How to format a partition using fvdw firmware?

[apaladini]

Hello,

My Lacie D2 Network 2 has experienced a power outage and has performing strange since then. It's normal to read, but extremely slow to write (making it impossible to store anything new); also, some folders cannot be deleted. I feel there's a corrupt allocation, and would like to format it.

It has original Lacie firmware. I tried the "format" command of the web module, it starts the process, but in about 20 seconds goes back to the interface, and the data is still there. Nothing happened. I also tried LNA recovery mode, as described on http://knowledge.lacie.com/articles/en_ ... cale=en-gb. The procedure was completed, but data is still there, as well as the writing problem.

So I found these forums, and got interested in installing fvdw firmware.

If I do so, will I be able to format the 8th partition (the one with my data)? I plan to do it using fvdw console, because I use Windows. Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of Linux, that's why I must use the console (version 16.1).

If after formatting, the HD is still slow, I'll have to buy another one. In that case, can I recreate the partitions with the console?

If you have any ideas, please help me.

Thank you very much and congratulations for your work,

Alexandre

[fvdw]

The fvdw-sl installer that you can load with the fvdw-sl console will install the firmware and try to format the partition 8. If it fails to perform an action like formatting it will abort with a fault message. If it succeeds to install the firmware and the D2 boots and the firmware runs. Then you can use a disk test in the disk menu to check your harddisk. Of course you can also do a write and read test to check speed. If the disk test reports a problem or writing is still slow you can install a new disk and use the console again to install the firmware. Pleae note that slow writing is not necessary a disk problem but can also be a controller issue. In that case a new disk will not solve your problem. So if you have an another sata disk try that first before buying a new one. Alternatively you could put the disk in an usb->sata interface and connect it to your windows pc and format it with windows and test write performance under windows. If thats also bad the disk is trash, if it works normal under windows the your D2 disk controller has an issue.
Ps. A disk controller problem cannot be repaired

[apaladini]

Fvdw, thank you very much for your help. I understand I'll have to find out if the faulty one is the controller or the disk (hope it is the disk).

Just a clarification: "Then you can use a disk test in the disk menu to check your harddisk", how can I do that once I install the fvdw firmware? (I didn't find that option on the mockup fvdw-sl/home.php)

Another question: if I format the disk under Windows and return it to Lacie, will the fvdw console re-create the Lacie partitions?

[fvdw]

just a clarification: "Then you can use a disk test in the disk menu to check your harddisk", how can I do that once I install the fvdw firmware? (I didn't find that option on the mockup fvdw-sl/home.php)

Then you did not look good enough. ;) When you open the link explore fvdw-sl fimrware, choose disk setup menu and then the "smart" submenu

smart.JPG

Another question: if I format the disk under Windows and return it to Lacie, will the fvdw console re-create the Lacie partitions?

The fvdw-sl console itself doesn't do anything to partitions of the disk.
When you load fvdw-sl installer script in the fvdw-sl console that script will delete the windows partition table you made. And if it fails to do that we can use a manual command.
PS the fvdw-sl installer will create an "fvdw-sl" partititon table, that table is different from what Lacie uses on their firmware.

[apaladini]

I'll try these procedures. Thank you very much!

[apaladini]

OK, I installed successfully the fvdw firmware. I tried the short self test and there were read failures:

Extended self-test routine
Num Test_Description Status Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error
# 1 Extended offline Completed: read failure 90% 14241 70779800
# 2 Short offline Completed: read failure 90% 14241 491892216
# 3 Short offline Completed: read failure 90% 14241 491892216

How can I format the partition or do a write and read test? The only option I know is to take it out the Lacie case and plug it in my desktop motherboard. Is there a way using the ldfw console? Sorry if it is a too basic question, but I don't know Linux...

[fvdw]

The drive currently has 3 unreadable sectors that it will reallocate to spare sectors the next time they are written. The Bad Block HOWTO at https://www.smartmontools.org/browser/t ... khowto.xml shows the steps you need to take to recover with minimal data loss.

Is your drive failing? That depends. There are various things (mechanical shock, power supply glitches, ...) that can cause a sector or two to go bad without suggesting that catastrophic failure is imminent. After you get the drive cleaned up, you should keep a close watch on its Reallocated_Sector_Ct and Current_Pending_Sector attributes. If you continue to get new bad sectors, the drive should be replaced immediately would be my advice.

About format. When you have installed the fvdw-sl firmware on this disk the data partition is formatted. So no need to format it again. Boot the nas and let the firmware run. To do a read write test just make a shared folder and transfer some files over your lan to and from the shared folder

To see if the disk has a problem when booting or read/write you can connect to the ssh server on the nas when the firmware is running with a ssh client like putty. Default user: root. Passw: giveit2me
At the linux prompt give the command

Code: Select all

dmesg

and post the output to see if there are disk error messages

[apaladini]

Ok, the output is attached.

[apaladini]

One more update: I was trying to copy a bunch of files to Lacie. It stopped in the middle of the copy with the Windows message "Error 0x8007045D: the request could not be performed because of an I/O device error". I think I have no other way other than removing out the HD from Lacie and testing it out on my Windows desktop...

[fvdw]

Yes that should be the next step