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[fuelvolts]

This is my first post on this forum.  This will also certainly be my last D-Link product.  I had 2 400 GB SATA drives (identical WD drives).  They were set up as standard (non RAID or JBOD).  The LH drive began to make funny noises and failed SMART tests.  

Since the drives were getting on in age (about 4 years old), I decided to replace them with 1.5 TB Samsung EcoGreen drives.  The LH drive was dead, so I inserted a new Samsung drive into the LH drive with the intention of copying RH to LH.  I insert the drive and the unit asks me if I want to format the new Samsung drive in the LH slot.  I say yes.  It proceeds.  

I think to myself, why is the RH light blinking and HD making noise?  Sure enough, it formatted the WRONG HARD DRIVE.  Now I have no data as my original HD died and the backup HD has been formatted.


Here is a screen shot that it continues to show me every time I reboot.  This is the exact screen I saw when it formatted the wrong hard drive.  Notice how it says "The existing hard drive will not lose any data".  That is a blatant misrepresentation and a deceptive trade practice by D-Link.  This is a breach of the warranty of merchantability and breach of express warranty under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.


WTF D-Link?  Thanks for killing my data.  I have A2 hardware and 1.03 firmware.  If this is a "bug" it's been a "bug" for 1 year?  

Luckily, I made a backup of my data on another external hard drive about 6 months ago.  I've lost 6 months of pictures/videos/music though.

[fuelvolts]

I would like a moderator or D-Link representative to comment and will bump until so.  Thank you.  Also, I am within my warranty period.  I purchased the unit October 2009.

[gunrunnerjohn]

FWIW, the left and right on the DNS-321 are reversed when looking at it from the front.

[fuelvolts]

Well, it shouldn't matter when it tells me the existing hard drive's data will not be erased.

[gunrunnerjohn]

I agree, just thought you'd like to know that little feature.

[fuelvolts]

Scanned the wrongfully formatted hard drive with DiskInternals Linux Recovery 2.7.  Took over 5 hours.  Didn't recover any files.  They are gone.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Bummer...

[zhyla]

Just so I understand this fully.  You instructed the DNS-321 to format the Samsung drive?  Or you instructed it to format the LH drive?

Bummer about the data loss.  Whenever anything gets sketchy, that's a good time to do a fresh external backup.

[Fritter]

That sucks =/  I actually did the exact same thing. Mine said it would format the new Left drive. I was looking at the device head on and was like ya sure! since i put it in the left slot.  Only after it formatted my old drive did i pull both drives and realize that inside near the connectors there's little print that says left and right, which is looking at the drive from behind.

One thing to note though, data in 1 spot isn't data you care about just like RAID isn't a backup.  There have also been multiple posts on this forum explaining to backup data before adding a new drive and that sometimes it doesn't format the right one.

[gunrunnerjohn]

The amazing thing here is that the DNS-323 references the drives from the front, and this box from the back.  You'd think with two products that are obviously from the same product line would be more consistent.

[mazy]

Perhaps the foolproof approach is to pull out the old, functioning drive, insert the new drive, let it be formatted, and then put the old one back in. There is no way the unit is going to format the wrong drive if it's lying securely on your desk. It's not going to prompt for reformatting once you put back the old drive in its original slot, is it?

[gunrunnerjohn]

Who knows.

[aasoror]

There is no way the unit is going to format the wrong drive if it's lying securely on your desk.

True, but how would that work if need to setup RAID ?

[gunrunnerjohn]

Wirelessly I would guess.

[mazy]

True, but how would that work if need to setup RAID ?

OK, before you rush to buy a wireless SATA bridge , I think it's a bit safer to handle such a situation with RAID. I guess had the OP used RAID1, things could have been very different: With RAID1 and a failed drive, you should be safe with the good drive left inside, as long as the new drive is brand new with no existing partition or data. Leave the good old drive inside, insert the new "virgin" drive, say your prayers and let it rebuild the RAID.
(PS: I wouldn't take any responsibility for your lost data, he he!)