![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
Cliff Notes: Seagate DiscWizard uncertain conditions wil wipe all drives (including host) regardless of settings when setting up drives for wiping.
Hi all,
I recently bought a cheap computer off Kijiji that had two Seagate 500GB Barracudas (7200.12 and a 7200.11). This computer was hosed and both drives needed a LLF. Normally I use the drive manufacturer's programs for doing the LLF as they typically will root out bad sectors, and remap them. SeaTools wouldn't work on any computer with them (DOS... would not recognize keyboard+mouse, Windows refused to start format).
So I tried DiscWizard (as recommended by Seagate for wiping discs attached by external USB). I set the program with the two Barracuda's selected and ensured the host 500GB Western Digital drive was NOT selected (it didn't show up in the menu).
The computer rebooted, did its thing (showed a vague window with a progress bar and Operation x/4, that is it!). Woke up the next morning, to find it didn't boot back into Windows 7. After checking the HDDs, I found the stupid program wiped ALL the disks, despite that I only selected the two external Barracudas!
So as a warning: I do not recommend the use of DiscWizard for LLF'ing Seagate drives unless you have your main host drive backed up. In my case, fortunately I synced my computer with another ... just that a computer now is down unnecessarily and a royal PITA ahead.
Edit: Computer restored (and it runs better). The cheap computer off Kijiji for $60 (an Athlon 64 x2 BE @ 3.2GHz, ATI 5670 1GB, 4GB DDR667, 2x 500GB) is running good... the seller said the computer repair tech told him the motherboard was bad (yet it booted into Windows for a bit and was functional).
Steps taken:
dust blow out
all hdds Low level wiped
changed video card fan tables
heat gunned all boards and CPU to reflow lead free solder points (gained 8 minutes in Prime95 runs before 2nd core failed again, eliminated video card crashing)
replaced all heat grease with AS5
swapped the CPU heat sink for a ThermalTake Typhoon I had on hand (the idiot I bought it from had a tiny non-OEM heat sink on it, clearly not rated for the CPUs 135W Tdp)
overvolted the CPU to 1.475V Bios (1.41V under load). known workaround with 3.2GHz Athlon x64s,
full load is 57 deg C, Mobo 40 Deg C, 30 deg C ambient room, >80% humidity, runs Prime 95 >1 hour error free, (2nd core used to fail within 10 minutes), Memtest for 12 hours (ram cycled twice)
A ton of work, but not a bad machine for $60, it will be an XBMC server / NAS with 2TB storage (for now... I plan on going to 5 to 10TB). CPU will be swapped out for a Phenom II X6 at some point when when I can get one for cheap.
Hi all,
I recently bought a cheap computer off Kijiji that had two Seagate 500GB Barracudas (7200.12 and a 7200.11). This computer was hosed and both drives needed a LLF. Normally I use the drive manufacturer's programs for doing the LLF as they typically will root out bad sectors, and remap them. SeaTools wouldn't work on any computer with them (DOS... would not recognize keyboard+mouse, Windows refused to start format).
So I tried DiscWizard (as recommended by Seagate for wiping discs attached by external USB). I set the program with the two Barracuda's selected and ensured the host 500GB Western Digital drive was NOT selected (it didn't show up in the menu).
The computer rebooted, did its thing (showed a vague window with a progress bar and Operation x/4, that is it!). Woke up the next morning, to find it didn't boot back into Windows 7. After checking the HDDs, I found the stupid program wiped ALL the disks, despite that I only selected the two external Barracudas!
So as a warning: I do not recommend the use of DiscWizard for LLF'ing Seagate drives unless you have your main host drive backed up. In my case, fortunately I synced my computer with another ... just that a computer now is down unnecessarily and a royal PITA ahead.
Edit: Computer restored (and it runs better). The cheap computer off Kijiji for $60 (an Athlon 64 x2 BE @ 3.2GHz, ATI 5670 1GB, 4GB DDR667, 2x 500GB) is running good... the seller said the computer repair tech told him the motherboard was bad (yet it booted into Windows for a bit and was functional).
Steps taken:
dust blow out
all hdds Low level wiped
changed video card fan tables
heat gunned all boards and CPU to reflow lead free solder points (gained 8 minutes in Prime95 runs before 2nd core failed again, eliminated video card crashing)
replaced all heat grease with AS5
swapped the CPU heat sink for a ThermalTake Typhoon I had on hand (the idiot I bought it from had a tiny non-OEM heat sink on it, clearly not rated for the CPUs 135W Tdp)
overvolted the CPU to 1.475V Bios (1.41V under load). known workaround with 3.2GHz Athlon x64s,
full load is 57 deg C, Mobo 40 Deg C, 30 deg C ambient room, >80% humidity, runs Prime 95 >1 hour error free, (2nd core used to fail within 10 minutes), Memtest for 12 hours (ram cycled twice)
A ton of work, but not a bad machine for $60, it will be an XBMC server / NAS with 2TB storage (for now... I plan on going to 5 to 10TB). CPU will be swapped out for a Phenom II X6 at some point when when I can get one for cheap.
Last edited: