Linkstation won't switch on after Windows upgrade

[hefty]

My Linkstation Live LS CH 500L has worked fine for a couple of years until now. It has always been on Auto, switching on/off with the PC via the router.

I've just up upgraded to Win 7 and it won't respond to the PC. I thought the unit was failing and have been copying the contents to another drive. in doing so, I realise that the drive itself has run continuously for hours at a time whilst transferring the files, and it appears to be intermittently dead simply because it doesn't wake up when the PC boots and it switches off when it isn't accessed for a while even though the PC is on.

If switched "ON" rather than on "AUTO" the unit stays on and runs ok, but if on auto but idle (not being accessed) then it switches off after a few minutes. In this state, the Buffalo Navigator software can't see or detect it, I have to switch it off and on/auto again to wake it up.

it's worked perfectly until the move to Win 7 so this seems to be the cause of the problem. I downloaded the latest Navigator software v2.56 because this is described as Win 7 x64 compatible, and I don't think the old software I have for XP x32 would work. The firmware is v1.12

Is it possible this could be something to do with Win 7 admin privileges or is something else?

There are no times set for the unit to switch off so it should be available whenever the PC is switched on.

[hefty]

also, there is no beeping from the unit at any time, and no flashing lights, ie, no indication of any error or fault condition, and the NasNavi software is checked to start when the PC starts, but I don't see it in the taskbar and am not sure what process it starts but can't see anything that looks like it in Task Mgr .

[davo]

If you have it set to AUTO and the device does not stay on then you have some sort of security software blocking the Nas Navigator from sending the WOL packets (port 2304 UDP)

[hefty]

Thanks for your response davo.

 

After posting here, I  came across a piece of software on Bighead.org where the author had written a piece of software to wake up a different Buffalo unit in place of Nasnavigator, and it succesfully wakes up my unit every time. That confirmed my suspicions that there is something wrong with NasNavigator, but what? (I have considered buying this modestly priced utility but it's been written for another device so no telling if it will work long term, be supported etc,and besides, the Buffalo S/W should work)

 

My firewall is disabled, and although there is no way to permanently disable anti virus without unistalling, disabling per session doesn't make any difference.

 

I do know that with my old system, the NAS could be heard starting when the Windows splash screen started, which I believe is before Windows Firewall starts. With the new system, even with Firewall off, the unit does not start.Even putting Nasnavigator in the startup group makes no difference, as until the NAS starts, that software can't access it.

 

I am wondering if NasNavigator is actually compatible with Win 7. I can see no sign of it running - doesn't appear in MSconfig, or Services.msc.

 

Does anyone know anyway to check if it is indeed running because obviouisly, if iit isn't running there is nothing to control the NAS. It seems checking that it is running is an obvious first stage. Anything else to check?

 

This is sucking up an awful lot of time, but I need access to the filess other than buying another NAS, (which if I had the money I would do rather thankeep messing with this thing)

[davo]

nassvc.exe and Nasnavi.exe should be running in the task manager. If they are not then uninstall the current version of Nas Navigator you have installed and install http://www.buffalo-technology.com/en/download_file.php?r=8132">this.

[hefty]

Thanks davo

I had earlier looked in Task Mgr for anything starting with or looking like Nas, but there wasn't, hence my thoughts that Navigator wasn't working/loading.

 

I tried it in Safe Mode with the same results.

 

As a final effort, I unistalled the Buffalo SW and cleaned out the registry and prepared to reinstall (out of a sense of tryingto do something/anything directed at the likely source of the problem), but then checked for anymore posts here and decided to install the file you pointed to instead of my own. Success!!. i tested it several times to check it did wake the NAS, and it did.

 

Out of curiosity, I removed that SW, cleaned the registry and reinstalled my Win 7 SW again.... success!!

 

Don't ask me why the SW worked 2nd time around but it did. The only difference in install methods was that 2nd time around, antivirus and Firewall were both disabled.

 

Now, the unit can be heard booting as the Windows login screen appears and the PC has been cycled on/off several times with the NAS allowed to switch off inbetween. Its been on for several hours now with the PC in various states of use/idle and the NAS has been online and accessible via my tablet whenever I tried. A complete success. Thank you for your help