Flashing Orange

[MattJarvis]

   

Hello, After 10 months of brilliant service I noticed an orange flashing light on my Buffalo Linkstation CL series 1TB. I couldn't access anything, unit would not switch off. I had to pull the plug. I managed to switch it back on and access files, admin console but at some point the orange flash comes back. 

Whilst disk checking the orange flash went away and then came back. 

The flash is mostly one long then one short. Occassionaly two long one short.

I found these.

http://www.buffalotech.com/knowledgebase/users/kb.php?id=10011&category_id=0&sid2=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.buffalotech.com/knowledgebase/users/kb.php?id=10011&category_id=0&sid2=

Does the one long one short correspond to PCB overheat?

The fan does come on during startup. Even in this state I do hear the odd noise from the HDD.

Any suggestions?

Thanks 

Matt

[PCPiranha]

Those diagnostics are for the linkstation live and pro duo.  If you have the "CL series" then you have a linkstation EZ which doesn't have patterns of long and short blinks.  How many times does it blink between pauses (or does it not pause at all)?  I ask because it sounds like it is going through a disk check.

[MattJarvis]

   

It is a linkstation live (model LS-CHL). In case in was a disk check I left it for 10 hours today but still it is blinking. One long then one short, pause of about one second and then the same. I cannot access the console when it is like this but if I unplug it and turn it on again I can access the console. However after a few minutes the flashing starts again.

[Dustrega]

Sounds like you have bad sectors on the HDD.  Nothing can really be done for it.  I apologize but you will most likely have to contact a data recovery facility if this is the only source of information.  I can suggest http://www.drivesaversdatarecovery.com/" target="_self" rel="nofollow">Drive Savers as they offer a 10% discount on their services to our customers.

[MattJarvis]

   

Thanks for your reply. Isn't there any way to scan the drive though? If it can't be scanned from the linkstation could I remove the drive and scan it from another PC? 

If I don't need to recover the data would a format work?

[PCPiranha]

If you can access the web interface then you can do a disk check, but it probably won't help (neither will formatting).  If the unit is still under warranty I would call support for a replacement.

[MattJarvis]

   

I start to run the disk checker but at some point after it starts the light flashes again. Surely the disk checker will mark the bad sectors as unusable and the drive would be okay again. I guess what you are saying is that the HDD is completely fried. I find this strange. Also many HDD have a 3 year warranty.I would be interested to know the make and model of the HDD as well as general failure rates.

 

If the unit is under warranty then I know I will get a replacement but if I have sent the unit away for data recovery the they will have to break the warranty seal. Then my warranty is invalid. How do I get around this?

[PCPiranha]

"If the unit is under warranty then I know I will get a replacement but if I have sent the unit away for data recovery the they will have to break the warranty seal. Then my warranty is invalid. How do I get around this?"

 

Recover from your backups and get the unit replaced.  If you don't have a backup send the unit to drivesavers (http://www.drivesavers.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.drivesavers.com), we trust their work so we would still honor our warranty through them.  This unit has a one year warranty and the drive couldv'e been manufactured by several big name brands (WD, seagate, maxtor ect.).