Unable to initialize/reinstall/hard reset DSM, system partition errors

[enderzero]

Hi, I have a DS 412+ and am having a ton of trouble migrating away from an old semi-corrupted hard drive. No data is crucial (or even present) so don't worry about that with any advice.

Original configuration was a single Seagate ST8000DM005. Everything was working fine and I was mostly just using the 412+ as a Plex server. Then one day it crashed and DSM started reporting Bad Sectors.

It was an old hard drive, all the data backed up elsewhere, so time to upgrade anyway. I ordered 2 new WD181KFGX drives. Yanked the old Seagate and popped in the WDs.

Browse to NAS, notice servername no longer browseable, find IP, browse there, get the Web Assistant Migration. Go through wizard with Migration setting but the DSM download errors at 56% during Installing Diskstation with error Failed to install the file. The file is probably corrupted. (13)

Try manual install with DSM_DS412+_25556.pat. Pops at 57% with same error. I try Reinstallation instead of Migration. Same error.

Download Synology Assistant which reports I'm on DSM v6.2.3-25426 update3. I try downloading DSM_DS412+_25426.pat from internet archive and installing that. Same result.

Maybe hard drives? I try an old 4TB I have lying around. Same error. Failed to install the file. The file is probably corrupted. (13)

Try the 8TB Seagate again and woah, I can get back into DSM. Try to update DSM to 25556 but update fails with Unknown error occurs (21).

Some research leads me to idea it might be a memory problem. Run Memory test in Synology Assistant. SSH in to find log and it reports memory test passed.

Put both the 18TB WDs in with the Seagate and creare Storage Pool and Volume there. Still thinking maybe it's a drive compatability thing still, I run 007revad's Synology_HDD_db and add the WDs to the db. Reboot.

Go to Starge Manager and get Critical system errors occurred. Please contact us immediately for technical support. Storage pool is healthy but all 3 hard drives say System Partition Failed. No repair button on Overview page.

Yank the 8TB again and reboot. No more DSM. Just the Web Assistant setup which not matter what, fails at the same point with the same Failed to install the file. The file is probably corrupted. (13) error.

Tried wiping out the WDs in windows and starting over. Get the new install screen (instead of the migration) but it still errors on setup no matter what I do.

Tried the hard reset (mode 2) method from this page but no matter what I can't get it to give me the 3 beeps on second button push.

So I can get into DSM if I have the 8TB drive in but can't do anything with it out.

Thanks for reading all that. Any help you can give is much appreciated.

 

[Rusty]

Welcome to the forum.

Have you tried to download a fresh PAT install file or allow it do be downloaded automatically? It could also be that the issue is with the file itself.

 

[Telos]

Have you tried to download a fresh PAT install file

The OP previously posted on the Community (elsewhere?), where this good suggestion was made. So we are to waste time here rediscovering many things, as that info was unfortunately not carried forward here.

 

[enderzero]

Welcome to the forum.

Have you tried to download a fresh PAT install file or allow it do be downloaded automatically? It could also be that the issue is with the file itself.

Thanks very much Rusty! I have indeed tried doing that. I've download both the 25556 PAT file as well as the 25426 PAT file from the internet archive. I've also tried letting it download the file automatically. All have the same result.

Hi Telos. Nice to see you here too as well as the other forum. Yes posted in both places to try to find others willing to help. I appreciate your help and have previously tried and retried all of your suggestions. All of those such as try new hard drives have been tried and mentioned in the OP and were added to this post. This is pretty clearly not something extremely obvious so I was hoping a wider posting would help come up with some ideas. Thanks!

 

[Rusty]

All have the same result.

I should have read your post again and you did indeed already try that. Considering all the things you have done, the only thing I haven't seen was a) a successful method 2 reset, as well as starting fresh with a single WD18TB drive.

The error 13 file corruption was a thing that I encountered a few times with several setups, but the culprit was a bad drive every time. Considering that you have new drives it could be something else. Imho, method 2 reboot should solve this if the drive(s) are valid and in working order.

You mentioned you have run a memory test. Just wondering have you upgraded the RAM on that model? If so have you tried running with the official/stock SODDIM?

 

[enderzero]

Thanks Rusty! I appreciate your thorough response.

When you say method 2 reset, I assume you are referring to what Synology calls a Mode 2 reset here: How do I reset my Synology NAS? (For DSM 6.2.3 or earlier) - Synology Knowledge Center is that correct?

When I attempt to do this I am never able to get the 3 beeps. I hold reset and it beeps once. I let go and immediately hold reset again and just get a single beep. If I release, wait a sec, and repress, I get just a single beep. No idea if this is a different process on the DS412+ but no matter what I never get 3 beeps.

After doing this I ether receive the migrate screen if the hard drive is used or I get the fresh setup screen if the hard drive has been wiped.

I have not upgraded the RAM.

I just tried wiping all 3 drives (2x 18TB, 1x 4TB) in Windows. I removed all partitions, then created a simple volume and formatted. Then removed that partition, repeating on each drive.

I then placed the 3 drives in the DS412+ one at a time. The system errors out with the same error as above on all 3 drives. I tried one using a freshly downloaded DSM_DS412+_25556.pat, one a freshly downloaded DSM_DS412+_25426.pat, and one I let DSM download. I hard reset via the pinhole button each time.

No matter what I get the same error.

Thanks in advance for your continued attempts to diagnose.

 

[Rusty]

When you say method 2 reset, I assume you are referring to what Synology calls a Mode 2

Correct, my mistake.

No idea if this is a different process on the DS412+ but no matter what I never get 3 beeps.

If I recall correctly, on my 412+ it was also the same, single beep after the second long press. Also, the fact you are getting the install screen and not a bootable DSM if proof that the NAS did in fact reset successfully.

In a way, I would suspect the older DSM having issues with 18TB drives, but not with a 4TB one. So from all that was posted so far, my guess is this is still a compatibility issue of some sort.

One more thing you could try is starting with a single drive but not in bay 1. Try with bay 4 (if that was not already tested). Other then that, maybe getting one of the older drives that were 100% compatible and supported for that model. A successor to the EFRX WD maybe, or close to it.

 

[enderzero]

Thanks Rusty.

I tried wiping and replacing the 4TB drive in the 4th bay and results are the same.

Also, the fact you are getting the install screen and not a bootable DSM if proof that the NAS did in fact reset successfully.

I'm not sure I follow here. I'm not sure how the reset is proving that since DSM is erroring out before installing. In case it wasn't clear, no matter what I receive either the New Setup screen if the hard drive has no partitions or the Migrate screen if the drive has been partitioned in the DSM setup process.

maybe getting one of the older drives that were 100% compatible and supported for that model.

My research seems to point to drive compatibility not being an issue for the 412+, especially using the 007revad tool. Are you suggesting that the 18TB drives would never be able to work in this NAS or I'd just need to buy a compatible drive to get DSM installed and get the 18TBs working?

Thanks

 

[enderzero]

UPDATE: I got my hands on an old DS 115J. I installed the 4TB in that and it partitioned and formatted correctly and DSM installed fine. I put that drive straight into the DS412+ and got the re-setup screen. I tried to complete the setup and errored out with the Failed to install the file. The file is probably corrupted. (13) error.

I then put the 18TB WD in the DS 115J and it partitioned and formatted correctly and DSM installed fine. I put that drive straight into the DS412+ and got the re-setup screen. I tried to complete the setup and errored out with the... you guessed it... Failed to install the file. The file is probably corrupted. (13) error.

I think we can definitively rule out the hard drives.

Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[EAZ1964]

Various posts on reddit and the synoforum suggest that it is a hardware failure on the nas.
Memory, battery replacement (some posts) or full system replacements are mentioned as solutions

 

[enderzero]

Thanks very much for the response EAZ. I'm afraid that seems to be the only logical solution. Down the toilet she goes!

 

[Rusty]

Are you suggesting that the 18TB drives would never be able to work in this NAS or I'd just need to buy a compatible drive to get DSM installed and get the 18TBs working?

No. There shouldn't be any reason for it, but the way it behaves it could be a possibility. Also, the NAS might have HW issues as well.

 

[enderzero]

Just to square this, final report that I ordered a new 4GB SODIMM just in case it was RAM causing the issue. It was not. That resulted in the same error. I am giving up and throwing this NAS in the trash. Thanks for your help.