Help needed to get HGST He8 drives working

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metag

Member
Apr 26, 2016
64
16
8
I bought 3 refurbished HGST He8 4Kn drives (Model HUH728080ALN601) from eBay recently to replace my failing drives, which are of model HUH728080ALN600. However, I cannot get them working in either Windows (Server 2016) or Ubuntu (18.04 LTS):

- Windows disk management can see them but cannot bring them online; Ubuntu GNome disks can see them but cannot create partition on them
- HD Sentinel on Windows and GSmartCTL on Ubuntu can see full SMART data; Short and extended self-test passed
- Diskpart on windows cannot see them; so was fdisk on Ubuntu
- sg3_utils gave similar results on Windows and Ubuntu:

Code:
gw@ubench:~$ sudo sg_scan -i
/dev/sg0: scsi6 channel=0 id=0 lun=0 [em]
    ATA       INTEL SSDSA2CW16  0362 [rmb=0 cmdq=1 pqual=0 pdev=0x0]
/dev/sg1: scsi8 channel=0 id=0 lun=0 [em]
    Lexar     USB Flash Drive   1100 [rmb=1 cmdq=0 pqual=0 pdev=0x0]
/dev/sg2: scsi7 channel=0 id=0 lun=0 [em]
    ATA       HGST HUH728080AL  V7J0 [rmb=0 cmdq=1 pqual=0 pdev=0x0]
   
gw@ubench:~$ sudo sg_modes /dev/sg2 -v
    inquiry cdb: 12 00 00 00 24 00
    ATA       HGST HUH728080AL  V7J0   peripheral_type: disk [0x0]
    mode sense (10) cdb: 5a 00 3f 00 00 00 00 10 00 00
Mode parameter header from MODE SENSE(10):
  Mode data length=60, medium type=0x00, WP=0, DpoFua=0, longlba=0
  Block descriptor length=8
> Direct access device block descriptors:
   Density code=0x0
 00     00 00 00 00 00 00 02 00

>> Read-Write error recovery, page_control: current
 00     01 0a 80 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00
>> Caching, page_control: current
 00     08 12 04 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
 10     00 00 00 00
>> Control, page_control: current
 00     0a 0a 02 00 00 00 00 00  ff ff 00 1e

gw@ubench:~$ sudo sg_format -v --format --size=4096 /dev/sg2
    ATA       HGST HUH728080AL  V7J0   peripheral_type: disk [0x0]
      PROTECT=0
      Unit serial number: VKH0BNPX          
      LU name: 5000cca254ce434d
    mode sense (10) cdb: 5a 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 fc 00
Mode Sense (block descriptor) data, prior to changes:
  Number of blocks=0 [0x0]
  Block size=512 [0x200]
    mode select (10) cdb: 55 11 00 00 00 00 00 00 1c 00
mode select (10):  Fixed format, current;  Sense key: Illegal Request
 Additional sense: Invalid field in cdb
  Sense Key Specific: Error in Command: byte 1 bit 1
MODE SELECT command: Illegal request sense key, apart from Invalid opcode
Can someone help me troubleshoot and get those disks working? I really don't want to return the disks to the seller because I need to replace my failing disks asap.
 

nthu9280

Well-Known Member
Feb 3, 2016
1,628
498
83
San Antonio, TX
Can you check specs to see if these drives have "Power Disable Feature"? If so, you will need to put kapton tape on Pin#3. Search google / youtube and you will find the details.
 

metag

Member
Apr 26, 2016
64
16
8
Can you check specs to see if these drives have "Power Disable Feature"? If so, you will need to put kapton tape on Pin#3. Search google / youtube and you will find the details.
Thanks, model HUH728080ALN601 does not seem to have power disable. By comparing with my existing drives though, I think the problem is that those drives are security enabled and security locked. I have attempted to unlock using the default master password for Hitachi but have no luck. Most likely they will have to go back to the seller unless he can find the password for me.
 

metag

Member
Apr 26, 2016
64
16
8
Not sure if you have already tried deactivating the security as described here.
Yes, this is one of the pages I ran through. Unless I am missing something. It seems to me that I still need the password to disable the security.