All kinds of problems with a(n) LS-W1.0TGL/R1

[Biochick]

   

I bought this... oh, probably last year, for pictures, backups, music to not have on my computer while I'm traveling for work (playing over the web is a big plus).

 

This thing has NEVER worked properly, to me, and now it's unfindable on my home network.

 

I'm not super-skilled with computers, but I can run updates, etc.  So please, bear with me.

 

The most frustrating thing about this brick is that whenever there would be a power outage, even though I had it set up to reboot automatically (It can do that, right?), it wouldn't.  Also, it would often lose the settings, such as web access, etc., and I've have to go in about one every couple of months and reset that.

 

The most recent restting of parameters made me wonder if there were any updates.  There was a firmware update (supposedly), and I thought that maybe that would fix the stupidity going on with this thing.

 

I reset my Linkstation, fired up the software to update the firmware, it chugged through the installation... and choked at the end, saying, basically, "Well, I can't actually verfiy that the firmware was updated.  Sorry!" 

 

When I go to look at the thing now, there's a red exclamation point on the mirrored display on the front of it, and the manual on Buffalo's site does NOT match the back of this thing that I have, so I have NO idea what the exclamation point means (I'm pretty sure red+exclamation point = very, very bad)

 

I'm ready to hurl this thing out the window.  

 

Can anyone help me (A) bring it back to life and (B) get it to work RELIABLY?  I would really, really appreciate it.

 

BioChick

[Jason]

   

Do you have the NAS Navigator software installed on your computer?

 

If so, open it and paste the info here please. 

[Biochick]

   Yep I do and no, I can't.  It can't find the drive to give any info!

[Jason]

   Does your model pro duo have a power button on the back or a power switch?

[Biochick]

   

It looks NOTHING like the one they have on their website now.  There's only one USB port, and a simple (but small) power button.  Push it in to turn on, push itin again to turn off.

 

I iimagine it's the older version.

 

bio

[Jotin]

   I'm assuming you have a reset button on the back. hold that while powering it on then run the firmware update again. That might get it fixed.

[Biochick]

   

There are two "push in" buttons on the back of this thing, the power one sticks out a bit, and the "reset" one is recessed.  I pushed both at the same time, I pushed the reset, then the power.  I pushed power, then reset...

 

Nothing changed.  The Buffalo software still can't find it.

 

Oh, I did notice one thing:  The icon on the front of it isn't a "!", it's an "i" and if I counted correctly, it's blinking on 6 times, then a pause, before it starts blinking again.  I'm guessing that's some internal diagnostic...

 

Any thoughts on what to do next?

 

Bio

[Biochick]

   Anyone?

[davo]

   One of the HDD is knackered (dead) If you had it in RAID1 then removing the bad drive should give you access to the data and the unit again.

[Biochick]

   

*cries*

 

Shouldn't it still be under warranty?  I only got it last spring, so it hasn't been a year...

 

Also, if that won't work, if I give it to a friend of mine, could the drive be replaced and the thing resurrected?

 

Bio

[kevin]

   

Unit has a 1 year warranty, so if you call the support number they will be able to setup an RMA and replace the bad drive.

 

Also... Have you already tried to restructure this disk into the array (it could just be a corruption in the data and not physical failure with the drive)? 

 

I would recommend backing up all your data (if you can) before you restructure the drive into the array just to be safe, but you should be able to restructure the drive into the array and that will build the data back on to it.

[Biochick]

   

I haven't tried anything!  I can't see it on my network, so I can't do anything to it...

 

Or can I?  How could I do this restructuring thing?

[kevin]

   

I would say plug the unit directly into your comp and try one more time to boot the unit into EM mode. So you would press and hold the Reset button as you power on the unit. You can let go of the reset button once the unit has been booting up for about 3-5 seconds. Then open up the Nas Navi and that cannot find it then try a different version of the Navi (go to downloads sections for the LS Pro [not duo] and download version 1.2.

If you still cannot access the unit, then pull out one of the drives (the bad one) and see if the unit can boot with giving you access to the data. 

 

If you can access the drive then go to the web interface and raid setup, go to raid array 1 and restructure drive into array.

 

Also if you cannot access the unit with the defective drive in or cannot get the unit to restructure that drive, then call the support and get that HDD replaced.