This tutorial will provide a detailed explanation of firmware unlocking operations and technical details to help users fully master the process.

As Seagate products continue to evolve, different hard drives use varying firmware lock solutions. These can be roughly categorized into the following four types:

① Conventional firmware unlocking is applicable to most Seagate hard disks, especially traditional hard disks.

Features: you can freely read and write ROM data through bootcode mode, and use the default handshake to unlock the firmware.

② The firmware unlocking in handshake 2 (exchange commands 2)  mode is applicable to specific families, and the priority is to confirm whether handshake 2 mode is adopted through the family.

Features: after writing the unlocked ROM, the hard disk is powered on without status light, and the terminal interface reports repeated feedback with "ROM Seg". The firmware unlocking must be completed using handshake 2 (exchange commands 2) mode.

Applicable family: A2 B5 BC partial B4

Reference tutorial: to be updated

③ Firmware unlocking for 8-pin ROM chip using physical desoldering method.

Feature: ROM data cannot be accessed through bootcode mode. At present, the new series can hardly read and write ROM normally, and can only use the desoldering method.

Applicable family: new AF (2022 and later) CF D0 D1 D5 and subsequent family ID

Reference tutorial: https://info.mrtlab.com/tech/seagate/348.html

④ The firmware unlocking for the pinless dual ROM chip scheme is only applicable to Seagate hard disk with dual chips.

Applicable family: C6 C8

Reference tutorial: to be updated

According to the hard disks collected at present, it can be inferred that the unlocking methods of ③ and ④ need to be used in the future.

This tutorial will demonstrate Method ①: Conventional Firmware Unlocking, a universally applicable approach.

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