Seagate bungles firmware update

By Boeing 787
in Back Page News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Veteran

Boeing 787

Posted
Posted (edited)
A FEW DAYS after our original article, Seagate had scrambled the techies and produced a new firmware to flash the drives. So far so good.

The new SD1A firmware promised to take away the pain even though it did not solve the problem for people whose drives were already KIA. It would - according to the company - avoid the bricking feature before it happened...

... If it worked.

Adding insult to already injured customers, there are reports streaming in to our inboxes of users who have attempted the firmware flash and have ended up with bricked drives. Yes. That's right... Paperweight city all over the place. Seagate customers are up in arms.

Right about now, a very angry mob is giving phone support a good yell and filling the forums with complaints. If you want to join the festivities and leave a piece of your mind to Seagate's deaf, dumb and blind forums you can visit the forums.

Seagate has hastily removed the doubly-offending firmware before any more customers get their drives killed and is advising that a new firmware will be ready in 24-48 hours time. Naturally, if the drives are already bricked there won't be much you can do in terms of applying new firmware - RMA seems to be the only solution right now.

Oh, and if you want to ask someone at Seagate if it's safe, just forget contacting tech support via chat: the company will not discuss firmware updates on chats. Which brings us to today's mise en sc?ne> of "the devil's advocate": if we found we'd been telling people to apply firmware that bricks their drives we'd want the least amount of incriminating evidence (ie: chat logs) around, wouldn't we? But that's just us... because we're The INQ.

The situation, of course, begs the obvious question: how the heck does such a piece of firmware get launched without passing through thorough testing and certification?

We've tried contacting Seagate again, but it appears they think we're a customer.

Anyway, the dung should hit the fan at the stockholder meeting today... stay tuned. ?

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/5...firmware-update

I know it's the inquirer but still relevant.

Second: http://www.informationweek.com/news/securi...cleID=212901822

Seagate (NYSE: STX) Technology has pulled a firmware fix for its 1-TB Barracuda 7200.11 hard drive after the patch reportedly caused 500-GB versions of the drive to stop working.

Seagate on Wednesday promised to have a second fix within 24 hours, according to tech site Channel Register. Seagate has told its customers that they shouldn't lose any of their data as a result of the problems, but it has also promised to provide recovery services at no charge if necessary.

Consentry's NAC Host Assessment is fairly rudimentary Microsoft on when to go OneCare versus Forefront InformationWeek Editor, John Foley, speaks with Nick Magliato, CEO of startup Trust Digital, which makes SmartPhone Security.

InformationWeek Editor, John Foley, speaks with Nick Magliato, CEO of startup Trust Digital, which makes SmartPhone Security.

Seagate could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Seagate pulled the first fix on Monday for "validation," according to the company's support site. On the same day, Seagate customers started flooding the company's community forum with complaints that the patch apparently caused the 500-GB Barracuda to stop working.

Last week, Seagate said it had isolated the problem that affected the Barracuda drives and other drive lines based on the same platform. The products had been manufactured through December.

The latest firmware troubles occurred about two months after the company had problems with its 1.5-TB Barracuda 7200.11, which randomly froze, according to tech site Tom's Hardware.

Seagate's product headaches are on top of the company's financial troubles. The company last week said it would cut thousands of jobs and slash executive salaries as a result of a drop in sales related to the economic downturn.

Edited by hardgiant
Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/725758-seagate-bungles-firmware-update/
Share on other sites
Grand Master

itsnotabigtruck

Posted
Posted

Word of advice: never even bother with those online tech support chat things. They're almost always outsourced to companies whose workers also handle dozens of other sites - they usually have next to zero knowledge of the problem at hand (even off a flowchart). Moreover, if you actually need to get an RMA or anything of the sort, they'll typically tell you to call up the phone support.

Of course, there are exceptions. But this is the norm.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Flip 8, Z Fold Wide: Everything you need to know

      By The Werewolf · Posted

      Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Flip 8, Z Fold Wide: Everything you need to know The ONLY thing I need to know is the price, which I know will be way higher than I (and most people) are willing to pay for a phone... so basically nothing here I need to know. PS: Nice job getting that Apple reference to a non-existent and unrevealed product as "competition" in there. Cheque is in the mail.
    • AMD 9070XT

      By Steven P. · Posted

      Well I really think the repasting helped if your higher clocks have returned, maybe the next thing to look at is if there is a problem with your case airflow? I guess this because your 3080 has returned to optimal state, but is still staying too warm, which might suggest it was thermal throttling before you repasted, of which the only logical conclusion could be outside factors.
    • The official Funny Pictures thread

      By Steven P. · Posted

    • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Flip 8, Z Fold Wide: Everything you need to know

      By Hamid Ganji · Posted

      Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Flip 8, Z Fold Wide: Everything you need to know by Hamid Ganji Galaxy Z Fold 7 - Image via Samsung The next generation of Samsung foldables is set to be unveiled next month at the second Unpacked event of the year. Samsung’s 2026 foldables are not expected to offer significant upgrades over their predecessors, with the Korean firm instead focusing on design refinements and conventional upgrades such as faster processors and better cameras. However, Samsung is reportedly planning to unveil an all-new passport-style foldable this year to rival Apple’s first foldable iPhone, which is expected to debut this September. Here’s a roundup of everything we know about Samsung’s upcoming foldable devices ahead of their official debut. When can we expect Samsung’s new foldables? The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 series were unveiled in July, and Samsung is expected to maintain this timeframe in 2026. Based on previous reports from Korean sources, Samsung will hold its Unpacked event on July 22 in London, UK, to pull back the curtain on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series. The devices are also expected to hit the shelves a few weeks after launch. However, Samsung has yet to announce an official date. A new naming scheme? One of the most interesting changes we might see this year is a new naming scheme for Samsung’s latest foldables. SamMobile reported that since Samsung is expected to unveil three foldables this year, it has adopted a new naming strategy to simplify product identification for customers. Accordingly, the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 will reportedly be called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and will serve as the direct successor to last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7. The “Ultra” suffix suggests the phone could feature higher-end specifications, such as additional rear camera modules. Samsung’s new passport-style foldable is expected to carry the Galaxy Z Fold 8 name without any suffix. This model is reportedly equipped with two rear cameras. No major changes are expected for the Flip model. Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8 anticipated specs Rumors over the past few months suggest Samsung is preparing several upgrades for its upcoming foldables, although the devices may continue to rely on larger batteries and faster charging speeds rather than dramatic design changes. The primary focus this year is expected to be the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and its wide-screen design. Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra official CAD renders - Image via AndroidHeadlines Here are the anticipated specifications for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra based on previous leaks: 6.5-inch outer display and 8-inch inner display, 120Hz refresh rate, and 2,600 nits peak brightness Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage 4.1mm thickness when unfolded and a weight of 210g 200MP main camera, 50MP ultrawide camera, 10MP or 12MP telephoto camera, 10MP cover camera, and 10MP selfie camera 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging Android 17 and One UI 9 As for the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the device is not expected to be a major departure from its predecessor, although it could become slightly slimmer. Expected specifications include: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 or Exynos 2600 processor 12GB of RAM with 256GB and 512GB storage options 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X inner dispaly and 4.1-inch Super AMOLED outer dispaly 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide camera, and 10MP selfie camera 4,300mAh battery with 25W wired charging Android 17 and One UI 9 Samsung’s foldables are also expected to launch with Gemini Intelligence, Google’s AI suite for automating tasks in Android ecosystem. Moreover, given current memory and component costs, some Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8 variants could see a price hike. Galaxy Z Fold 8 adopts a wide-screen design The centerpiece of the upcoming Unpacked event could be the Galaxy Z Fold 8, previously rumored as the Galaxy Z Fold Wide. This model adopts a passport-style form factor and is expected to compete directly with Apple’s iPhone Fold. Galaxy Z Fold 8 official CAD renders - Image via AndroidHeadlines Here’s what to expect: 7.6-inch primary OLED display and 5.4-inch cover display, 120Hz refresh rate, 2,600 nits peak brightness, and 4:3 aspect ratio Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage options 4,800mAh battery with 45W wired charging 50MP main camera, 50MP ultrawide camera, and 10MP selfie camera Android 17 and One UI 9 The three new foldable phones are unlikely to be the only devices unveiled at Samsung’s Unpacked event. The company is also expected to introduce the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and the Galaxy Watch 9 series.
    • Dopamine 3.0.6

      By Jaybonaut · Posted

      Thanks

  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      rolfus earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Leroy Jethro Gibbs earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Conversation Starter
      flexorcist earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • One Month Later
      AndreaB earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      agatameier earned a badge
      One Month Later

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      505
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      196
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      141
    4. 4
      ATLien_0
      89
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      81
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!