HELP ME - Fujitsu MPG3102AT doesn't recognized from PC Bios

[powermax]

I have a Fujitsu MPG3102AT. This disk work for 3 months. One day the Hdd was not recognized from PC Bios.
I send the Hdd to a Data Recovery Service.
The data recovery service say me.... 'We must open the disk on Cleaning Room, for data recovery'.
I accept. I pay more money for this operation.
When i have back the Disk and the Data recovered on Cdrom, i see the warranty label on the disk, are NOT BROKEN !!!!!

How is possible open the disk, without broken the warranty label ??????

3 Month later, i know (by some friend) this ......
With the Fujitsu MPG series, when this fault appear, it is sufficent aplly a firmware upgrade or software patch, and the disk revive!!!!!!

This information, for me, is not complete.
Someone know the MPG secrets ????
Say you where i can found this software upgrade for solve this problem, or the secret for solve this problem ???
If i show this solution to Data recovery service, then gat back me my money !!!!!

Thank you for Help me !!!!!

 

[paparazi]

Fujitsu apparently have been involved in legal action against Cirrus Logic because of the high failure rate of a particular drive range (think it's yours) apparently a certain type of resin was used to fix the controller chip in the hard drive and the formula for the resin changed mid production? which turned out to be fatal as the new compound caused an unexceptable level of failures, certain institutions are reporting 50% plus failure rates.
I have one of these drives at home also that isn't recognised in the bios, but it's been under my bed for the last 8months (I understand this budget drive only had a 1year warranty) and it is over two years old now.
So appart from the information above I too would like to know if there is anywhere to go now for a replacement?
Martin Replying helps further our knowledge, without comment leaves us wondering.

 

[roamer1]

Hi powermax,

Papa is right in his description. The file below will fix the firmware to some degree, usually enough to get the data off and allow the drive to run normally ('bout 80% chance). According to the rumormill, however, The fix is usually temporary and will generally fail again at some point- could be an hour, could be a year. So the drive is still quite unreliable. IMHO: If your data is off of it DO NOT USE IT ANY MORE. Do not turn it in for RMA unless Fugi will give you substantial discount on a new drive from a newer model. Incidentally, the last drive in that range that I fixed had a three year warranty and was RMA'd without difficulty.

I would like you to inquire of your recovery company how they were able to open the drive w/o breaking the seals- That's a really neat trick.

http://www.fcpa.com/download/hard-drives/

Fujitsu HDD Flash Utility
(For MPG3xxxAT Models)
gen_upgrade101.exe (1.8 MB)

paparazi:

If you need data back off that doorstop, use the RMA process. Fugi's helpdesk people will replace with a suitable drive and w/ credit card will allow a 10 day period wherein you may take the board off the good one to fire your old one with. The credit card is not charged provided the old drive is returned- But don't dismay, you can then replace the old doorstop with the new one!

 

[paparazi]

roamer1
Very informative, thanks! fortunately there isn't any valuable data on the drive but obviously it is useless all the same, I know this drive is about 2 years old NOW but here in the UK this drive only has a years warranty unlike in the states where it is 3 years.
I will follow your link to see where it takes me.
Thanks again. Martin Replying helps further our knowledge, without comment leaves us wondering.