New unraid build that I've just got up and running about a week ago.

 

My latest drive added to the array WD Red 3TB was precleared with one cycle without any errors.  I added it to the array and put about 500GB of data on it.

 

I thought I better be ready for a failing drive, so I bought a new WD Red 3TB and popped it into an empty drive bay intending to preclear it.  While installing into my Norco 4220, I noticed my last drive to be added did not have a blue light lit on the tray.  I went to my pc and found the drive is red balled.

 

Should I stay the course and continue preclearing the brand new drive, then add it as the red-balled drive and rebuilt from parity?  Should I skip the preclear and rebuild immediately?

 

After I have the brand new drive up and running, I plan to see if I can read the failed drive on my pc.  Should I try to preclear it again or just RMA is since it failed?  I can't see cables or power being an issue, but it could be.

 

Just need some quick hand-holding to make sure I'm good.  I'm not having much luck with these WD Reds.  This is the second drive to fail.  The other was an absolute brick.  Couldn't even begin to preclear it.  This makes it 2 out of 6 drives that are bad for me.  All WD Red 3TBers.

 

I would preclear the drive before putting it in the array. I'm facing the same issue, my drive arrived today, and will be precleared 3x before being added to the array.  UnRaid is currently powered down until I can perform the rebuild.

 

Sent from a mobile device, sorry for any typos.

 

 

Sorry to hear about your experience with the WD Reds.  I've got 6, and have installed about another dozen for friends; and have never had a problem.

 

It sounds like the drives may not be seating correctly in the Norco => have you tried another slot ... or at least removing/then re-seating (firmly) the drive?  [Do that with power off, regardless of the "hot swap" capability]

 

I would run at least one cycle of pre-clear before using the new drive ... but I also would NOT use the array during that time -- no reason to tempt fate while you're running "at risk".

 

I have tried a different slot and a different drive bay with no blue light being lit.  Dead.

 

" ... but I also would NOT use the array during that time -- no reason to tempt fate while you're running "at risk"."

 

I was under the assumption that a preclear is a separate function and has nothing to do with the array while being performed?  No?

 

So I should just stop the array?  I must say it looks as if this preclear is going faster than it did with the drive that has gone bad.  I think the 3TB took 31 or 34 hours total.  I'm at the last step (post-read) and at 13% with 17:24:36 having been spent so far.  No way a post-read lasts another 17 hours.  Maybe the drive was bad since it precleared so slowly.

The pre-clear is indeed completely separate.    The reason for my suggestion r.e. not using the array is that until the replacement drive is added, you're running "at risk" => so if any other drive fails you'll lose all of the data on 2 drives.    It's fine to use the array as long as you understand that risk.

 

By the way, the final step in the pre-clear process (the post-read) usually takes as long as the first two steps combined.    So I'd still expect your total time to exceed 30 hours.

 

Attach a SMART report.

I've figured out it's the drive bay that's at fault.

 

Norco 4224.  Top far left bay.  I've read somewhere someone else having a problem with the far right slot of one of his blades.  Bay doesn't have the blue light lit.  I had a disk being precleared in another slot when this disk red-balled.  Once the new disk was done preclearing yesterday late night I put it in the array and had the array rebuilt overnight.  All is working well, now. 

 

I moved the red-balled disk into a fresh slot and am now preclearing it again.  I'm figuring the error was from the connection and not the drive. 

 

I'm thinking of the preclear process goes well with this drive I will keep it instead of RMAing it.  My last drive that went bad in that bad stot, though, couldn't even be recognized in another computer. 

 

Norco 4224 is from New Egg.  Should I contact Norco directly or go through New Egg to replace the blade?

Norco 4224 is from New Egg.  Should I contact Norco directly or go through New Egg to replace the blade?

 

Newegg has a 30-day return policy.  If you're within that window, contact them (I'm not sure if they'll take care of the issue when you just need a part and aren't returning the whole thing - but I'd ask them first).    After 30 days, they don't get involved, so you'll need to contact Norco.