Hard Drive Data Recovery
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 Data RecoveryST3500320AS / ST3640330AS / ST3750330AS
The Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 firmware bug is one of the most well-known hard drive defects in history. A flaw in drives manufactured through December 2008 causes the drive to lock up permanently on power-on (BSY state) or report 0MB capacity. Your data is completely intact; the drive's firmware cannot complete its boot sequence. We recover Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 drives using our PC-3000 system's Seagate module at our Austin lab.
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 Specifications
The Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 firmware bug is one of the most well-known hard drive defects in history. A flaw in drives manufactured through December 2008 causes the drive to lock up permanently on power-on (BSY state) or report 0MB capacity. Your data is completely intact; the drive's firmware cannot complete its boot sequence.
- Manufacturer
- Seagate
- Form Factor
- 3.5"
- Spindle Speed
- 7200 RPM
- Interface
- SATA
- Capacity Range
- 500GB-1.5TB
- Recording Technology
- CMR (Conventional Magnetic Recording)
- PC-3000 Module
- Seagate
Recovery Feasibility
Standard 3.5" Seagate head comb. Older architecture; donor matching by model, head count, firmware prefix.
Model Numbers
The following model numbers belong to the Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 family. Check the label on your drive to confirm it matches one of these models before referencing the failure modes below.
5 models in this family
Failure Modes
Each failure mode requires a different diagnostic approach and recovery technique. Identifying the correct failure is the first step before any work begins.
BSY bug (brick)
Firmware bug in System File handling during power-on initialization locks drive in BSY state. BIOS cannot detect. Data is fully intact but inaccessible.
Symptoms you may notice
- Drive spins but BIOS shows nothing
- No model number in BIOS
- Drive clicks once then stays silent
Related search terms
0 LBA bug
Related firmware defect causing BIOS to report 0MB capacity.
Symptoms you may notice
- Drive shows 0MB in BIOS
- Drive detected but wrong capacity
Related search terms
Head Swap and Donor Matching
Donor Requirements
Standard 3.5" Seagate head comb. Older architecture; donor matching by model, head count, firmware prefix.
We maintain a donor drive inventory at our Austin lab and can source additional donors when needed. Head swaps are performed in our ISO Class 5 clean bench environment.
Recording Technology
This drive uses Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR). Each track is independent, making sector-by-sector imaging more predictable than SMR drives. Write operations do not affect adjacent tracks.
CMR simplifies recovery because there is no media cache layer to reconstruct. The data layout on the platters directly mirrors the logical block addresses.
How We Recover Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 Drives
Firmware-Level Recovery
We use the PC-3000 with the Seagate module for firmware diagnostics and repair. This handles translator corruption, service area damage, and firmware boot failures.
Firmware recovery preserves the original head assembly and avoids the risks of a donor swap. For Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 drives with firmware corruption, this is the first recovery path we attempt.
Head Swap Recovery
When the heads have physically failed (clicking, grinding, or no spin), we perform a head swap in our ISO Class 5 clean bench environment. This involves sourcing a compatible donor drive, removing its head stack assembly, and transplanting it into the patient drive.
After the head swap, we image the drive sector by sector using the PC-3000, skipping unstable areas and returning to them with adjusted read parameters. The goal is a complete clone before the donor heads degrade.
Pricing
Logical and firmware recovery for Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 drives typically costs $300 to $600. Head swap cases requiring a donor drive run $600 to $1,500 depending on head count and donor availability. Clean bench platter work, when needed, is $1,200 to $2,000.
See our full pricing breakdown for details. Our No Data, No Fee guarantee means you pay nothing if we cannot recover your files.
Hard Drive Data Recovery Standards & Verification
Our Austin lab operates on a transparency-first model. We use industry-standard recovery tools, including PC-3000 and DeepSpar, combined with strict environmental controls to make sure your hard drive is handled safely and properly. This approach allows us to serve clients nationwide with consistent technical standards.
Open-drive work is performed in a laminar-flow bench filtered to 0.02 µm, verified using TSI P-Trak instrumentation.
Transparent History
Serving clients nationwide via mail-in service since 2008.
Media Coverage
Our repair work has been covered by The Wall Street Journal and Business Insider, with CBC News reporting on our pricing transparency. Louis Rossmann has testified in Right to Repair hearings in multiple states and founded the Repair Preservation Group.
Aligned Incentives
Our "No Data, No Charge" policy means we assume the risk of the recovery attempt, not the client.
Technical Oversight
Louis Rossmann
Louis Rossmann's well trained staff review our lab protocols to ensure technical accuracy and honest service. Since 2008, his focus has been on clear technical communication and accurate diagnostics rather than sales-driven explanations.
We believe in proving standards rather than just stating them. We use TSI P-Trak instrumentation to verify that clean-air benchmarks are met before any drive is opened.
See our clean bench validation data and particle test videoFrequently Asked Questions
What is the Seagate 7200.11 BSY bug?
What is the 0 LBA bug on the 7200.11?
Is my data still intact if my 7200.11 is bricked?
Can the BSY bug be fixed with a firmware update or do the heads need replacing?
How much does Seagate 7200.11 BSY bug recovery cost?
Other Seagate Drive Families
We also recover these Seagate hard drive families.
Not a hard drive issue? We also recover SSDs, RAID arrays, and iPhones.
Hard Drive Recovery Overview →Other Recovery Services
Nationwide Mail-In Data Recovery Service
We serve all 50 states with secure mail-in data recovery. Ship your failed drive to our Austin lab using our free shipping kit, and we'll diagnose it within 24-48 hours. No geographic limitations—we've successfully recovered data for customers from Alaska to Florida.
Popular Service Areas
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 drive not working?
Ship it to our Austin lab for a free evaluation. No data, no charge.