It was running readyNAS OS6 without any problems, but after a failure it doesn't boot anymore (showing boot menu). There is also no network activity.
Things I tried: Restoring with an usb drive using RAIDiator 4.2:
- with OS6 - with the downgrade image (6->4.2) supplied on this forum - on many different USB drives
All with an empty (no partitions) hard drive
Then I tried to run xpenology (DSM 6). This works as intended. Since I could now acces the system via SSH again I looked for the internal flash. Checking the timestamps, the USB drive did change something.
As a last resort I copied the contents of the downgrade image:
Are you booting xpenology from an external USB device? If you re-wrote the internal boot device, then you've lost the ability to revert back to 4.2 or 6.x firmware. Netgear support should be able to rebuild it - but they might not, since they don't support OS 6 or xpenology on your NAS.
If you only booted xpenology from an external USB device, then a mod ( @JeraldM ) might willing to help.
I only booted xpenology from the USB drive. Mainly to see if the hardware (lan, etc.) was still working.
When the NAS displays boot mode I'm supposed to cycle through the boot modes using the back-up button right? It doesn't respond to that. But that's been the case since it's running OS6.
When the NAS displays boot mode I'm supposed to cycle through the boot modes using the back-up button right? It doesn't respond to that. But that's been the case since it's running OS6.
Yes, pushing the backup button is supposed to cycle through the modes. It should have been working after you converted to OS-6.
Part of the puzzle here is that Netgear folks (whether a mod or support) would need some way to access the NAS. Normally that would be tech support mode.
I would rather not stick with xpenology, since for example the fans are spinning like crazy (suppose there should be a way to fix that, but still). Reading the post from tb303 my problem seems similar? I can acces the internal usb via ssh too, so maybe a similar approach would work?
tb303: "I ended up using dd on a debian life boot disk to dd flash the image mdgm supplied to me back to the internal flash.
After that I mounted the partition and copied the supplied serial number file to the internal flash."
Yes, at that time mdgm was a Netgear mod. So as with that case, only they can help. If sombody were to give you a dd of their flash, it would include the vpd file, which does include the serial number. And only Netgear can create the encryped vpd for your serial number.
But since this is all of your own doing using unsupported software, you have to rely on the mods here doing so as a favor.
Ah yes I totally understand! It would be very nice if one of the mods would be willing to help me change this paperweight back into my NAS :). But of course I understand it's too much trouble for an old unsupported device
I see made a mistake in my starting post. It's readynas ultra 6, not pro.
I also received a notification about a new reply, but I can't see it now? In a reply to that message: I did leave the NAS on for quite some time after each flash attempt. But since the lan lights never turned on I don't think any of them were even remotely succesful.
I also received a notification about a new reply, but I can't see it now? In a reply to that message: I did leave the NAS on for quite some time after each flash attempt. But since the lan lights never turned on I don't think any of them were even remotely succesful.
I made a reply, but then saw you had already answered it. So I deleted it.
Ultra6Plus, of just Ultra6? The Ultra6Plus is the same hardware as a Pro6, just identified in the vpd as a different model with some limitations imposed in OS4.2.x that OS6 ignores. The Ultra6 has a completely different motherboard, though the USB recovery process you are trying is the same for both and I still believe you are on the right track as to the cause of your problem.
There is an internal VGA port that requires an adapter (that's not too hard to find). You may get some extra clues if you hook up a monitor,
When I try to boot a recovery USB (made with raidiator 4.2) and a renamed OS6 file (RAIDiator-x86-4.2.31). It turns off after several minutes. I used an empty drive in the first bay. Resulting in the following:
AFAIK, the OS6 file used for USB recovery has to be more then just renamed. It has to be modified in the same manner as a file used for the original conversion to OS6. But since that's just a matter of renaming it internally so the running OS will see it as an upgrade and USB recovery doesn't care (it will allow you to downgrade), maybe it doesn't matter.
The sequence you are getting does appear to be what you get if you try to run ReadyNASOS on non-Netgear hardware. So it appears that the OS no longer is recognizing that your unit is an Ultra6. Did you change anything in the DMI data when you coverted to Expenology? I don't know if lack of a vpd file would do that.
Just to clear something up, I only tried xpenlogy because after a heaving a nice paperweight, I was very curious to see if the hardware was still working. I never flashed anything synology related to the internal memory.
Regarding the USB recovery: I tried in no perticular order (I don't remeber, I tried it so often with many different USB drives):
- the downgrade 6->4 file - an OS 4 file - a renamed OS 6 file
I believe the only way to reveive this readynas would be if a mod wants to build a new VPD file for my device. I totally understand that my actions probably only made it worse after it initially stopped booting, but I can't undo that unfortunatelly.
It may be that a new VPD is the only solution. I believe a Pro6 will boot and show no valid serial number in that case, but I don't know if an Ultra6 will, as I don't know everything the OS uses to ID that it's running on genuine Netgear hardware.
