Install replacement HDD in LS-X1.0TL-EU

[Cannabina]

Model LS-X1.0TL-EU Bought in 2012.
Failed with web interface suggesting bad blocks on disk.

Connect to LAN and power.  Blue light flashes then after about 10 minutes becomes solidly on.

NAS responds to ping at the address issued by DHCP.  Navigator 2 shows icon for LS-XL-EM3EF and status is Emergency Mode.

Power off

After a few minutes power up.   Blue light flashes but never becomes solid.  Disk makes typical restarting noises, so it has now failed completely.

Prepare new replacement 1TB HDD

Follow instructions at:

https://buffalonas.miraheze.org/wiki/Restoring_Stock_Firmware_without_TFTP
and
https://buffalonas.miraheze.org/wiki/Restoring_Stock_Firmware_via_TFTP

I have a TFTP server available so all I need to do is format the virgin disk.

Use "EaseUS Partition Master".
Make a partition using MBR, at 1,000 Mbyte size, formatted as ext3.

Fit new HDD in NAS housing.
Connect to LAN and power.
Blue light flashes - indefinitely.

How do I resolve this?

[Cannabina]

More information:

Find out whether TFTP does anything:
Set PC NIC to 192.168.11.1 / 24 and connect NAS directly to PC.
Power up NAS - does not respond to ping at the expected IP 192.168.11.150

Assume that does not matter, so prepare boot files.  See:

https://buffalonas.miraheze.org/wiki/Extract_Boot_Files_from_Stock_Firmware

There are several .IMG files. Extract them using the passwords from the web page.

hddrootfs.img   > hddrootfs.buffalo.updated
initrd.img           > initrd.buffalo
u-boot.img   > 8 files all ending.bin and 1 ending .map
uImage.img   > uImage-88f5182.buffalo and uImage-lsp.5.x.buffalo

Rename hddrootfs.buffalo.updated and put the files where the TFTP server will find them.

Power up NAS - flashing blue light
After about a minute TFTP server fails to find uImage.buffalo but transfers initrd.buffalo OK
Power off NAS

Try in turn renaming uImage-88f5182.buffalo and uImage-lsp.5.x.buffalo to uImage.buffalo

The file uImage-lsp.5.x.buffalo gives a better response - flashing blue light continues for a few seconds then is solid.
Stop TFTP server

Connect NAS to LAN,  connect PC to LAN

Run NAS Navigator - shows icon for LS-XL-EM3EF = Emergency Mode, and NAS responds to ping at the address issued by DHCP.

Run LSUpdater - shows NAS is present - Quit LSUpdater

Edit .INI file per https://buffalonas.miraheze.org/wiki/Enable_Debug_mode

Run LSUpdater - click Update - progress reported:

Re-partitioning drive:
Formatting:
Transferring - Writing (several times):
Rebooting:
Blue light flashes - after 20 minutes timeout - LSUpdater says update failed.
Power off NAS

Repeat attempt to use TFTP.
Set PC NIC to 192.168.11.1 / 24 and connect NAS directly to PC.
Start TFTP server

Power up NAS - flashing blue - after about a minute ...
Files uImage.buffalo and initrd.buffalo transferred.
Blue light - 2 long 5 short flashes several times - then continuous flashes - then at least 10 minutes later solid light.
Quit LSUpdater

Connect NAS to LAN,  connect PC to LAN
NAS Navigator shows LS-XL3EF then wants correct Date & Time from PC
LSUpdater reports firmware 1.75-0.01

Browser at IP of NAS shows Japanese login. 

So process has completed OK.

But why did the first pass with LSUpdater appear to fail?