hdd in aliexpress

[gamer87]

I bought a 2.5" HDD on Aliexpress, I know this drive is used but it shows few hours of use and good health in crystal diskinfo. What do the Chinese change in the HDD to mask hours of use and true health? Do they also change or remove important HDD functions such as head parking and drive power management?

 

[DrB0b]

Not my synopsis but I queried an AI agent and the below was the response:

Yes, there are specific tools and methods to reset SMART data on SSDs, although this practice is generally discouraged and can be risky. Here are some key points about resetting SMART data on SSDs:

1. Manufacturer-specific tools: Some SSD manufacturers provide utilities that can reset SMART data, often as part of their secure erase functionality
2. MPTool: This is a generic term for "Mass Production Tool" used in assembly to initialize low-level functions. It can reset SMART data to make a drive appear brand new (0 power cycles, 0 read/write records, 0 powered hours)
3. Firmware manipulation: Some methods involve flashing the drive's firmware with modified versions that can alter how SMART attributes are reported

Edit to remove unneeded hyperlinks.

 

[gamer87]

chineses Do they also change or remove important HDD functions such as head parking and drive power management?

 

[DrB0b]

Depending on what firmware is installed, it can limit or expand the base functionality.

 

[gamer87]

Does the Aliexpress seller have any influence on the HDD modifications? Example: I bought an external HDD from the KESU brand (enclosure case Kesu 2530 + 2.5" HDD models Western Digital WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST APPLE HDD HTS541010A99E662) I wonder if all sellers buy the HDD from the same person and resell it with the brand's USB case.