How To Create Bootable USB Disk For Seagate SeaTools

This entry originally was named «Seatools boot from usb stick», but as I searched on google, results with bad to worse methods to create bootable usb sticks are up in place, so I changed the name in hope that gets more visibility on the net.

Recently I need to use the seagatetools for DOS to diagnose a HDD, to get a RMA for warranty replacement, as my new drive came with several damaged sectors (in fact I can’t even format without getting DMA, and other errors… yes I changed cable, drive, and mobo, so it’s the drive), but there were only two options, available for download, one are a windows download, that requires NET4 framework and obviously Windows, and I don’t have neither at  hand, and the other DOS (FreeDOS) image, I wanted to use the last one, but also don’t have a CD ROM on my machine, so after go crazy, and screamed some curses, searched for the documentation, and it’s really bad documented how to use on anything different than a CD, you can boot freedos with syslinux, but that it’s not for the faint of hearth or easy is also tricky, that at the moment where working from my netbook doesn’t help either [1], update: finally found how to make this from linux, also easy and without that much hassle [2]) I found in some other post a really easy way to make this work using YUMI, this is preferred faster and easier (need windows or wine). This also probably works with unetbootin [3], but not have tested.

I finally get bored and unpacked a old portable USB DVD ROM I had, but the logs of seatools can’t be written easily to other media (no floppy, no other drive, well other but with EXT4 and no fat or VFAT partition). But using a USB stick you can copy directly to disk and do a lot more that undust that old CD RW disc…

by Ramesh Balakrishnan on Mon, 08/06/2012 – 12:30.

GO to http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/seatools/# and download seatools for DOS and

save the ISO on your hard disk

1)Download YUMI multiboot [3]
2)run YUMI by doubleclicking on it
3) Click on I AGREE
4) Select the drive letter
5)In the box below go to option try an unlisted ISO( boot from Ram)
6. On the box below click browse and give the path to your saved ISO file
7. click CREATE.

thats all . All you have to do is boot from USB and start using the utility.
If in case you have any problem in booting

then download HP usb format tool from
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/HP-USB-Disk-Storage-Format-Tool.shtml

Format your usb– Uncheck quick format and do a full format( might take some time)

Repeat 1 thro 7. and boot from USB .It should work now !

This worked for me after some sleep and after doing some googling found that is not by far the first response nor a prominent one, so for the record and for kept where I can found fast if I need again, I repost here the insightful comment [5]. Also I got a replacement for my drive within a week after sending along with RMA data.

[1] http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1333956
[2] https://github.com/iiska/bootstick
[3] https://unetbootin.github.io/
[4] http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/
[5] http://www.megaleecher.net/Seagate_SeaTools_For_DOS_Bootable_USB_Maker_Kit#comment-38392