FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
King Demi AS
Duplication, Test and Wipe (Erase)
Q1: What are the key copy functions?
Q2: What does “Sector to Sector Copy” mean?
Q3: What does “Data-Only Copy” meant?
Q4: What is the Smart Copy function and how does it work?
Q5: What is “FS Map” copy?
Q6: Why is this product better than Ghost software HDD imager for duplication?
Q7: Can this product copy from one interface to another (like IDE to SCSI or Laptop to Desktop)?
Q8: What is the copy speed?
Q9: What type of test and repair functions does this product perform?
Q10: What type of wipe/erase functions does this product perform?
Q11: What is the DoD 5220.22m erase standard? Does this product comply with DoD5220.22m?
Q12: Can this product test a hard drive without altering any HDD Data?
Q13: Can the King Demi download new firmware to the HDD?
Q14: Can the King Demi erase SMART, P List or G List records?
Data Recovery and Forensic Investigation
Q1: Is the Master channel write protected?
Q2: Is the King Demi forensically sound? Can a copied hard drive be used as evidence in court?
Q3: How is this product used for Data Recovery and why is it important to use?
Q4: How does the King Demi match up to the DeepSpar?
Q5: Why is this product better for data recovery than software HDD imagers?
Q6: Can the King Demi unlock password locked hard drives or test a locked hard drive?
Q7: Can the King Demi download new firmware to the HDD?
Q8: Can this product recover data from hard drives that make a “clicking” sound?
Q9: What is the benefit of custom script commands?
General Questions
Q1: Does this product work with any ATA, SATA and SCSI hard drive?
Q2: Does this product have the correct voltage to work in anywhere in the world?
Q3: Does the King Demi work as a stand-alone unit or does it need to be connected to a PC?
Q4: Does the King Demi work with any Operating System?
Q5: What is the purpose of the King Demi software?
Q6: What options are available?
Q7: How do you handle technical support?
Q8: What is the standard warranty?
Q1: What are the key copy functions?
The King Demi has a number of copy functions for different applications. It performs a Sector-to-Sector copy, Data-Only copy, Flexible Copy for copying from one hard drive to a larger one, DD Image copy for forensic investigation, Data Recovery copy for extracting data from damaged unstable hard drives and more.
Q2: What does “Sector to Sector Copy” mean?
Sector to Sector is a function where all sectors in a hard drive are copied to a target drive. It does not look at drive structures and can therefore copy any type of known or unknown data and OS system. The finished product is two identical hard drives.
Q3: What does “Data-Only Copy” mean?
Data-Only Copy is a duplication method where the King Demi only copies stored data from the hard drive and ignores unused disk space in order to save time. Most quality hard drive duplicators on the market perform Data-Only Copy functions for FAT and NTFS operating systems only. YEC duplicators are unique because they offer a Smart Copy function, which is a Data-Only copy function for any operating system (Linux, Unix, Vista…etc).
Q4: What is the Smart Copy function and how does it work?
YEC Smart Copy is a data-only copy method that works for every OS. Other data-only copy methods read the HDD file allocation table in order to map a drive, and are therefore limited to Windows OS. YEC Smart Copy analyzes the hard drive on a sector-to-sector basis, so it has no limitations (Unix, Linux, data-encrypted drives..etc).
Method: Scan Master HDD 1 time before first copy run (sector by sector scan). Process takes 15 - 30 seconds per GB. After scan, hard drive is initialized for Data-Only copy.
Q5: What is “FS Map” copy?
FS Map copy is a Data-Only copy
Q6: Why is this product better than Ghost software HDD imager for duplication?
Ghost is a great low-cost tool for personal use and basic professional duplication. The King Demi is made for professional and industrial use. Specific advantages are listed below.
- King Demi copies up to 4 times faster than Ghost
- King Demi performs data-only copy for any hard drive with any OS (Ghost is limited to FAT16/32 and NTFS)
- King Demi tests hard drives during copy for quality control (Ghost does not)
- King Demi is used as a professional data recovery tool (Ghost only has basic Bad Sector Skip function)
Q7: Can this product copy from one interface to another (like IDE to SCSI or Laptop to Desktop)?
Yes. This product can copy from between interfaces (IDE to SCSI, SATA to IDE, Laptop to Desktop… etc). There are no limitations on copying between HDD form factors for ATA, SATA and SCSI hard drives.
Q8: What is the copy speed?
YEC hard drive duplicators copy at 2-4 GB per minute in most cases. Copy speed depends largely on the actual data transfer rate of the hard drive. If a hard drive is capable of transferring data at over 4 GB per minute, this speed will be supported by our duplicators.
*Note: Some hard drive duplicators advertise copy speed of 5 or even 10 GB per minute. These numbers are theoretical and cannot be achieved by any ATA or SATA 1 hard drive. Some SATA 2 or Fibre Channel drives can achieve these speeds, in which case YEC duplicators will support the full data transfer speed capability of the hard drive.
Q9: What type of test and repair functions does this product perform?
The King Demi performs hard drive test functions for determining whether a hard drive is in good running condition at the time of test. Other YEC products such as the Ninja-Katana, King Demi and Geisha perform more in-depth testing for HDD Recertification and Life Expectancy estimation.
Q10: What type of wipe/erase functions does this product perform?
The King Demi performs a Low Level Format function where it overwrites every HDD sector with a specified HEX value pattern. It also performs a 3-Pass Wipe in accordance with DoD 5220.22M, NSA, ISO 1779 and British Standard 7799.
Q11: What is the DoD 5220.22m erase standard? Does this product comply with DoD5220.22m?
DoD 5220.22m is a procedural standard set forth by the United States Department of Defense for securely wiping (erasing) data from hard drives. The most common DoD 5220.22m wipe method is the 3-Pass Wipe, where every HDD sector is overwritten 3 times using different Hexadecimal characters. The King Demi performs the 3-Pass wipe functions in compliance with DoD 5220.22m and generates certificate files for verification of erasure. A 7-Pas Wipe function can be executed using the King Demi by inputting a raw ATA script command.
Q12: Can this product test a hard drive without altering any HDD Data?
Yes. The King Demi offers HDD tests where no hard drive data is altered. It also offers test functions that do alter HDD data in order to test HDD mechanisms involved in the read/write process.
Q13: Can the King Demi download new firmware to the HDD?
No. The King Demi cannot be used for downloading new firmware to a hard drive. However, it is commonly used together with other products that can perform this function (re-flash firmware with 3rd party tool and test/wipe/repair with King Demi).
Q14: Can the King Demi erase SMART, P List or G List records?
No. The King Demi cannot be used for erasing SMART, P List or G List records. Erasing these records in order to resell a hard drive is generally a poor practice in hard drive recycling/refurbishing. Erasing SMART, P List or G List can make an unstable or damaged hard drive appear to be in good condition, however the drive will fail quickly about 95% of the time.
Data Recovery and Forensic Investigation
Q1: Is the Master channel write protected?
Yes. The Master channel is write protected.
Q2: Is the King Demi forensically sound? Can a copied hard drive be used as evidence in court?
Yes. The King Demi is forensically sound and copied hard drives have been used as evidence in court cases. In most cases, a Suspect hard drive is copied in DD Image format and hashed (MD5 Algorithm) for data verification. The derived image can be loaded to most Image Reader software programs. Please inquire for details regarding compatibility with software Image Readers. Encase and FTK Toolcase ARE 100% compatible.
Q3: How is this product used for Data Recovery and why is it important to use?
The King Demi is used in the “extraction” phase of data recovery, where the user copies all remaining data from the damaged or unstable hard drive to a stable auxiliary drive. This is important because damaged or unstable hard drives usually become worse with use, making necessary to extract all usable data as quickly as possible. Running data recovery software tools on the unstable drive can result in data loss and further damage to the HDD.
Q4: How does the King Demi match up to the DeepSpar?
The Deepspar offers a few extra features for 2 or 3 times the price of the King Demi. End result is usually the same because data extraction methods are very similar. Aside from the price difference the Deepspar requires a dedicated workstation while the King Demi does not. The King Demi works as a stand-alone unit with optional PC connection via USB. While connected to the King Demi by USB, the workstation can be used for other tasks. Please inquire for details.
Q5: Why is this product better for data recovery than software HDD imagers?
The King Demi has a higher success rate for data recovery than software imaging tools because it communicates directly with the hard drive via low level commands. Software tools are bound to the restrictions of communicating with the hard drive through the computer’s BIOS, which slows the process and limits its ability send commands to the hard drive and receive responses from the hard drive.
Q6: Can the King Demi unlock password locked hard drives or test a locked hard drive?
No. The King Demi can identify when a hard drive is locked by a password, but it cannot unlock the drive or run any test, wipe or repair functions on the locked hard drive. YEC offers a separate product for HDD Password Removal called the Shinobi.
Q7: Can the King Demi download new firmware to the HDD?
No. The King Demi cannot be used for downloading new firmware to a hard drive. However, it is commonly used together with other products that can perform this function (re-flash firmware with 3rd party tool and test/wipe/repair with King Demi).
Q8: Can this product recover data from hard drives that make a “clicking” sound?
Usually not. A “clicking” sound from the hard drive strongly indicates physical damage to the HDD (usually Servo Arms banging against other internal HDD components). The hard drive’s physical components must be in working condition in order for repair with the King Demi to be possible.
Q9: What is the benefit of custom script commands?
Most YEC products are equipped with custom script command capability to allow the user to create custom functions according to his or her needs if such a function is not included on the standard King Demi function menu. Scripting capability is especially effective in data recovery applications because it gives the user full control over how the data is extracted from a hard drive and allows for creativity in situations where conventional copy methods are not effective.
General Questions
Q1: Does this product work with any ATA, SATA and SCSI hard drive?
Yes. The King Demi is compatible with any ATA,SATA and SCSI* hard drive, regardless of brand, size or type. Adapters may be needed for certain types of hard drives or Compact Flash. *SCSI supported by “King Demi” AS and “King Demi AS-F” models only.
Q2: Does this product have the correct voltage to work in anywhere in the world?
Yes. The King Demi omes with a variable 90v ~ 240v power supply, making it compatible with any country’s voltage specifications (no adjustment necessary).
Q3: Does the King Demi work as a stand-alone unit or does it need to be connected to a PC?
Both. The King Demi works as a stand-alone unit with optional PC control via USB. The King Demi’s host software program allows the user to input custom script commands and create log files for every function performed. Custom script commands are commonly used for data recovery applications or for creating special task chains (example: combine Data-Only copy with SMART Test as 1 function). The King Demi host software does not require a dedicated PC for operation (user can run other programs on PC while King Demi is operating)
Q4: Does the King Demi work with any Operating System?
Yes. The King Demi works for all Operating Systems.
Q5: What is the purpose of the King Demi software?
The King Demi host software is automatically included with the hardware unit. The host software is used for controlling the hardware unit remotely and recording log files for certificates, troubleshooting and data management.
Q6: What options are available?
Adapters are available for ATA 2.5”, 1.8”, 1.0” and 0.85” hard drives for connecting a standard ATA cable to these types of hard drives. Plug-In Jigs are also available for increasing HDD connect/disconnect speed and reducing wear or damage to HDD pins that can result from connecting by hand.
Q7: How do you handle technical support?
Technicians are on hand at our Southern California office (U.S.A.) Monday through Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm (Pac Standard Time) to handle technical support questions. Questions are answered by Email, phone and/or online customer message board.
Q8: What is the standard warranty?
All YEC hardware products come with a 12 month repair/replacement warranty. Warranty does not cover Wear Parts such as cables and interface connectors. Please inquire for details regarding out of warranty repair or authorized product returns.
