Author Topic: Boot image fail TS4400R  (Read 10290 times)

ibrahim52

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Boot image fail TS4400R
« on: January 24, 2019, 07:01:16 AM »
Hi,

I have TS4400R, unfortunately it shows boot fail and if I connect a monitor through VGA, shows AMERICAN TRENDS bios screen. I have searched this forum and internet but there is no image recovery for this particular model, neither any official webpage is active. Any possibility ?

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2019, 09:14:51 AM »
The filenames of the ts5000 series firmware updater indicates it's also for the ts4000 series. I'd expect the boot recovery disk and other files for the ts5000 series will work:

https://www.buffalotech.com/support/downloads/terastation-5000n-series

I've also got a short guide for creating a recovery disk for intel-based terastations (i'd recomend just using buffalo's though):
https://buffalonas.miraheze.org/wiki/Create_Recovery_Disk_for_Intel-based_Terastation

Exactly how you should recover depends on a few things, if this device was previously working:
1. make sure the boot switch on the back is set to hdd, not usb.
2. try swapping the 1st and last disk (the issue could be specific to the boot partition of the first disk)

If these fail you can try re-installing the firmware with the tools I listed above. If you have any data on the device you do not want to lose you should probably talk to support before proceeding past that point.

If you're starting with blank disks or just don't care about the data on the disks you can forse a full reformat and firmware install using the firmware updater in debug mode:
https://buffalonas.miraheze.org/wiki/Enable_Debug_mode


ibrahim52

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2019, 01:42:17 PM »
The filenames of the ts5000 series firmware updater indicates it's also for the ts4000 series. I'd expect the boot recovery disk and other files for the ts5000 series will work:

https://www.buffalotech.com/support/downloads/terastation-5000n-series

I've also got a short guide for creating a recovery disk for intel-based terastations (i'd recomend just using buffalo's though):
https://buffalonas.miraheze.org/wiki/Create_Recovery_Disk_for_Intel-based_Terastation

Exactly how you should recover depends on a few things, if this device was previously working:
1. make sure the boot switch on the back is set to hdd, not usb.
2. try swapping the 1st and last disk (the issue could be specific to the boot partition of the first disk)

If these fail you can try re-installing the firmware with the tools I listed above. If you have any data on the device you do not want to lose you should probably talk to support before proceeding past that point.

If you're starting with blank disks or just don't care about the data on the disks you can forse a full reformat and firmware install using the firmware updater in debug mode:
https://buffalonas.miraheze.org/wiki/Enable_Debug_mode

Appreciate your instant response. I tried reaching support and they referred to local region support for which the number goes directly to voicemail. But I did came across TS5k_recovery_260.zip across the internet and tried to put keeping the unit in usb mode. It did worked but unfortunately did not end well because the unit is 4000 series. I could find 4000 series firmware though from internet which is unable to find the unit on nasnavigator ofcourse, because it does not carry existing firmware.

Its been a while I used this unit actually, situation has come up where I don't have budget to buy similar unit but can make use of this one if it is comes alive somehow. Thank you very much, it makes a lot difference with even a small help or recommendation like you did in a short time. have a nice day.

ibrahim52

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2019, 01:47:57 PM »

ibrahim52

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R - Need Recovery USB Copy
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2019, 02:12:21 PM »
I have renamed my topic name if someone can upload usb recovery of their TS4400R , fingers crossed.

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2019, 03:00:46 PM »
Quote
It did worked but unfortunately did not end well because the unit is 4000 series.

Can you tell us more about how far you got and what didn't work?

I think you can get it working by some variation of the following:
1. create a usb disk which will boot the proper kernel+initrd for this device
2. boot it up into em mode
3. enable debug mode and run tsupdater.exe
4. check the boxes to repartition/reformat (will erase any data on the device) and install

it sounds like you already got past step 2 with that ts5k recovery disk.

ibrahim52

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2019, 08:15:43 AM »
Yes the first two I was able to make the unit boot with recovery usb I created, when all the processes finished loading I could see on attached monitor asking to login on command screen. I was able to even login but didn't know what command I should give next, same time the IP which was released to this unit I tried accessing it through web browser which didn't worked either.

So now Ill check tomorrow by entering commands of debug mode and on the other hand using ts updater of 4000 I could find from internet.

ibrahim52

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2019, 07:15:53 AM »
[Application]
Title = BUFFALO TS5000 / TS4000 Series Updater Ver.3.70
WaitReboot = 1200
WaitFormat = 600
WaitDiscover = 120

[Target]
ProductID = 0x00002018
ProductID2 = 0x00002019
ProductID3 = 0x0000201A
ProductID4 = 0x0000201B
ProductID5 = 0x0000201C
ProductID6 = 0x00002020
ProductID7 = 0x00002021
ProductID8 = 0x00002022
ProductID9 = 0x00002023
ProductID10 = 0x00002024
Name = TeraStation

[Flags]
VersionCheck = 1
NoFormatting = 0

[SpecialFlags]
Debug=1


So I modified inf file as per above settings, after which I was able to run TSUpdater.exe and proceeded with format. But I am stuck on this option on screen. There are only two hard drives.

ibrahim52

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2019, 07:18:31 AM »

ibrahim52

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2019, 07:23:10 AM »
I did wait while the firmware update progress bar was active and then it displayed an error that firmware updated failed. operation aborted. I guess I have to wait until someone uploads recovery image of it.

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2019, 08:50:21 AM »
Make sure you have 4 drives, in my experience these devices want four drives to build the arrays.

I haven’t done exaustive testing of this but I got the same result as you when I tried less than 4. If you go through all that console output you can actually see where it fails to build the raid array because of it.

There is probaby a way around it bit the simplist is to just put in more drives, you can remove them after the install if you want.

Don’t give up!

ibrahim52

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2019, 01:13:15 AM »
Thank you once again for your constant responses and advises on this. Two days I had been trying to reach support of my local region and USA , wasn't very helpful due to fact that I don't have purchase copy anymore for the unit which was purchased long time back. This forum is my only hope, fingers crossed. Strange they did not upload recovery image or anything related to 4400R anywhere.

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2019, 08:35:49 AM »
Yeah I thought "4400" was a typo when you first posted, it's weird how little reference to it there is on the web.

Let me know how your install ends up going, when you're up and running I'd like to add what you learn to the wiki I've started. Pretty much everything I've shared with you so far can be found there but I'd like to create a ts4400 page so that others with the same advice have something to reference in the future.

Here's the page I've been working on for the TS5000:
https://buffalonas.miraheze.org/wiki/Terastation_TS5800DN

ibrahim52

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #13 on: January 31, 2019, 09:09:00 AM »
Fixed all 4 drives, buffalo local region being generous had sent .bin file of ts4000 of upto 4GB of file but still no luck, the system boots with usb goes upto a point where i see on display to push function 145 , then 137 systemrecovering and then goes back again to 145 showing recovery failed.

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Re: Boot image fail TS4400R
« Reply #14 on: January 31, 2019, 09:15:09 AM »
I think you should be able to:
1. Boot from your usb disk
2. Wait like 10+ minutes (good time to eat a sandwich)
3. It should come to a login prompt
4. At that point you should be able to complete the install with tsupdater

When last we talked you were already that far and just needed more drives, try that method again.