Unable To Format USB Drive Attached To Linkstation Live

[Wayne_S]

   

Does anyone know of any issues with using a Maxtor Basics Portable USB Drive with a Linkstation Live?

 

I am unable too format the USB drive into either XFS, EXT3 or FAT32. All Disk checks fail all attempts to format fail. I have flashed the firmware and rebooted the linkstation but STILL no use.

 

I can only assume certain drives are incompatible with the Linkstation, is this the case?

 

I am using Vista 32 bit on my PC so the only option for formatting is NTFS, the drive even fails to format when attempting a FAT32 format via the CMD.exe

[kevin]

So you cannot format the drive FAT32 at all (not using the LS)?

[Wayne_S]

   

That's correct. It continually shows up a 'Failed to Format' message. It was formatted as NTFS. I say was as I have had success in formatting it as FAT32 in Vista with a little help from a program that runs under CMD, called fat32format.exe

 

It is now FAT32 but I am continually getting failed backups that NEVER finish. I have about 160gb to backup and am aware that it can take a long time but about halfway in, it stops. But that's a problem for another thread.

 

I was going to use the LS to change the format from FAT32 to XFS but am VERY wary of it becoming useless again. I assume this may help with my backup problem though. I have no files over 4gb so shouldn't have problems with FAT32.

[Jason]

You'd want to create a backup log so you can tell where the backups fail.

 

Additionally you would want to format that drive in XFS, you CAN backup to a FAT32 drive but you WILL have errors. 

[kevin]

Also Try clearing out all your backup jobs then Initialize the LS and setup your backups again.

[Wayne_S]

   

Ahhhhh back where I started.

 

Attempted some small backups which worked fine so decided to reformat to XFS before trying a full backup. AGAIN The formatting failed and now I am stuck with a USB disk that I can no longer format in XFS or FAT32.

 

I am convinced The Maxtor is unable to be formatted to XFS.

 

Now off to plus the USB drive directly into my PC in order to format as FAT32 again.

 

I'll get there one day but don't think I will ever be able to backup anything in excess of a few gig before the backup fails.

 

Rebooting LS, reseting defaults, updating firmware, turning off, disconnecting and reconnecting ALL fail.

[kevin]

How big is the drive?

Is it a single disk unit?

[Wayne_S]

   

The drive is 250GB.

 

I have again reformatted the drive to FAT32 and mounted it again to the LS. It is available for backups again and I am going to try a larger backup.

 

I am now convinced that this Maxtor USB drive CANNOT be formatted as XFS, why else would the format fail every time.

 

I tried to manually backup by copying from the LS into the USBDISK1 using the windows interface. Suffice to say the permission did not allow this and I believe this is again down to the drive not being formatted as XFS.

 

The only way I can find around this is by passing the backup data from the LS onto my PC and then plug the Maxtor into the PC. Won't take too long then . . . . . . . . . . . LOL

 

 

[Wayne_S]

   

Attempted a backup of 800mb and it finished. Hurray.

 

Undertook a backup of 1.23gb and it failed at around 1.1gb.

 

The message on the log said ;

 

rsync error: received SIGINT, SIGTERM, or SIGHUP (code 20) at rsync.c(242) [sender=2.6.8]
rsync: writefd_unbuffered failed to write 77 bytes [generator]: Broken pipe (32)
rsync error: error in rsync protocol data stream (code 12) at io.c(1119) [generator=2.6.8]

 

Anyone know what this means.

 

Another small anomaly. My succesful backup, I ticked the encrypted backup box but I did not with the failed backup. Is this just a coincedance?

[Wayne_S]

   

You buy these drives to make your life easier, for them to be the centre of a home network so everyone can access their files from any PC. You load them up with family pictures and whilst attempting to back them up you get nothing but grief.

 

I have given up on trying to backup to a USB hard drive as it NEVER works, but as long as Buffalo get their cash why worry about providing a product that works out of the box.

 

At this moment in time ALL my shared folders are saying that the folders are empty. However, the info folder that comes on the LS is accessible AND all files can be read. WHY can I not access my folders?

 

I am assuming the drive is still functioning as the info folder works and the LS page shows that 29% of the drive is used so The files ARE there.

 

Where to go from here I don't know. Restored defaults, re-updated firmware, checked disk and it comes back fine. What next?

Message Edited by Wayne_S on 02-19-2009 11:13 AM

[Wayne_S]

   

Sorry for perpetuating mu own thread. Not sure I'm looking for answers anymore, I'm just keeping my own personal log of problems for posterity.

 

Following on from my empty shared folders, I attempted to transfer files into one of these folders and I got the following error.

 

Error 0x8007045D I/O device error.

 

When I looked this up it suggests it's quite a common error that can be sortd with a RegCure program. I purchased said program, ran it, received 600 errors, fixed them and STILL NO LUCK. I'm now spendng money trying to fix my Buffall which is not a nice feeling.

 

I will keep trying as I really do want to recover the files upon the LS.

 

So ends todays blog entry.........

[Wayne_S]

   

Still no joy and the wife is climbing the wall now as she cannot access her files or store mail. I thought I was being clever and centralising all our Windows Vista user folder to the LS so that they could be viewed on all PC's. With the LS out of action I CANNOT redirect Vista to look in the old locations on the laptops C: drive.

 

I am now looking at a reinstallation of Vista. It just seems that a single problem get multiplied and afects everyone and everything on you network.

 

In desperation more than hope does anyone else have any idea how to access the LS in order to extract saved files, pictures and folders before I dump it in the trash?

 

There is 30% of the drive in use but within Vista it shows that the shared folders are empty. I have tried Firmware updates (and downdates, then back to update), File recovery programs that will not work on a NAS drive whether on the network or attached direct to my laptop and restoring defaults.

 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.