Boot problem with new hard drive install

[DM72]

Hi I installed a Western Digital 160gb in a Vu Duo tonight but it won't boot up. Remains stuck on boot screen. Have tried vix, vti and black hole images. However if I remove the sata plug and reboot duo it boots up fine. Any help would be appreciated. It's doing my head in!!!

[judge]

What format is the HDD?
If you plug it in after booting into VIX, can you see it/format it using Menu -> Setup -> System -> Hard disk -> Initialisation?

[DM72]

I'm not sure what format it is. The drive is Western Digital Caviar Blue 160 GB (7200 rpm) SATA 8 MB 3.5 inch Hard Drive (Internal). Do you mean boot the box up with the lid off and then plug it in when booted. I tried this with the black hole image and it just became unresponsive!!

[judge]

Yeah, I'd try that using the ViX image. If that doesn't work, try hooking it up to a PC & format it there first.

[DM72]

What format should it be in???

[judge]

It's a linux box, so preferably ext3 or ext4.

[DM72]

But if I connect it to a PC surely I can only format it to fat or nfts using windows!

[judge]

But if I connect it to a PC surely I can only format it to fat or nfts using windows!

yes, if you are using windows on the PC.
There are tools that you can use to format some drives, not sure if you can use this tool (http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?45-USB-Format-Tool&p=78&viewfull=1#post78) on a HDD?
Formatting it as FAT should be fine though, the box should pick it up & enable you to reformat it in the box to ext3/4.

[DM72]

Thanks a lot I will give this try tomorrow. Appreciate your patience. Thanks again!

[judge]

No worries, I wouldn't be sticking a 160gb HDD in a nice box though...
Terabyte it for serious recording, playback options unless you are also using a NAS or HDD from another box?

[Rob van der Does]

First of all an HDD should always be formatted by the box: then special parameters will be used to optimise the disk for the use of large files. So if you connect a previously formatted HDD re-format it by the box.

Secondly: when a new HDD has been connected (and also under some other circumstances) a filecheck will be carried during the boot process. This can take a considerable time, so best is to leave the box working for at least an hour before deciding it to be 'stuck'.
If you want to be sure if the latter is indeed the case, just connect an RS232-lead and look at the boot log.

[DM72]

First of all an HDD should always be formatted by the box: then special parameters will be used to optimise the disk for the use of large files. So if you connect a previously formatted HDD re-format it by the box.

Secondly: when a new HDD has been connected (and also under some other circumstances) a filecheck will be carried during the boot process. This can take a considerable time, so best is to leave the box working for at least an hour before deciding it to be 'stuck'.
If you want to be sure if the latter is indeed the case, just connect an RS232-lead and look at the boot log.

I have left box on for an hour but still not booting. Logo is spinning in top right hand corner.

[Rob van der Does]

I have left box on for an hour but still not booting. Logo is spinning in top right hand corner.
If you're not in a hurry maybe let it be for an other half hour?
OK, the RS232-lead and resulting boot log would be great.

Or format the disk by a PC (any format will do) and let the box reformat it (if booted....).

[DM72]

If you're not in a hurry maybe let it be for an other half hour?
OK, the RS232-lead and resulting boot log would be great.

Or format the disk by a PC (any format will do) and let the box reformat it (if booted....).

I have no idea how to get a boot log up sorry. Vu still running at moment will give it another half hour to see what happens! Thanks for your advice and patience.