HD Slider wrote:
(note I didn't add this to the big firmware thread since my issues don't seem to be related to what everyone else is seeing)
I too am having VERY strange issues with my new PC/workstation with my pair of ST3640323AS hard drives. I've been struggling and failing to get this system working for over a month now (and it is costing me big time since I am using this for my consulting work and I have not been able to get any work done).
I've carefully read everything I can find about the 7200.11 firmware issues and the issues we are seeing with the ST3640323AS seem to be totally different than what is typical. Based on this I can only assume this is yet another bizarre, potentially firmware related, issue - BUT that this issue is unrelated to the more typical issues.
.....
Can anyone shed any light on this problem?
Do you think it is worth trying the firmware update even though the serial number checker says "not affected"?
I don't understand why the moderators are taking every single post that might be related to firmware and throwing them all into a single thread. Issues such as the one that I am having (that are totally different to what everyone else is experiencing) are not going to get any assistance from the community when thrown into this huge thread discussing a different issue.
I have now discovered that if I enable the on-board video and use it instead of the ATI 4850 video card that all of a sudden the system will boot with BIOS 1.05 installed. On top of that all of the data on the drives is there and everything seems to be working fine.
This is a totally bizarre issue and I can't figure out how the hard drives are involved.
What I do know is with these particular hard drives and the ATI 4850, the system won't POST with BIOS 1.03 installed; it won't boot with BIOS 1.05 installed and it BSODs with hard drive corruption with BIOS 1.04 or 1.04b installed. If I use the on-board video these hard drives seem to work fine (with BIOS 1.05 at least) and so far I haven't seen a single BSOD either.
The other strange feature is if I use an older Seagate drive (7200.9), BIOS 1.05 and the ATI 4850, the system DOES see the hard drive (and again if I install these new drives instead, the drives disappear or have no data).
For whatever reason it seems that the combination of this motherboard, the ATI 4850 and the Seagate ST3640323AS creates some sort of catastrophic hardware conflict.
I still haven't tried installing the SD1B firmware on the drives; replacing the current SD35 firmware. Has anyone with an ST3640323AS and firmware SD35 tried flashing SD1B? What were the results?
Note I am still trying to get through to Seagate tech support and still waiting for an e-mail response from Seagate. So far, after at least 4 hours on hold (in total), I am getting nowhere. I have actually spoken to tech support (on the phone and through on-line chat), but they all tell me I need to speak to a team leader since they are the only ones who can advise about firmware for my particular drives. I've asked for a team leader to call me back, but I've been told the only way to talk to one is to wait on hold. I'm still on hold right now as I type this. Yesterday I was left on hold right through tech support closing for the night.
I have to say I am very frustrated with the lack of information and support Seagate is providing. Even with this community forum, Seagate is making it very difficult to get assistance by throwing every single hard drive issue into a single massive thread where it is impossible to discuss specific issues such as I am experiencing. After purchasing at least 100 Seagate hard drives in the past and having previous issues dealt with in professional manor, it seems that Seagate has changed and no longer offers the top quality products and service that they used to.
