seagate central data

You are talking of external USB drives.
The Seagate Central is NOT an external drive.
It is a NAS (Network Attached Storage), with a motherboard (running a *bastardized*/locked down version of Linux).

I'm well aware of what it is, thus the reason I said "I'm not sure about the Central". Seagate loves this sector mutation crap and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they put a SATA control chip on that motherboard capable of doing a sector size mutation. You'd be shocked if you knew how many data recovery cases show up here where the only problem is a sector size mutation causing a problem.

There is I believe not any "conversion" simply because there is not any SATA/ESATA or USB interface available on it, data is accessed through the network only, if the internal disk is Native 4k (and not AF) it remains Native 4 K, and if it is AF (and not 4K) it remains AF.
There is actually a USB 2.0 port on the unit, but it is not (unlike external drives) a "direct" bridge to the internal SATA disk, the port is managed by the motherboard and its software/firmware.

jaclaz

Your understanding of sectors sizing needs some work. AF (advanced format) IS 4K native sector size (well more specifically any size larger than 512-byte) and 4K native IS AF. So what you said here makes zero sense.

It's very possible the OP has a different issue, I'm not familiar with the Seagate Central as I don't think they even sell them around here. Never seen one myself. I was just pointing out that it could be something as simple as that.

Your understanding of sectors sizing needs some work. AF (advanced format) IS 4K native sector size (well more specifically any size larger than 512-byte) and 4K native IS AF. So what you said here makes zero sense.

My understandng of sectors size is fine, thank you, here AF usually means 4KB exposing 512 bytes (i.e. 512e) and 4K Native means 4KB exposing 4KB (i.e. 4Kn) so it makes sense here (though you are correct, my wording was prone to create misunderstandings with someone not familiar with the matter).

However, for the record, the good guys that designed the logos
http//idema.org/?page_id=2900

thought AF emulation 512e and wrote ONLY "Advanced Format AF", then thought AF native 4Kn and wrote "Advanced Format 4Kn", maybe that is the reason why here disk drives are commonly called AF and 4Kn. roll

jaclaz

512e and 4Kn are both AF. Any idiot who can read Wikipedia can quickly find that out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Format

You're just misusing the term AF to mean only 512e and not 4Kn but that's your own misuse of the terminology. AF refers to any of the larger sector sizes above the traditional 512 (when referring to SATA drives) regardless of whether or not it's doing the 512 emulation.

No lack of familiarity on my part at all. I'm just accustomed to using the terms correctly. 8) Maybe y'all forensics guys are just used to doing it a different way (or maybe you're not all that familiar with it)

512e and 4Kn are both AF. Any idiot who can read Wikipedia can quickly find that out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Format

Which is good news for the idiots, though that page says that 512e and 4Kn are both "Advanced Format" without saying that both are AF.

You're just misusing the term AF to mean only 512e and not 4Kn but that's your own misuse of the terminology. AF refers to any of the larger sector sizes above the traditional 512 (when referring to SATA drives) regardless of whether or not it's doing the 512 emulation.

No, I don't, as I just explained to you I was following the actual labeling on the drives, a disk with a small square label with written

(and "Advanced Format" in small ones) in it is actually a 512e and any with a small square with written

(and "Advanced Format" in small ones) is a 4 K native one, not really a surprise that it is common - at least here - to call the first "AF" and the second "4K" or "4Kn".
If you re-read my comment I never talked of "Advanced Format", but only of AF vs 4K native.

No lack of familiarity on my part at all. I'm just accustomed to using the terms correctly. 8) Maybe y'all forensics guys are just used to doing it a different way (or maybe you're not all that familiar with it)

First thing I am not a forensic guy, so whatever lack of familiarity with anything is my own issue and not encompassing the other good guys that do forensics.

Second thing noone - and surely not myself - hinted that you were not familiar with the matter, I stated how you are correct in making the clarification for those not familiar with the matter, as the same idiot that looks on Wikipedia may be confused by the equation Advanced Format = AF, as - as explained above - the actual disks are both marked "Advanced Format" and either AF (that means 512e) or 4Kn.

jaclaz