Hi all,

Does anyone know if it's possible to change the hdds in my iomega StorCenter Network 1TB (2HD x 500GB)?
Plugging fresh drives in doesn't work, and I'm rather afraid that iomega will require me to send it to them to pre-format the discs.
Surely they're not that stupid? The chips on the device won't do that for me?
I'd be speechless, but then it is iomega. Didn't buy it, just inherited it.

Any thoughts?
thanks.
diz

Sounds like they're linux formatted to me by the box.
Do the new disks have any formatting on them?

The new disc I've tried is blank, and the same size.
There are various partitions on the last working disc, and they are Linus partitions.
I've tried to clone the drive to the new one using a PC and Acronis True Image 2010 (13).
Acronis tells me they're Linux partitions but fails with an error when I try to clone it.

I didn't buy this, I inherited it from a client, but if iomega have designed this so users can't swap out drives then I'm speechless.
That's like selling a car and telling you if you want to change the tyres you have to send it back the manufacturer.

Unbelievable.
Thanks,
Diz.

What does the interface say? How long did you leave it? Usually these things rebuild replaced disks and format etc. without doing anything - you just have to wait a few days for it to finish.

Well that's not unheard of. The Corvettes in the 80's had tyre sensors that would be damaged doing a change unless handled by a dealer, same thing goes for the Bentley's today, and spare a thought for the Veyron owner...

The interface says nothing - not a thing - doesn't even boot (the web interface) when I put blank new drive(s) in.
All web interface software seems to be on the drive, not the chip, which would seem to me to be criminally stupid and/or idiotic.
And it's on a 23 gig partition! That's nearly 5% of the drive space. Nuts.

What I'm trying now is using the one good drive that's still working to rebuild another working drive.
If that works, then I'll have two identical drives. I'm trying to span them first, then I'll RAID0 or RAID1 them and see if it copies the relevant partition that houses the interface software.
If it does, then I can use them to slowly create two new drives using a decent hdd brand like WD, and throw the Seagates, much like most of the Seagates I've had in my life, in the sodding bin.

What a cluster-fuacked up way of making a NAS. Never EVER buy iomega.

In this case, it is more like replacing the engine, than tyres.

That said, I would expect it to be a fairly painless process.

According to the iOmega website, the ix series have user replaceable drives. Although this article says that it isn't easy and the disks have to be the same size as the originals.