Understanding Hard Drive Firmware Failure

Did you know that inside your computer’s hard drive is a tiny operating system (similar to Windows or Mac OS) that tells the drive to act? Most computer users don’t, because it runs in the background and there’s no reason to ever worry about this little piece of software… that is, until it stops doing its job.

As with any bit of code, your hard drive’s operating system, aka the firmware, can become corrupted or damaged as a result of viruses, incompatibility, or even manufacture failure. If a firmware failure incurs, you may lose access to your data instantly. Even worse, it could stop your hard drive from spinning or cooling correctly, which can lead to more significant damage.

How Do I know if I have a Firmware Failure?

Some signs of a firmware failure include freezing a startup, inability to recognize the drive by any reader, or partial or complete mechanical failure of the drive. A firmware failure can cause complete failure of the drive, even if there is not physical damage to it.

Where is the Firmware located?

The firmware is a set of codes positioned on the service area of the platters and also in the ROM of the PCB. It’s not something that is visible because it is not a physical part of the hard drive.

What Does Firmware Do?

When the hard drive is powered on, a small part of firmware on the PCB is starting the whole process of booting the drive. It sends the command to power on the motor and tells the heads to move over the spinning surface to catch the synchronizing marks of the platter in order to stabilize the speed. Then the microcode on the service zone starts loading into the drive’s memory.

Then the microcode on the service zone starts loading into the drive’s memory. Then the microcode on the service zone starts loading into the drive’s memory. That piece of loaded code from the disk platter must be matched to the firmware code from the circuit board. Otherwise, the integrity of the whole drive’s software system is violated.