Author Topic: Windows delayed write failed  (Read 3196 times)

alessiog

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Windows delayed write failed
« on: May 22, 2010, 04:03:47 PM »

I just purchased a Link station 1.0 TL.  Firmware 1.24. 

 

I am trying to use the Memeo software that came with it to back up my XP System with service pack 3. There is probably 80GB of data - so it takes a long time. I get a "Windows delayed write failed" sometime during the process of backup.

 

I tried another brand of network storage and returned it because of this problem.  I also replaced my router. And it also happened with different backup software. 

 

The delayed write error will  freeze the disk drive - I am unable to power it down, I have to pull the plug. So, this is inconvenient and I am not sure that the backup is still good. 

 

Any body have any idea how I might deal with this - even though I suspect it is not strictly a Link Station issue?

 

Thanks,

 


MikeBoyd

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Re: Windows delayed write failed
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2010, 02:22:27 AM »
Well, this is a sad state of affairs. Someone with the same problem as me and not one response to the post. It seems that Buffalo 2 TB drives have a serious problem with "delayed write failed" messages. I know the 2 I have used have this problem. It's a great shame because my 1.5 TB and 1.0 TB have not had this problem and I've used them for months/years. I think it is because of the "power save" or "spin down" mode. As soon as I access the drive after it has powered / spun down, I get the delayed write failed message. So how can I stop this function? My last resort will be to break open the Buffalo case and put the drive in a cheap SATA box that keeps the drive spinning. At least, I hope it will.

MikeBoyd

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Re: Windows delayed write failed
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2010, 03:02:56 AM »
Looks like I posted my comment above before I clicked on the link in the registration email. I hope it's all sorted out now.

alessiog

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Re: Windows delayed write failed
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2010, 11:20:18 AM »

I kept the Buffalo 1 TB drive.  The delayed write problem only happens when I do large backups (80 GB or more).  In normal operation, this does not happen.  

 

I also had the same problem with a Lacie network drive.  So maybe something else is going on with my situation - though I don't know what and neither Lacie or Buffalo were able to help me.

 

The spind-down mode is a setting. No need to break open the box for that.


MikeBoyd

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Re: Windows delayed write failed
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2010, 04:19:13 PM »
Thanks very much for your reply. Can you elaborate on where this setting is that controls the spin down? I do not use the virtual CD drive that gets installed, so I'm thinking that maybe it's somewhere in one of the applications in there. Any help would be gratefully received.

alessiog

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Re: Windows delayed write failed
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2010, 08:51:22 PM »

There is an application NAS Navigator2 that I installed as part of the installation process. When I open the app, it finds my drive and shows an icon. I right-click and select Open Web Setting.  Login.

 

Under System | Power Management you will find HDD Spindown.  I think the default is off.

 

You should check it out because there may be something there that is useful for you.


MikeBoyd

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Re: Windows delayed write failed
« Reply #6 on: September 23, 2010, 06:51:06 AM »
Thanks very much, alessiog. When I first plugged in my Buffalo, it created a "Virtual Cdrom USB device" as my drive F: On that drive was (still is) "DriveNavi.exe" which allows formatting of the drive and various software to be installed. I didn't want any of that stuff so I went into Windows Device Manager and selected "Disable this device". That got rid of it. So now I re-enabled the device and re-ran DriveNavi.exe, but there was nothing in there about power saving. So I went into a folder called "Windows\TOOL\EcoManager" and ran "binst.exe". That utility allowed me to disable power saving. I don't know if it'll solve my problem - I'll let you know.

Dustrega

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Re: Windows delayed write failed
« Reply #7 on: September 23, 2010, 02:09:27 PM »

The problem is alessiog has a network storage drive and you have a USB drive Mike.  I think alessiog might be experiencing an internal HDD failure on her computer.  That would explain why small transfers work but large ones will not.  Alessiog, I would suggest either backing up bit by bit until you have all of your data that you want backed up and then perform some diagnostics on your internal HDD.  I wish I could offer more but that's what it sounds like to me.


MikeBoyd

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Re: Windows delayed write failed
« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2010, 11:09:04 AM »
Thanks Dustrega for your reply. Sorry, I didn't notice that alessiog had a Link Station. As you have figured out, I have a Drive Station. I also apologise for hijacking her thread with my problem. However I would like to add that I did manage to turn off the power saving mode by running "binst.exe" that was in "Windows\TOOL\EcoManager" on the "Virtual Cdrom USB device". The program that caused the "Delayed write failed" messages hasn't done it again, but the really odd thing is that I can hear the drive spin up when the program tries to access the drive after a long period of time, eg. 30 minutes. So the DriveStation is still doing something - spinning down - but no longer causing "Delayed write failed" messages when accessed again. The utility that I am referring to is "Beyond Compare" which allows files/folders/drives to be compared. I use it to backup and then compare (a bitwise comparison) many gigabytes of files. I would compare a folder on the DriveStation with the identical folder on another drive. Sometimes I would not notice that the comparison had finished (because it takes so long), and then the DriveStation would spin down after many minutes. Then, after I started the comparison of another pair of folders, I would get the DWF message. But now, if I wait a long time after one comparison finishes and start another, I can hear the drive spin up and yet I haven't had the DWF message. So I'm hoping that disabling this power down mode has cured my problem, but I don't understand why I can still hear the drive spin up! Any thoughts?

MikeBoyd

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Re: Windows delayed write failed
« Reply #9 on: September 24, 2010, 11:14:30 AM »
I apologise for the terrible layout of my posts. When I write them, they are broken into paragraphs to make them readable. But after posting, they are just one, hard to read, paragraph.