New Linux Tool - HDDSuperTool
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Unfortunately I have not had much time to work on this project lately, but I have managed to achieve a basic identify device command via AHCI. And when using the method of hiding a drive from Linux as mentioned in my previous post, I am still able to work with the drive. This means that it should be possible to perform hard resets (com resets) on a SATA drive with a software only tool. So it is now down to not being able to do a pin 1 reset on an IDE drive, and power cycling a drive, both of which will have to be performed by external hardware. But there is still much work to be done as AHCI is much more complicated than IDE. And then I still have to write the cloning portion. So it will be some time yet before this can become what it needs to be.
I do appreciate the encouragement of those following this project. But there is one thing that I am lacking, and that is hard drives that are in the proper condition to test with. If anyone has any drives that fit the requirements and would be able and willing to donate them to me I would be very grateful. And by donate I mean you would have to pay the shipping cost to send it to me, although I may be willing to discuss alternative arrangements. Please make sure you are not violating any laws, or the rights or wishes of the previous owner of the drive before considering this.
The first and most important requirement for a test drive is that it must be able to be recognized by BIOS on a computer. If BIOS cannot see it then neither can my software.
The second requirement is I want drives that will do things such as lock up, go into device fault, require resets and power cycling, have issues being recognized by Linux (likely from locking up with device fault), and just do not work well at all with something like ddrescue. I will also accept drives that have lots of errors and would take forever for something like ddrescue to recover, although this is not as important. I need different makes and models to be able to see what does and doesn’t work for each.
I know this may be a lot to ask, but I do not have the means to acquire such drives myself. I only have a very few drives to work with. I would be grateful for anyone that could help with this. Please PM me if you can help. Thanks.
I do appreciate the encouragement of those following this project. But there is one thing that I am lacking, and that is hard drives that are in the proper condition to test with. If anyone has any drives that fit the requirements and would be able and willing to donate them to me I would be very grateful. And by donate I mean you would have to pay the shipping cost to send it to me, although I may be willing to discuss alternative arrangements. Please make sure you are not violating any laws, or the rights or wishes of the previous owner of the drive before considering this.
The first and most important requirement for a test drive is that it must be able to be recognized by BIOS on a computer. If BIOS cannot see it then neither can my software.
The second requirement is I want drives that will do things such as lock up, go into device fault, require resets and power cycling, have issues being recognized by Linux (likely from locking up with device fault), and just do not work well at all with something like ddrescue. I will also accept drives that have lots of errors and would take forever for something like ddrescue to recover, although this is not as important. I need different makes and models to be able to see what does and doesn’t work for each.
I know this may be a lot to ask, but I do not have the means to acquire such drives myself. I only have a very few drives to work with. I would be grateful for anyone that could help with this. Please PM me if you can help. Thanks.
And I almost forgot. The latest release of HDDSuperTool now includes a couple patches to fix the slow issue with some WD drives. This was based off information found on another forum and I only had one drive to test it on, but it did work 
I wish I could put more firmware fixes in my software, but most are kept very secret and not public information.
I wish I could put more firmware fixes in my software, but most are kept very secret and not public information.
LarrySabo
Member
I get some of them from my eRecycler, and others form a DR "partner" at an on-campus computer repair shop. Some of the recyclers I approached belong to some organization whose code of conduct prohibits anything but total destruction of the drives they receive. It might help if you go with an agreement to securely wipe drives you receive/destroy the media of those drives that can't be wiped.
Okay, I will have check with some of the local computer repair shops, at least ones within a reasonable driving distance. Maybe one of them would be helpful considering I am asking specifically for failing drives. But I do wonder about their policies for hard drive wipe/destruction. And I can’t wipe a drive that is already in the condition I need it to be in.
As for recycling places, sure I could try those also, but even if their policy would allow it I would be fishing for failing drives among ones that were just old and discarded. Although if I could get a quantity of such drives, I could do things like simulate a dropped drive with a hammer. Or possibly perform a repetitive write routine and try a strategically placed hammer hit to try to get the heads to jump a bit during the write. Or open them up in my dusty house. If it trashes the drive beyond use then on to the next one. Always willing to be creative.
The sad thing is that at work there is a box with at least 50 drives in it, some failed/failing and some are just old. And I cannot have any of them due to the fact that they could have sensitive information on them. I have been lucky to get 2 or 3 failing drives that were not considered to have any such information on them.
As for recycling places, sure I could try those also, but even if their policy would allow it I would be fishing for failing drives among ones that were just old and discarded. Although if I could get a quantity of such drives, I could do things like simulate a dropped drive with a hammer. Or possibly perform a repetitive write routine and try a strategically placed hammer hit to try to get the heads to jump a bit during the write. Or open them up in my dusty house. If it trashes the drive beyond use then on to the next one. Always willing to be creative.
The sad thing is that at work there is a box with at least 50 drives in it, some failed/failing and some are just old. And I cannot have any of them due to the fact that they could have sensitive information on them. I have been lucky to get 2 or 3 failing drives that were not considered to have any such information on them.
My biggest issue at work would be my boss. He is difficult and stubborn, and I think a bit paranoid sometimes. I work in the same room with him and we never talk unless it is for him to tell me what he wants me to do. Plus I work for a school and there are some funny policies sometimes. I will need to have a good plan in place before I can even ask him about it, or he will just cut me off before I can finish a sentence. Even if I would offer to sign something stating that I would wipe them and provide certificates, and that none of them would ever leave my possession without being destroyed, he may still say no (if I could even get that far in the sentence before getting cut off). And then there is the issue of the actual failing drives that would not wipe properly. I don’t want to destroy them as they are what I really want, but I would be unable to wipe them. I will have to think about this so that I have a chance of getting more than one sentence out.
I could say I am offering to wipe them as a free service, but the normal method of disposal is that he takes them home and destroys them with a sledge hammer. I might be taking away his pleasure of smashing them…
I could say I am offering to wipe them as a free service, but the normal method of disposal is that he takes them home and destroys them with a sledge hammer. I might be taking away his pleasure of smashing them…