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View Full Version : Metal Gear Box Enclosure Problem


Flapjack
06-18-2004, 02:43 PM
This enclosure seemed pretty solid, so I got it.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-145-743&depa=0

It's a USB 2.0 enclosure. Here are the only specs I can seem to find on it:

USB 2.0 interface (backwards compatible)
Fits any 3.5-inch hard drive
E-IDE/ATAPI interface (supports ATA PIO modes 0-4, UDMA 2 and 4)
(UDMA 2 = ATA/33; UDMA 4 = ATA/66)
480 Mbps maximum data transfer
Hot swappable
PC and Macintosh compatible

The Problem
I Installed 200GB Seagate hard drive, model # ST3200822A two day ago. I woke up yesterday morning to hear an occasional screeching sound coming from enclosure. When I woke up Windows, I had an error message saying it was unable to write files and the volume was lost. Specifically, here's what Event Viewer said:

First Error
{Delayed Write Failed} Windows was unable to save all the data for the file . The data has been lost. This error may be caused by a failure of your computer hardware or network connection. Please try to save this file elsewhere.

Second Error
The system failed to flush data to the transaction log. Corruption may occur.

The second error repeated many times, until I shut the unit off.

After I shut it down, I made sure all the cables were plugged in well.

When I booted it back up, all seemed fine and I wrote 10GB to the drive to test it.

The same thing happened again last night. My first guess is the enclosure, since I haven't heard of one RMA on the Seagate 200GB yet. Unfortunately, I use a laptop, so I don't have a computer to test the drive on.

Could it be the Seagate? ...or could the fact that it does not do UDMA 5 cause the errors I'm getting?

swoop56
06-18-2004, 06:58 PM
Was it left on? It might have been heat. Those enclosures get pretty warm.

Flapjack
06-18-2004, 07:24 PM
I leave it on, of course. It was slightly warm. No hotter than it gets in a case. For a passively cooled unit, it seems to do extremely well in the reviews. A buddy has one he's using with an 80GB Maxtor. He leaves it on all the time and says it gets screaming hot. So hot, he can't keep his hands on it. He has none of the errors I'm having. Also, the newer Seagate 200GB drives run pretty cool, though.

ameoba
06-19-2004, 02:24 PM
If it's a passively cooled unit & you're getting screeching noises, you're probably looking at a bad drive unless the enclosure's got a dodgy PSU.

When troubleshooting, try to eliminate potential problems; either put another, known good, drive in the enclosure or hook the 200GB up to a known good PSU/ATA controller for a few days.

Flapjack
06-19-2004, 08:37 PM
I'll put it in another computer. I've been meaning to try that. I have a feeling the drive is making the noises because of the controller in the enclosure. From what I can tell, it's an older chipset that doesn't even support ATA 100 or 133.