08: Set T2data auto loading to RAM;
09; Refresh data area and the data area was accessible.

Full case study is available within the Dolphin user-only forum here

Any question is welcome to [email protected] or add Dolphin Skype ID: dolphin.data.lab

Hello,

Is it possible to recover a WD 4TB Spyglass2 if the customer formatted the drive? It is showing all zeros.

If users have DFL-WD hdd firmware repair tool and DFL-DDP data recovery equipment, it is possible to get the lost data back from one WD 4TB Spyglass2 formatted HDD.

Users can follow the steps below:

1, Unlock SA on original USB PCB by DFL-WD;
2, Disable 411 and backup module 190;
3, Repair module 190;
4, Load 190 to ram auto to access data area to fix the all zeros issue.

Any question is welcome to [email protected] or add Dolphin Skype ID: dolphin.data.lab

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Any question is welcome to [email protected] or add Dolphin skype ID: dolphin.data.lab

After Dolphin Data Lab released the latest G3 WD SMR HDD USB to SATA data recovery adapter and its software, it becomes easier and easier for Dolphin users to recover lost data from WD SMR USB hard drives.

Helpful videos to learn more about the G3 WD SMR USB HDD adapters and its software:

Video 01: How to Install G3 WD USB to SATA Data Recovery Adapter 
Video 02: How to Image Extract Lost Data From WD USB HDDS Faster and More Stably
Video 03: Latest data recovery assistant software for WD SMR USB HDDs

To recover lost data more easily from WD SMR USB hdds, users can try the following steps:

01: Connect G3 adapter to WD SMR USB hdds by USB type c cable;
02: Click connect device and Read ROM directly by G3 adapter software;
03: Generate unlock rom by DFL-WD hdd firmware repair software;
04: Click ‘Block 411 Write’ , select the generated unlock rom and write rom by G3 adapter software;
05: Close ROM operations by G3 adapter software and go to DFL-WD hdd repair software;
06: Lock UA writing, backup important firmware modules, specially module 190;
07: Test firmware modules and repair;
08: Open DFL-DDP data recovery software for disk image or file extraction, load 190 to ram auto if there’s all sectors 0000 issue.

Any question is welcome to [email protected] or add Dolphin Skype ID: dolphin.data.lab