I have custom build Windows Home Server with 4 X 1.5 TB that started acting really erratic a few weeks ago. Upon further inspection, I realized one of my data drive failed (A WD 1.5 EcoGreen Drive). I got a replacement HardDrive, but I first try to remove the failed drive from the Storage Pool, but to no avail. Finally, not having a choice, since WHS would not allow me to gracefully remove the drive from the storage pool, I physically shut down the server and replaced the damaged drive from the machine and replace it with a new drive. The issue that I am having is that not only am I getting file conflicts, but several files are erroring out with the "Device not Connected" error message. Those files were all included into a custom share "Movies" for which I had duplication on. My question is how can I recover those files that was part of the "Movies" custom share that were in the failed HardDrive? I am assuming that by having Duplication On for that share, exact copies of those files exist on another hard drive. However, I don't know how to recover those files.
Also, I tried connecting the failed Hard Drive to a Rosewill SATA external enclosure and connect it to another machine via usb, the failed drive is so dead that it is not even being recognized, whereas if I tried another Hard Drive, it works fine.
Hi, you can try the method described in the FAQ How to recover data after server failure to access your files on the second disk, if removing the other disk from the storage pool does not complete. Connecting a drive via USB or via internal connector can sometimes have different outcome, I have seen from time to time normal disks act strange on the USB cable. Best greetings from Germany Olaf
Have you removed the failed drive from the storage pool, or have you just physically removed it from the server?I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
Hi, you can try the method described in the FAQ How to recover data after server failure to access your files on the second disk, if removing the other disk from the storage pool does not complete. Connecting a drive via USB or via internal connector can sometimes have different outcome, I have seen from time to time normal disks act strange on the USB cable. Best greetings from Germany Olaf
I had to physically removed the drive the server. Because removing the file from the storage pool just did not work. In fact, when I went to disk management, it simply said that the drive was missing. Even though, it was physically there and I triple checked (SATA Cable, etc...) that the drive was properly physically connected to the server. The drive basically totally died. This was proven by the fact that rosewill external enclosure would not even recognize the failed hard drive, whereas it recognizes all other hard drives that I tried.
I did do the server reinstall to no avail. I did not lose most of my old data. In fact, in some ways it appears that I did not lose any data. However, files that evidently were part of the drive that totally failed is giving me errors like Device Not Connected when I try, for example, to copy to another computer. My thinking is there should be another copy of those files since the share "Movies" that they belong to had duplication on. Right now WHS is indicating that the current status for the share "Movies" is not healthy because there are file conflicts.
I will ask a different way. In the appropriate tab of the Windows Home Server console, have you selected the drive noted as "missing" and chosen to "remove" it from the storage pool? If not, please do so.I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
I tried several times, it would not let me do so. It would never complete successfully so I finally just shut down the server and physically removed it.
Question: you say in response to Olaf's post that you've done a server reinstallation. When? You didn't mention it previously.I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
After I removed the bad hard drive. I had lots of file conflicts and the backup database was corrupted. The Repair tool in the backup settings would also not work successfully. It would always end with the WHS console closing a few seconds after invoking the repair button. I did the reinstall to address those two issues: 1. Repair Backup Database Corruption 2. Take care of file Conflicts. The reinstall took care of neither.
That would not work either. I had to go to a registry hack to remove the hard drive that I found on the net. Basically, I had to delete the guid that belongs to the failed drive from the registry.
Given all you've said, I'm going to recommend you start over from scratch; you have serious problems in the storage pool, and I'm not sure anything short of a fresh start is going to let you fully recover. Even then, if your current problems are due to hardware issues, you may continue to have problems afterward. The safest thing to do is to purchase an additional drive to install on, one at least as large as your largest current drive. Disconnect all your other drives, then do a new installation on the new drive. Finally, recover data from your current drives using the link Olaf has provided, then add them to the pool.I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
If you had duplication on for that share then even if one drive failed, you should be able to find the files on one or more of the other drives.
1) Shut down WHS. 2) Physically remove one (or all) drive(s) 3) Physically add the drive(s) to any other PC that can read NTFS 4) Recover data 5) Add drives back to WHS and restart 6) Restore data back to WHS 7) ? 8) Profit...
Whether or not the OS is hosed is unknown (sounds like it) but if you can backup all of the data on WHS and do a clean install and data restore you'd be better off, imo. "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -- Thomas Paine
