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Author Topic: Format Problems?  (Read 19616 times)

Jman215

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Format Problems?
« on: June 18, 2009, 11:27:34 AM »

Hello all,

I have searched and searched and can not find the answer to my problem. I just bought a DNS-321 and a pair of Seagate 1.5 TBs (ST31500341AS). I checked seagates site and according to the serial numbers they don't need to be firmware updated...unless you users know something I don't, as I have heard these drives tend to be a problem.

Anyway, I have tried formatting these drives every way imaginable. Through Firefox on my Mac OS X 10.5.7 (Macbook Pro Mid-2007 2.4 GHz, 4 Gigs of Ram), and through Vista 64 bit through Parallels. Whenever I try and do JBOD, Raid 0 or Raid 1, it will format them and then when it restarts, acts as if it had never formatted them and then asks me to format them again. This is with firmwares 1.01 and 1.02. With 1.03 beta, it doesn't even work, I get a Format Failure. I can't do Individual Disks, because it fails when I do that completely, no matter which firmware I use.

Does anyone have any idea why this may happen? If you need more details, just write back and I will provide you with any more information you'd like to know.

Thanks so much!
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ECF

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2009, 02:38:28 PM »

You have tried formatting each drive drives individually as standard and they both just fail?
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Jman215

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2009, 02:49:25 PM »

You have tried formatting each drive drives individually as standard and they both just fail?

Yes. It formats a couple percent then I get the error: "Hard Drive(s) Formatting Failure"
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ECF

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2009, 02:52:07 PM »

Try connecting them to your PC and try formatting them.
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Jman215

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2009, 02:54:00 PM »

Try connecting them to your PC and try formatting them.

I am running off a Macbook Pro. I have no real way to connect them. Unless I can connect to them through the D-Link without the D-Link formatting them, then format them straight through?
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Jman215

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2009, 06:14:26 PM »

UPDATE

I just tried a JBOD format from my roommate's laptop. Instead of using my router, I connected the two through the network the apartment complex has, just in case that was the problem. It told me it was succesfully formatted with EXT2, but then when I restarted it popped up with the format page again, this time only showing one of the drives as in the NAS, even though both were in there. I'm sure once I start it up again they will both show up, but why when it tells me there is a successful format and I log in it doesn't work? I even cleared the cache and everything before logging in again...
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ECF

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2009, 09:27:00 AM »

Without trying them in another device to see if they can be formated it is hard to say. I would double check the firmware situation or if you have another drive available try testing the DNS-321 with it and see if you have the same issue. It may be the unit. Another thing to try is resetting the DNS-321 to factory defaults and try the format again.
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Jman215

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2009, 09:36:32 AM »

Tried the factory defaults reset on every firmware. No luck. I was talking to someone who said if I format them as individual disks through a Linux box that would be okay too. Would the DNS-321 recognize this? If so I guess I'll start searching for someone with a desktop...

Will do my best to try your other suggestions though, I thought about contacting D-Link through the phone but from what I hear that never yields any luck...
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ECF

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2009, 10:33:43 AM »

Well just verifying that they format properly on any system would be a great step in determining were the issue might be. But I would not recommend using them in the DNS-321 just if formatted on a Linux PC.
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Jman215

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #9 on: June 19, 2009, 10:41:34 AM »

Guess that would also help to determine if the unit formatted them in the first place, then it would confirm it is a defective unit.
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Jman215

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2009, 04:29:04 PM »

Well just verifying that they format properly on any system would be a great step in determining were the issue might be. But I would not recommend using them in the DNS-321 just if formatted on a Linux PC.

UPDATE: Formatted them as NTFS and they worked fine so it can't be the drives. When I put them back in the DNS and formatted them as Raid-0, it gave me the success screen like they were formatted but after I clicked Restart and it came back up, it only showed one drive with the "Format" screen up. When I turned off the power and started it up again, both showed up again, again with the "Format" screen. I have to imagine this means I have a defective unit...Thoughts?
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Jman215

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2009, 05:18:04 PM »

Just talked to NewEgg, as D-Link told me they are not responsible for warrantying defective products directly. I talked to NewEgg, and I am returning it and getting a refund, as they do not have it in stock. This is very frustrating because now I have two 1.5 terabyte drives that will just sit here. I am hesitant to buy a DNS-321 again because of this experience. Does this sound justified?
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Ryder

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2009, 11:54:53 PM »

Jman215,

For what it's worth this is what I would do. I would still try to find a friend with an Intel PC and try to format your drives in that machine. The reason is, you may be experiencing a "double problem". Something like when a PC fails after a power outage, nothing works so you replace the power supply. Then the unit shows signs of working, lights on, fans work, but the unit still won't power up, then you find out the CPU died too.

Those drives were proven problematic, and even though Seagate's site "says" they should be ok, I would try to test them thoroughly to make sure they are not part of the problem.

As far as being hesitant to get another 321, I can see your thought on it, but I can't agree that it's justified. I have had many parts fail, and even have had some arrive D.O.A., but that's what warranty is for. I replaced through warranty a Maxtor that had failed on me after just 2 days of use. The replacement is still alive and well and running in one of my systems 3 years later. And, if your thought is that if you received one bad 321, then the rest could be bad too, you wouldn't see or hear from all of us 321 owners that have fully functioning units and are pretty happy with them, right?

So, verify that your Seagates are indeed functioning properly, replace your 321 and then let the forum know how you made out, doesn't that sound much more reasonable?  ;)  :) There are a lot of folks out there that come to the forums with problems, get help and then leave it at that. We never hear that they did/did not resolve their problem, and what the cause of their problem turned out to be. Once they are happily on their way it's like the problem never existed, but others are left with the impression that they never resolved their problem. It's nice to hear stories with a "good ending" once in awhile too!  :D

Yours sincerely,
A happy 321 owner,
Ryder
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Jman215

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2009, 07:35:53 AM »

Jman215,

So, verify that your Seagates are indeed functioning properly, replace your 321 and then let the forum know how you made out, doesn't that sound much more reasonable?  ;)  :) There are a lot of folks out there that come to the forums with problems, get help and then leave it at that. We never hear that they did/did not resolve their problem, and what the cause of their problem turned out to be. Once they are happily on their way it's like the problem never existed, but others are left with the impression that they never resolved their problem. It's nice to hear stories with a "good ending" once in awhile too!  :D


I'm sending my DNS-321 back to NewEgg for a replacement, and I have someone in the IT department at work (I work at Lockheed Martin) checking out the drives and running tests on them. As things update I'll be sure to let everybody know.

I'm a big advocate of forums because I believe they usually are more help than support sites themselves. I don't plan on going anywhere, because once I become an ACTUAL DNS-321 owner, I have a personal duty to participate in the forum.
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Jman215

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Re: Format Problems?
« Reply #14 on: June 26, 2009, 06:28:02 PM »

UPDATE:

The scans finished, and both drives came back fine (except for corrupt partitions, which is probably because of the 321).

Sent the DNS back to NewEgg yesterday, so as soon as I get my new one, I'll let everyone know what happens!

-J
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