Hi,

 

I've just read the wiki on Advanced Format Drives. http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Advanced_Format_Drives&redirect=no

 

 

Problem is i've already installed 2 EARS-drives in my system without changing the jumper and they're running (parity and disk4). What steps do i need to take now to make sure everything is in order with the jumpers installed?

 

 

That link you included tells you all you need to know under the section "What should I do if I already have an Advanced Format drive in my array that isn't in compatibility mode (i.e. no jumper)?"

 

Power down the system, put a jumper on disk4, follow the instructions to reassign it and allow the system to rebuild the data.  Once that is complete, do the same for the parity drive and let it re-calculate parity.  Note:  your system will not be protected against disk failure while the parity drive is being rebuilt.

But that link also suggest i should preclear after putting the jumper on. Will the rebuild do this?

Some disks will confuse the OS when presented with a MBR that is not what they expect.  In some cases, with certain versions of firmware on the disk, it was unable to be used.  Some users reported that they were able to clear the disk and then use it.

 

Your results might be successful, or not.  If nothing else I would suggest you keep their advice in mind as you add the jumpers on your drives.

 

Only do one drive first, then let the unRAID OS rebuild it, then perform the same operation on the second drive.

To keep unRAID from attempting to use the drive, I'd

 

un-assign the drive

power down

add the jumper

power up

assign the drive

start the array by pressing "Start"

Joe L.

Hi,

 

Thanks for sharing this information. I just bought two Caviar Green WD20EARS hard disks.