How to reformat XSan component drive

Thomas Hauber

unread,

Apr 9, 2008, 4:46:11 PM4/9/08

to

I bought a used HD for an Xserve as a replacement drive. This drive was
used in a XSan and disk utility will not erase it.

Is there a way to reformat it? It appears in working condition otherwise.
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Jolly Roger

unread,

Apr 9, 2008, 5:08:17 PM4/9/08

to

In article <3760e$47fd2b20$31...@news.teranews.com>,
Thomas Hauber <t...@hauber.com> wrote:

> I bought a used HD for an Xserve as a replacement drive. This drive was
> used in a XSan and disk utility will not erase it.

How do you know Disk Utility will not erase it, exactly?

Thomas Hauber

unread,

Apr 9, 2008, 5:15:47 PM4/9/08

to

Because when you launch Disk Utility, it sees the drive, but you all the
options (Erase/Partition, etc.) are greyed out.

Message has been deleted

Thomas Hauber

unread,

Apr 9, 2008, 5:29:09 PM4/9/08

to

Tim Lance wrote:
> On Wed, 9 Apr 2008 16:15:47 -0500, Thomas Hauber wrote
> (in article <a7d24$47fd320f$17...@news.teranews.com>):

> Is it mounted? Can you choose and then click Mount?
>
No you cannot mount it. Disk Utility shows those as dimmed (not available).

Message has been deleted

Thomas Hauber

unread,

Apr 9, 2008, 6:50:20 PM4/9/08

to

Tim Lance wrote:
> On Wed, 9 Apr 2008 16:29:09 -0500, Thomas Hauber wrote
> (in article <d8bba$47fd3531$26...@news.teranews.com>):

> Not always. I had one such just a few months ago. Daughter's laptop's drive
> was having issues. Only way to get at it was to mount it via DU. That is, I
> put it into an external case and connected via Firewire to my machine. It
> never once mounted on its own. But using DU I could then mount it.
>
> The above is relevant only to whether or not DU can mount a volume that is
> not auto-mounted. OTOH, you say, "No you cannot mount it. Disk Utility shows
> those as dimmed (not available)." You do not explicitly say you tried. I have
> no idea this stuff is helpful. I just hope it so.
>
Don't be ridiculous. I have been around the block long enough to try an
option even if it is dimmed, just in case it is a bug.

It doesn't mount period.

Message has been deleted

Jolly Roger

unread,

Apr 9, 2008, 7:22:26 PM4/9/08

to

In article <a7d24$47fd320f$17...@news.teranews.com>,
Thomas Hauber <t...@hauber.com> wrote:

> Jolly Roger wrote:
> > In article <3760e$47fd2b20$31...@news.teranews.com>,
> > Thomas Hauber <t...@hauber.com> wrote:
> >
> >> I bought a used HD for an Xserve as a replacement drive. This drive was
> >> used in a XSan and disk utility will not erase it.
> >
> > How do you know Disk Utility will not erase it, exactly?
>
> Because when you launch Disk Utility, it sees the drive, but you all the
> options (Erase/Partition, etc.) are greyed out.

1. I'm curious: On the left side of the Disk Utility window, did you
select the hard drive *device*, or a volume *on* the device?

For instance, in this screen shot, a volume is selected rather than the
device itself:

<http://kb.ciprico.com/images/MVault/EraseAreX-1.jpg>

2. Into what make and model USB enclosure is the hard drive installed?

3. Have you tried restarting the computer?

4. Have you tried disconnecting, powering off, powering back up, and
reconnecting the drive?

Thomas Hauber

unread,

Apr 10, 2008, 11:14:25 AM4/10/08

to

1) There is no volume available, only the device.
2) This drive is installed in an XServe with Leopard server on it (10.5.2)
3) Yes
4) Also, yes

Bruce Esquibel

unread,

Apr 15, 2008, 10:23:26 AM4/15/08

to

Thomas Hauber <t...@hauber.com> wrote:

> 1) There is no volume available, only the device.
> 2) This drive is installed in an XServe with Leopard server on it (10.5.2)
> 3) Yes
> 4) Also, yes

I don't have a suggestion for a fix but suggesting you google around for
"efi label" and see if there are any blowouts you can do.

It sounds like the problem to me but I've only ran into the problem with Sun
hardware and fibre channel drives from san's.

It's just a wild ass guess.

-bruce
b...@ripco.com