2013-10-29, 16:58
also 6 hard disk failures in a year are too many..
what brand of hard disks are you using?
what brand of hard disks are you using?
2013-10-29, 18:01
(2013-10-29, 15:21)steve1977 Wrote: I don't mind the space, extra-power and the fans. What troubles me is your last point about windows not seeing them all the time. You have no idea how much my current tower annoys me for only showing 15 out of 16 disks. And whenever I change something, it may only be 14 ones or still 15 (but different ones). I bought new motherboard and cpu, new ram, exchanged every single cable in the tower. And still the issue. I cannot change the PSU as the Antec1200 used some special PSU form factor, which no longer is produced and I lost the "blend" to use other size PSU. I was also thinking to change the SATA cards, but my IT vendor tells me that he is 100% certain that this won't solve my issues.
So, solution is either to go for a new mega-tower (with a new PSU) or try the enclosure. Cost will either way be around $1000 for the "upgrade".
So, the more you can share from your experience with enclosures and specifically your issues about windows not seeing them would be great.
P.S. Also, I had 6 harddisks failures this year (most of them just being a few weeks old), which I also blame my current server for. HDs basically never failed on me in a decade... My IT vendor tells me that it is unrelated, but I keep having the suspicion that it is just end of its life cycle...
When windows would not see a drive I would need to restart windows and let it configure the drives again and hope it would see the drives at that point. If not, start it all over again until it saw them. PITA.
Only advise I can lend is that I have gone through just about every type of storage configuration that I could, from adding new drives to computers, external usb drives, network external drives, stand alone nas server to finally the Unraid I built. The server I now run has been running without a hitch 24/7 well over a year. Am I happy with it? yes. Is there something better? Probably but why mess with something that is already working great. Was all the time an d money worth the extra effort? Yes. Did it make my life easier? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes. Will it serve me coffee in the morning? No
Using Win 7 is great for XBMC but do yourself a favor and build yourself a Stand alone NAS with an OS made for storing your media and serve it up for your XBMC machine. I am telling you once you have it all done , nothing is more rewarding then to sit in your easy chair and load XBMC up and just play a show.
2013-10-29, 23:34
I m having a Win 7 server with 13 drives...
there were times that 1 specific drive couldnt be seen temporarily... (had to reboot)
but after installing a new version of Hard Disk Sentinel i have not encountered this problem again..
all my hard drives are western digital greens and red...(2tb - 4tb each)
the one that couldnt be seen was a western digital black...
but as i ve said installing a new version of hard disk sentinel solved everything..
there were times that 1 specific drive couldnt be seen temporarily... (had to reboot)
but after installing a new version of Hard Disk Sentinel i have not encountered this problem again..
all my hard drives are western digital greens and red...(2tb - 4tb each)
the one that couldnt be seen was a western digital black...
but as i ve said installing a new version of hard disk sentinel solved everything..
2013-10-29, 23:49
Lianli 2120. Can be modified to carry up to 25 disks(did a mod for a customer where I mounted 3 internal 4x enclosures inside with the use of some steel bars and creativity 
). Carries 13discs stock, silent beautiful and high quality. Running mine for a year no issues.
). Carries 13discs stock, silent beautiful and high quality. Running mine for a year no issues.
2013-10-30, 04:29
(2013-10-29, 16:45)solamnic Wrote: about the disks not showing dont tell me you are running Hard Disk Sentinel?
Thanks for the tip. I just installed Hard Disk Sentinel, which appears to be a very cool programm to have. What is your experience with it how accurate it is?
I just ran it and 15 out of my 16 disks are 100% health (excellence). One is at 96%, but that's a very old disk, so I am not surprised.
What confuses me is that one of my "failed" disks also show at 100% health. To be more precise, the disk did not really fail. What happened is that all folders and files are corrupted. In other words, I can still see 500 movies on the disk, but none of them plays anymore. No idea how this happened, but I am blaming my current set-up. Any idea where this corruption may come from and/or even how to fix it?
Hence, I am tempted to go to an USB enclosure solution or buy a new mega-case to fit it all.
2013-10-30, 07:19
Maybe a psu problem? Since, as you have said, its the only part that has not been replaced...
One case with silent fans, a reliable psu and only western digital hard drives
(Usb enclosures as a last resort...)
One case with silent fans, a reliable psu and only western digital hard drives
(Usb enclosures as a last resort...)
2013-10-30, 10:04
I read this thread and see "power supply failure" written all over it. One way to test would be to hack up a new power supply external to the current case and streeeetch the cables onto your motherboard and drives. At least you can test for a few boot cycles before spending that $1k.
Your server should be somewhere where the noise doesn't bother you. Not all of us have that luxury though (I had an under stair cupboard until earthquakes. We are renting until the house is fixed and the server is a little noisy under the TV. Bring on the repairs - you want an insurance company rant? I can do that!)
The usual noise source is fans, if you replace them with bigger slower fans the noise will reduce.
Another test would be to run up a linux live cd. See what it recognises.
I know you are wedded to windows, but as a server I never really rated it.
Your server should be somewhere where the noise doesn't bother you. Not all of us have that luxury though (I had an under stair cupboard until earthquakes. We are renting until the house is fixed and the server is a little noisy under the TV. Bring on the repairs - you want an insurance company rant? I can do that!)
The usual noise source is fans, if you replace them with bigger slower fans the noise will reduce.
Another test would be to run up a linux live cd. See what it recognises.
I know you are wedded to windows, but as a server I never really rated it.
2013-10-30, 10:46
Thanks for your messages. I know that basically all the pro-users really love unraid. It is a good question why I am so much sticking to Windows for the server built. Even more interesting as I have been using Linux and OSX on basically anything else. I used to run a NAS (nothing but problems) and also tried a Linux server before (even worse). I am really happy with my Windows built now and I doubt that it is Windows that is causing the issues?
One questions about potential PSU failures. Could the corrupted disk (but not failed disk) be related to the PSU? Why? Weird enough, I never experience blue-screens or the computer never shuts down unexpectedly (which I would have assumed would be more expected behavior from the PSU). In what way would a faulty PSU impact disk corruption?
Unrelated question - if caused by the faulty PSU, any idea whether I can get the files uncorrupted again. We are talking about 3TB of movies... Can it be ruled out that it is a disk issue if HD Sentinel "declares" the disk 100% healthy?
I am now again thinking to just get a new mega tower and keep my current set-up.
Thanks in advance for any more thoughts you may have!
One questions about potential PSU failures. Could the corrupted disk (but not failed disk) be related to the PSU? Why? Weird enough, I never experience blue-screens or the computer never shuts down unexpectedly (which I would have assumed would be more expected behavior from the PSU). In what way would a faulty PSU impact disk corruption?
Unrelated question - if caused by the faulty PSU, any idea whether I can get the files uncorrupted again. We are talking about 3TB of movies... Can it be ruled out that it is a disk issue if HD Sentinel "declares" the disk 100% healthy?
I am now again thinking to just get a new mega tower and keep my current set-up.
Thanks in advance for any more thoughts you may have!
2013-10-30, 11:02
Bad (or insufficient) CPU can cause all sorts of corruption. You are obviously pretty technical so just imagine a power glitch just as you write to disk. Of course they also may be just read issues, spinning up that disk may just tip something over the edge. Hardware faults are hard to diagnose and intermittent ones even harder. But power is often the first place to start. (Well maybe the first thing after stuff not being plugged in properly)
Personally I would try that 'corrupt' disk in another machine, one you know will handle another disk without issues.
Personally I would try that 'corrupt' disk in another machine, one you know will handle another disk without issues.
2013-10-30, 12:06
Unfortunately, it also does not work when plugged into another computer. So, let me indeed find a way to replace the PSU (you meant PSU, not CPU?).
And it appears that my movies on this disk are history?
Would you suggest keeping the disk and "just" formatting it. I am sure that it will work again (but no idea for how long). It is pretty new and Sentinel says that it is 100% "healthy".
And it appears that my movies on this disk are history?
Would you suggest keeping the disk and "just" formatting it. I am sure that it will work again (but no idea for how long). It is pretty new and Sentinel says that it is 100% "healthy".
2013-10-30, 12:37
(2013-10-30, 12:06)steve1977 Wrote: Unfortunately, it also does not work when plugged into another computer. So, let me indeed find a way to replace the PSU (you meant PSU, not CPU?).
And it appears that my movies on this disk are history?
Would you suggest keeping the disk and "just" formatting it. I am sure that it will work again (but no idea for how long). It is pretty new and Sentinel says that it is 100% "healthy".
I wouldnt use it for storing if i were you..
you could format it (format 100% NOT Quick Format) then do a chkdsk (from command prompt) to see if there are any bad sectors..
although there are way to restore files from a damaged hard disk
still wouldnt use an unreliable hard disk...
By the way Hard disk sentinel reads smart attributes... doesnt monitor bad sectors..
2013-10-30, 13:22
I actually have run a both a chkdsk /f as well as a chkdsk /r. Both completed without any errors or comments about bad sectors. The chkdsk /r almost took a full day to complete. Not sure whether this means anything.
This is pre-formatting the disk. I have not formatted the disk yet as I still have some hopes to restore the files.
Thinking now of getting a new PSU. What about Corsair HX850? Any thoughts?
This is pre-formatting the disk. I have not formatted the disk yet as I still have some hopes to restore the files.
Thinking now of getting a new PSU. What about Corsair HX850? Any thoughts?
2013-10-30, 13:42
Is there any point of changing the sata card? My IT vendor feels strongly that this cannot be rhe issue, but would liike to get some reconfirmation on this forum.
2013-10-30, 20:38
(2013-10-30, 12:06)steve1977 Wrote: Unfortunately, it also does not work when plugged into another computer. So, let me indeed find a way to replace the PSU (you meant PSU, not CPU?).Yes I meant PSU sorry.
And it appears that my movies on this disk are history?
Would you suggest keeping the disk and "just" formatting it. I am sure that it will work again (but no idea for how long). It is pretty new and Sentinel says that it is 100% "healthy".
I don't know how reliable sentinel is.
