HD-CE1.0TU2 Problem at Boot

[PatrickE34]

   

I purchased a DriveStation 1TB drive last night (HD-CE1.0TU2) to replace another failed external drive.  I plugged it in, re-formatted it NTFS (a full format), started adding files, and so on.  I also updated the firmware as suggested in the 2-3-09 press release.  So the firmware is version 3.0.  All was working well.  This morning, I rebooted the PC it is attached to and the PC failed to load the operating system (didn't complete POST).  By unplugging the USB cable between the DriveStation and Computer, then rebooting, everything came up fine.  After loading the OS, I plugged the DriveStation back in, it reappeared in My Computer, and everything was fine.  The DriveStation is attached to a Dell OptiPlex 755 workstation, so, being a business class machine there are 4 indicator lights on the front panel to aid in troubleshooting.  When the drive was attached at boot, the PC displayed lights 1 and 2 as solid.  (I gave the whole thing 4 or 5 minutes before shutting down and unplugging the DriveStation.)  In the Dell documentation for solid lights 1 and 2 at POST, it means: "A possible expansion card failure has occurred."  This machine is running as a "server" so there are no other USB devices attached to it (or internal expansion cards) outside of the keyboard and mouse.  And upon removal of the DriveStation, POST completed normally, so it points to the drive being the issue.  Just as another fact, both PC and DriveStation are attached to an APC UPS (with more than enough wattage to handle those two devices and more).

 

More information for the OptiPlex 755 POST indicator lights is available at this link: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/op755/en/UG/HTML/trouble.htm#wp1302445

 

I also see that someone posted the same exact issue today in the "guidelines" area.  I hope this is an issue that can be fixed.  Luckily, the drive is attached to a PC I only reboot when I patch or in the event of a power outage, so once a month at most.

[nicbot]

   In you systems BIOS make sure to move USB devices or 'other' devices after the primary HDD for your boot order.