ST10000NM0016 Tatsu (Fam 97) — OverlayCompatibilityCheck failed + En Tech TIMEOUT after tech unlock

[Skyclad]

Hi all,

I'm working on a Seagate ST10000NM0016-1TT101 (10TB helium, Family 97 Tatsu, FW: SNYD)
using PC-3000 UDMA-E v7.8.21.

The drive had Diagnostic Port Locked. I successfully read the ROM via COM and applied:
"Tech Mode unlocking preparation (patch)(multi-patch)" — all DFW options unchecked.
Wrote patched ROM, power cycle, then "Unlock Tech, drive prepared by utility".

Tech Unlock Handshake: 0xF1D4B759 → OK
Drive reaches F3 T> prompt, Ctrl+A responds with full drive info:

  Package Version: TAAEA18B5.SDNY.PJ0122.SNYD
  Model: ST10000NM0016-1TT101
  Heads: E (14)
  CFW CompileDate: 20180122

But ALL commands requiring the Diagnostic Cmd Processor Overlay fail:

  Overlay PartNum: 10251052
  CFW PartNum: 01220824
  Overlay CompileDate: 20161025
  CFW CompileDate: 20180122
  OverlayCompatibilityCheck failed
  Unable to load Diag Cmd Processor Overlay

This includes: r93, V1, V4, V40 — all trigger the same loop.

Additionally, when PC-3000 tries to read SysFiles via ATA(indirect):
  → "Error executing command En Tech (TIMEOUT)"
  → SysFile 93 opens empty (0 bytes)

So I have:
- Terminal access (F3 T>, F3 2>)
- Drive identified: 10 TB, Model, Serial, FW visible
- NO SysFile read via ATA

 Has anyone worked with TATSU Fam 97 + this specific Overlay/CFW mismatch?
And Is there a compatible LOD/loader for TAAEA18B5 / CFW 01220824 / 14 heads?

Original ROM already saved. 
Thanks so much

[pbzcbf...@gmail.com]

Here is a 12TB Tatsu loader:

https://firmware.hddsurgery.com/dl.php?file=52972&filename=ST12000VN0007-2GS116-SC60-ZJV5M1AZ.zip

[pbzcbf...@gmail.com]

Could we see the original ROM dump?

[pbzcbf...@gmail.com]

What is the manufacture date on the label? Is this the result of a bad firmware update?

Is the PCB/ROM native?

[Skyclad]

Yeah, Frank, I saw that drive from HDDSurgery, but I don't think that's the right version. 

Yes, we actually have a mix of firmware versions, both based on the report and from analyzing the ROM. I'm attaching the ROM and the report. 

Could it also be a refurbished drive? The date on label is February 13, 2017. 

[compos mentis]

The date in the CAP is 06 Feb 2017. This precedes the date on the label
by 1 week. Presumably, the serial number in the CAP and RAP match the label.

The date in Boot Firmware container 0 is 1/22/2018.

The date in Boot Firmware container 1 is 10/25/2016.

Container 0 is active. Its flag is 05, whereas container 1's flag is 04.

Therefore, it appears that a firmware update was applied at least a year
later.

[compos mentis]

I have attached the report from Seagate's download finder.

https://apps1.seagate.com/downloads/request.html?userPreferredLocaleCookie=en_US_

This would suggest that no field update was available for that model,
but I don't know whether this can be trusted.

On 19-Jun-26 6:29 PM, Skyclad wrote:

[pbzcbf...@gmail.com]

It appears that the code in the ROM was updated but the SA overlay was not.

I think the solution might be to make Boot Firmware container 1 the active container. Then the drive will boot from the original firmware.

  Overlay PartNum: 10251052
  CFW PartNum: 01220824

  Overlay CompileDate: 20161025 <------------- this matches the date in Boot Firmware container 1, which is the inactive container

[pbzcbf...@gmail.com]

I think this should work.

[Skyclad]

I was also thinking about booting from bank 1, but since I don't have your experience, I was waiting for confirmation or help. 

I haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know. 

Thanks, Frank.

[Skyclad]

I wanted to let you know that, thanks to your modification and booting from bank1, the drive no longer has the overlay compatibility issue, and I have full access to the commands in the terminal.

I'm now performing a targeted backup of the SA. 

You're Great. 

I'll keep that in mind, Frank.

[compos mentis]

I was unable to find any drive with SNYD firmware, but plenty with SND0.
I was also unable to find any official firmware update for this model.
Since the update was applied after the drive was manufactured, I'm very
curious about the drive's history.

I've analysed several Seagate F3 updates. The LOD files always seem to
consist of several ROM modules plus four SA overlays. You have
identified the overlay that supports the terminal commands. I'm
wondering whether the SNYD update consists of various 2018 ROM modules
plus three 2018 SA overlays, leaving the existing 2016 terminal
SA overlay untouched. The drive would function as normal with the 2018
ROM and 2018 SA. It would only be when one needed access to the terminal
that the 2016 SA overlay would be invoked.

[Skyclad]

In the end, I managed to clone the drive—or at least the vast number of folders the client wanted to recover—and on top of that, the drive used the BtrFS file system. 

The transfer rate was very slow in certain areas, with a lot of instability. The client didn’t tell me anything about the drive’s history. He hadn’t even told me that the drive was part of a NAS.

"The drive would function as normal with the 2018

ROM and 2018 SA. It would only be when one needed access to the terminal

that the 2016 SA overlay would be invoked."

Thanks, that is a very good point. 

After forcing Bank 1, terminal access became available and I was able to start backing up the SA. 

So your hypothesis seems very plausible: the SNYD update may have updated the 2018 ROM/host firmware path and some SA overlays, but left the older 2016 terminal/factory overlay untouched.

If I can, I will compare 20D, 20E, and the overlay objects to check whether the 2018 branch has only a partial overlay set and whether the 2016 branch still contains the compatible terminal overlay.