The reason why Seagate Data Recovery Sucks

[Jared]

So this is what I hate about Seagate manufacturing and having to quote Seagate recoveries.

I'm trying to recover a drive with the following specs:

ST1000DM003
P/N: 1CH162-501
FW: CC44
Serial: S1D...
Site: SU
Date: 13451

Trying to figure out what preamp this drive is likely to have. Based on the drives listed out on donordrives.com, here's what I find for drives with all the same specs (except for the date).

Date Code -> Preamp
13301 -> B2
13313 -> CA
13316 -> CA
13365 -> CA
13391 -> CA
13451 -> ?? (my case)
13462 -> B2
13466 -> CA
14026 -> B2

So, it looks like I've pretty much got a crapshoot between CA and B2 being the correct one. :roll:

But, how are you supposed to explain to a customer that you have no way of definitively knowing which is the correct one, and that they are on the line to buy a second one if the one we get is incompatible? Only thing I can come up with is to double the price of donor parts, but that only works until they google the price themselves.

 

[Blizzard]

Out of 8 donors I have here, 5 are B2 and 3 are CA. The dates are all over the place for both preamps. But look at the bright side, with this model you'll eventually need the other one anyway
The main reason I buy DM donors before I need them is because I can get 2, 3, or even 4 for the price of one emergency order.

 

[Jared]

Yeah, I've got dozens of them here, but they don't last long at the rate we need em. Somehow the one I need is always one I don't have.

 

[Blizzard]

Don't overlook the Pipeline models if you have any. ST1000VM002 uses the same preamps B2 and CA.

 

[lcoughey]

I now have the number of heads and preamp written on my Seagate donor covers. When I need a drive, I search for capacity and then match heads and preamp.

 

[pclab]

[post]8758[/post] I now have the number of heads and preamp written on my Seagate donor covers. When I need a drive, I search for capacity and then match heads and preamp.

And that's enough?