PowerVault: RD1000 - Support FAQ

This article is a troubleshooting base for RD1000 connected in USB or SATA. An RD1000 connected in USB is external and in SATA is internal.

As a first step is to update the BIOS, the PERC and if possible the RD1000. To update the server, go to the dell.com/support, select your server model and download the appropriate drivers and firmware. Also for any mechanical or detection problem, try to completely reboot the server.

Below is a list of frequent issues reported and solutions:

Q: Windows - Media storage drive eject button does not work periodically on RD1000 USB device
Q: Windows - Eject button does not work after "Safely Removing" RD1000 USB device
Q: Windows - Eject button does not work after unplugging USB Cable from RD1000 USB device
Q: Windows - Right-click eject does not work on a non-administrator account
Q: Windows - RD1000 Utility does not work from a non-administrator account
Q: Windows - RD1000 Does Not Appear in the Device Manager
Q: Linux - tar spanning backup not working
Q: Linux - Eject command is not working on multi-partition removable disk cartridge
Q: Removable hard disk drive eject button not working (Windows, Linux)
Q: RD1000 USB has slow performance
Q: RD1000 removable hard disk cartridge activity LED is Steady Amber or Flashing Amber
Q: RD1000 media storage drive LED is Steady Amber
Q: RD1000 removable hard disk drive LED flashes Amber after pressing the eject button ​​​​​​​
Q: Error message "the disk is write protected" while doing a backup or file copy
Q: RD1000 removable storage drive is not recognized ​​​​​​​
Q: BIOS Warning Messages Occur when RD1000 is Installed in the System
Q. The Activity LED is AMBER
Q: LED on the RD1000 USB device not illuminates after the power adapter is plugged in ​​​​​​​

Q: Windows - Media storage drive eject button does not work periodically on RD1000 USB device.

First, ensure that the RD1000 eject service is running on your machine:

On a Windows system, the eject button will only work when no other software is accessing the RD1000 removable media storage device. Close any open program which may be accessing the device. Ensure that the RD1000 Utility software has been installed. Ensure you have administrator privileges when installing RD1000 software.

Part of the RD1000 Utility installation installs an eject service which allows button eject in a Windows system. To check if this service is running, open a command prompt. 
And type net stat in the command prompt. You should see the service RDXmon in the service list. If RDXmon is not shown, you must re-install RDX Utility software, ensuring your computer has administrator rights and you have the latest version of the RD1000 Utility. Click Here ​​​​​​​ for the latest version of RD1000 Utility software.

On a Linux system, the eject button only functions when the cartridge is not mounted. To eject a mounted cartridge, use the eject command at the command line with the RD1000 device handle.

If the service is installed and running, there are some cases when the Windows OS does not notify the RD1000 Eject service of the presence of the RD1000 removable hard disk drive in the system. Selecting the device in Windows Explorer fixes this problem. Note that you must wait at least 10 s after selecting the device before the eject will occur.

Q: Windows - Eject button does not work after "Safely Removing" RD1000 USB device.

The RD1000 device does not allow eject after safely removing hardware due to limitations in the Microsoft Windows OS. This limitation exists because the hardware cannot distinguish this case from cases where data loss may be possible if the cartridge were removed.
To eject the cartridge after safely removing, unplug and re-plug power to the USB device. Then wait Several seconds and press the eject button.
Alternatively, unplug and re-plug the USB cable and press the eject button.

Q: Windows - Eject button does not work after unplugging USB Cable from RD1000 USB device.

The RD1000 device does not allow eject after unplugging the USB cable due to limitations in the Microsoft Windows OS. This limitation exists because the hardware cannot distinguish this case from cases where data loss may be possible if the cartridge were removed.
To eject the cartridge after unplugging the USB cable, unplug and re-plug power to the USB device. Then wait several seconds and press the eject button.
Alternatively, re-plug the USB cable and press the eject button.

Q: Windows - Right-click eject does not work on a non-administrator account.

The right-click eject method in Windows Explorer does not allow cartridge eject on a non-administrator account if the RD1000 Utility software has not been installed. To fix the problem, install the RD1000 utility software from an Administrator account.

Q: Windows - RD1000 Utility does not work from a non-administrator account.

RD1000 Utility requires an administrator account to function properly. Running RD1000 Utility from an account with limited permissions results in missing data fields within the RD1000 utility display. Log in to an Administrator account to run RD1000 Utility.

Q: Windows - RD1000 Does Not Appear in the Device Manager.

If the unit does not appear in the Windows Device Manager and the power indicator is green, follow these steps to rescan the hardware:
1. Bring up the Device Manager:
    a. Right-click My Computer
    b. Select Manage.
    c. Select Device Manager.
2. Right-click the top folder (this should be your computer’s name).
3. Select Scan for Hardware Changes.
4. You should see your RD1000 device listed under Disk drives. If the device does not appear, re-start the computer. 

Q: Linux - tar spanning backup not working

For spanning removable disk cartridges, use the tar -M -L size option (where size is the cartridge capacity in kilobytes) when creating multiple-volume backups. For more information, see the main page for tar.

Q: Linux - Eject command is not working on multi-partition removable disk cartridge.

Depending on distribution, the eject command may not properly handle unmount if multiple partitions are present on a removable hard disk drive. Each mounted partition must be unmounted manually or the eject command fails.

Use the umount command to unmount each partition handle. Then use the eject command to eject the cartridge.

Q: Removable hard disk drive eject button not working (Windows, Linux)

On a Windows system, the eject button only works when no other software is accessing the RD1000 removable media storage device. Close any open program which may be accessing the device.

Ensure that the RD1000 Utility software has been installed. See the User's Guide for instructions on installing the RD1000 Utility software. Ensure you have administrator privileges when installing RD1000 software.

Part of the RD1000 Utility installation installs an eject service which allows button eject in a Windows system. To check if this service is running, open a command prompt (Start->Run->cmd) and type net stat at the command prompt. You should see the service RDXmon in the service list. If RDXmon is not shown, you must re-install RD1000 Utility software, ensuring your computer has administrator rights and you have the latest version of the RD1000 Utility.

On a Linux system, the eject button only functions when the cartridge is not mounted. To eject a mounted cartridge, use the eject command at the command line with the RD1000 device handle.

Sometimes, operating systems may leave the RD1000 USB drive in a locked state even after powering down the system. If this occurs, remove power to the RD1000 USB media storage drive momentarily, then re-apply power, wait several seconds and press the eject button to eject the cartridge removable disk.

Q: RD1000 USB has slow performance.

Older operating systems and personal computer platforms may not support USB 2.0. Transfer rates on USB 1.1 systems are slower than on USB 2.0 systems. USB 1.1 is approximately 20 times slower than quoted RD1000 USB transfer rates. USB 2.0 PCI expansion cards are inexpensive and readily available. Usually, users want to upgrade their OS and hardware to support USB 2.0 to take advantage of increased transfer rates.

Even if your system does include USB 2.0 support, placing the device behind a USB 1.1 hub forces the device into USB 1.1 mode. Often hubs built into keyboards or monitors are USB 1.1 compliant only. For best results, connect the device directly to the host system. If a hub is wanted, ensure that the hub supports USB 2.0 (high speed) connections.

To tell whether your device is using EHCI (USB 2.0) on a Windows system, use Device Manager to order devices by connection (View->Devices By Connection.) Expand the tree to show all USB Host Controllers. Verify that the RD1000 media storage drive shows up under the Enhanced Host Controller (not a Universal or Open Host Controller.) On a Linux system, use the command "cat /proc/bus/usb/devices" to list information about connected USB devices. The Spd= field should show 480 (480 Mbps) for the RD1000 device.

For best performance, remove any unnecessary USB devices from the system (especially devices requiring large data throughput such as video cameras) or place these on a different USB root hub or add-in card.

Q: RD1000 removable hard disk cartridge activity LED is Steady Amber or Flashing Amber.

An amber cartridge LED most likely indicates one of the following conditions:

• The cartridge is not compatible with the RD1000 unit.
• The cartridge has been damaged.
• The cartridge has not been fully inserted.

For more information about the cartridge error, install the RD1000 Utility host software.
For information about cartridge error status, see the latest version of the RD1000 Users guide available from Dell.

Q: RD1000 media storage drive LED is Steady Amber.

The RD1000 media storage drive (Power) button LED is typically on steady amber for one of the following reasons:

• The unit cannot eject the cartridge due to an obstruction.
• The firmware update process failed and must be run again.
• The internal electronics are damaged or malfunctioning.

For more information about the error, use the RD1000 Utility software to diagnose the problem. 

Q: RD1000 removable hard disk drive LED flashes Amber after pressing the eject button.

If the power indicator is blinking amber after you press the eject button, the Host computer is accessing the media. The RD1000 removable media storage unit will eject the removable disk cartridge after the Host access completes. If the cartridge does not eject after the Host computer access completes, you may not be running the correct unit software.

If the removable disk cartridge still does not eject, use Windows Explorer to eject the cartridge. In Windows® Explorer, right-click the drive letter for the RD1000 unit (that is F:), and select Eject.

On a Linux system, the cartridge may be mounted. Use the eject command to eject the cartridge.

Q: Error message "the disk is write protected" while doing a backup or file copy.

Ensure the write protect switch is not set to the protected state.
Ensure permissions on the file folder are set up to allow read/write access. For information about setting file folder permissions, see your system administrator.

Q: RD1000 removable storage drive is not recognized.

When using a SATA device, ensure that the device is detected by the BIOS. Many BIOS leaves SATA ports off by default. Ensure power and SATA cables are securely connected.
When using an RD1000 USB device, verify that the power indicator (button LED) is on. Verify that the USB cable is securely plugged in.

Q: BIOS Warning Messages Occur when RD1000 is Installed in the System.

 Some system BIOS may not support SATA ATAPI devices correctly. Check your system manufacturers website for the latest BIOS version.

Q. The Activity LED is AMBER.

The Activity LED is located on the front of the cartridge. If this LED is amber, the cartridge is not working properly. The trouble is due to one of the following conditions:

• The cartridge is not compatible with the RD1000 unit.
• The cartridge has been severely damaged.

Run the RD1000 Diagnostic Utility Software to obtain more information about the failure.

Q: LED on RD1000 USB device not illuminates after the power adapter is plugged in..

The RD1000 USB 3.0 device requires that the USB cable be attached to an active USB port on a host Server for constant LED illumination. Power to the RD1000 device can be verified without a USB cable attached by simply inserting an hard drive cartridge into the bay and then pressing the eject button. A properly powered device should eject the cartridge without the USB cable attached.