LS1200 lost admin GUI

[technology]

Last week, our LS1200 was not reflecting recent Windows system active directory changes.  The consensus was to reboot the LS 1200 to correct that.  After the reboot the admin GUI was in some weird state.  It appears to redirect to root.html and a blank gray screen.  Functionally, the unit is fine.  We can mount it, copy files, etc., but we've lost the ability to manage it.  We've tried the usual tricks of powering down, disconnecting, etc., but no joy.

There are old threads on this forum regarding this, but no clear solutions.  Thinking a firmware update might fix it, we downloaded the appropriate firmware updater from Buffalo's support site, but it fails to detect the unit.

We purchased  LS 1200 about 18 months ago, so we're out of Buffalo's 1-year warrantee period and getting no help from them.

So, our last best hope is someone here can help!   Thanks in advance.

[oxygen8]

but it fails to detect the unit.

for TS1200

If you try to flash the same firmware you have to edit the TSUpdater.ini

VersionCheck = 0


If you have no luck, you have to use the debug option

Force update
and
do not check version



from
http://forum.nas-hilfe.de/buffalo-technology-nas-anleitungen/anleitung-tftp-und-firmware-flashen-mit-bildern-t903.html

[technology]

Thanks for the quick reply.  I was able set VersionCheck=0, and use the updater to find and initiate a firmware update (to the same version).  It appeared to work, but after the automatic reboot, I got the message "Unable to confirm the update.  Reboot and try again".   So, I did, with the same result, and still no working admin GUI.

So, I'd like to try your second suggestion, but I don't know enough to proceed, and my German isn't good enough to usefully use the link you included.  Is there some English documentation on the debug option you referred to?   Again, many thanks!

[Eastmarch]

He's referring to the specialflags force firmware option.

This process will delete your data!

pic here

Make sure you have a backup.

[technology]

Thanks, everyone, for your help.  I started this post saying LS1200, but in fact I have a TS1200.  Correct facts help!

In my spare time, I've been continuing to work on this.  Still no success, but I can now be more precise on where I am:

Point 1:  I do general network admin using a Mac.  Buffalo offers a firmware updater for the Mac, but it doesn't include the DEBUG feature that the Windows version has.

Point 2:  I got the firmware updater running on a Windows machine on our network, with an edited .ini file with VersionCheck off and Debug on.

Point 3:  With everything checked in the Debug Mode panel except Rebuild Partition Table, I successfully updated my TS1200,

Point 4:  After the reboot completed, access to the GUI still fails in the same way.

Point 5: Using Netscape Debug mode, it shows the JavaScript failing because Ext.globalValues.nasFeature["REGION_CODE"] is null.

Point 6: It looks like the GUI is failing because there is clobbered data somewhere that is not restored by the firmware updater.

Point 7: The only unchecked box in the Debug Mode Panel is Rebuild Partition Table, but that seems unrelated to the missing JavaScript data.

So, if you're still with me at this point and have any thoughts or suggestions, they would be much appreciated!!

[Texturtle]

I didn't see this mentioned, have you tried a different browser/system to see if you get a different result?

[technology]

Yes, on a Mac: Safari, Chrome and Firefox.  On Windows 7: Explorer and Chrome.   No joy!

[epickett]

I'm running into the same blank browser screen on a TS1400D.  IE and firefox give me a blank screen.  Chrome gives me a screen with what looks like a few placeholder boxes, but they aren't clickable.

[technology]

Firefox has debug tools that show that the GUI JavaScript dies when trying to access some configuration data.  Depending on when it fails, you see the beginnings of the GUI screen layout, but it never completes.

I've downloaded Buffalo's firmware updater, ran it several times with successful completion messages, but still have a broken GUI.  I can't figure out where that configuration data is stored and why the updater is not repairing it.

My unit is out of warrantee, so no help from Buffalo!