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Troubleshooting: RDX User's Guide

• The Power Indicator is OFF

• The Power Indicator is Steady AMBER

• The Power Indicator is Blinking AMBER, and the Cartridge does not Eject

• The Cartridge Indicator is Steady AMBER

• The Cartridge Does Not Eject

• The Unit Does Not Appear in the Device Manager (Windows)

• Unit Performance Seems Slow

• Write Error

• Firmware Download Fails with Windows Server 2003

• Windows 2000 Cannot Eject Cartridge

• Slow Performance with RDX External and Windows 2000

• System Will Not Complete Boot Process with RDX External

The Power Indicator is OFF

RDX Internal Drive

If the power indicator is off, the RDX Internal unit does not have power. Follow these steps to verify the cable connections in the rear of the unit:

1. Turn off the computer.
2. Check the SATA power and SATA data cable connections in the rear of the unit.
3. Turn on the computer.

RDX External Drive

If the power indicator is off, the RDX External unit does not have power. Follow these steps to verify the cable connections in the rear of the unit:

1. Check power connection at the back of the unit.
2. Check that the power adapter is plugged into an outlet.
3. If plugged into an outlet strip make sure that it is turned on.

The Power Indicator is Steady AMBER

The unit cannot eject the cartridge due to an obstruction.
The internal electronics are damaged or malfunctioning.

1. If using the RDX Internal device, turn off your computer. If using the RDX External device, unplug the power cable.
2. Insert a large straightened paper clip (or similar object) into the Emergency Eject Hole (see Figure 2 in the "Using the Drive: Loading and Unloading Cartridges" section). Do not insert the object in the hole at an angle. Keep the object straight and apply some force to eject the cartridge.
3. When the cartridge has been ejected by the unit, grasp the exposed sides of the cartridge and pull the cartridge straight out.
4. Re-start your computer to reset the RDX unit. If using the RDX External device, re-plug in the power cable for the unit and then re-start your computer.

The Power Indicator is Blinking AMBER, and the Cartridge Does Not Eject

If the power indicator is blinking amber after you press the eject button, the Host computer is accessing the media. The RDX unit will eject the cartridge after the Host access completes.

If the cartridge does not eject after the Host computer access completes, you may not be running the correct unit software. See the "Installing Unit Software for Windows" section for instructions on installing the software.

If the cartridge still does not eject, use Windows Explorer to eject the cartridge. In Windows® Explorer, right-click on the drive letter for the RDX unit (i.e. F:), and select Eject.

The Cartridge Indicator is Steady AMBER

• The cartridge is not compatible with the RDX unit.
• The cartridge has been severely damaged.
• The cartridge has not been fully inserted.

Run the removable disk utility to obtain more information about the failure. See section "Using the Removable Disk Utility".

The Cartridge Does Not Eject

Follow these steps to remove a stuck cartridge:

1. If using the RDX Internal device, turn off your computer. If using the RDX External device, unplug the power cable.
2. Insert a large straightened paper clip (or similar object) into the Emergency Eject Hole (see Figure 2 in the Using the Drive: Loading and Unloading Cartridges section). Do not insert the object in the hole at an angle. Keep the object straight and apply some force to eject the cartridge.
3. When the cartridge has been ejected by the unit, grasp the exposed sides of the cartridge and pull the cartridge straight out.
4. Re-start your computer to reset the RDX unit. If using the RDX External device, re-plug in the power cable for the unit and then re-start your computer.

NOTE: When the emergency eject is used the computer's operating system will lose recognition of the RDX media. Therefore, one of the following options can be preformed to restore recognition. Re-start the computer (recommended). Follow steps 1-4 in "The Unit does Not Appear in the Device Manager (Windows)" section if re-starting the computer is not desired.

The Unit Does Not Appear in the Device Manager (Windows)

1. Bring up the Device Manager:
   1. Right-click on My Computer
   2. Select Manage
   3. Select Device Manager
2. Right-click on the top folder (this should be your computer’s name).
3. Select Scan for Hardware Changes.
4. You should see your RDX device listed under Disk drives. If the device does not appear, re-start the computer.

Unit Performance Seems Slow

RDX Internal Drive

RDX External Drive

The RDX External device may appear slow based on the type of USB port the device is attached to.  Make sure your unit is connected to a USB 2.0 port instead of a  USB 1.1 port. For best performance, connect directly to a USB 2.0 root hub on the PC and not an external hub. 

The USB bus shares bandwidth between all USB devices connected to the systems, including the RDX External unit. The use of cameras, flash memory devices, etc. on the USB bus may decrease performance of the device. Remove extra devices if they are not necessary.

If running Windows 2000 see section "Slow Performance with RDX External and Windows 2000" for additional information.

Linux Users

Systems running Linux may see reduced performance when doing backups on RDX cartridges configured for FAT32. For best performance, configure the file system on the RDX cartridges for ext2 or ext3.  See section "RDX Cartridge File System Considerations" in the appendix.

Write Error

1. Verify that the write protect switch on the cartridge is set to the “unlock” position.
2. Check the cartridge indicator on the front of the cartridge. If this indicator is amber, the cartridge is not working properly. This may be due to severe damage to the cartridge. Run the RDXutility software to obtain more information about the failure.
3. Replace the cartridge if the error persists.

Firmware Download Fails with Windows Server 2003

If the firmware download fails with error invalid parameter and you are using Windows Server 2003, check to ensure you have at least Service Pack 1 installed.

Windows 2000 Cannot Eject Cartridge

When attempting to eject a cartridge while connected to the Windows 2000 operating system, ensure that any open Windows Explorer windows are not selecting the removable device.  Windows 2000 will not allow the cartridge to be ejected when the removable drive is selected.  When using the eject button, the button will flash amber and the cartridge will not eject.  When using the right-click eject function of windows explorer, an error message will be displayed indicating that the drive is in use.

Close all open Windows Explorer windows and try again.

Slow Performance with RDX External and Windows 2000  

USB 2.0 Drivers are not installed for any USB 2.0 controllers by default with a Windows 2000 installation.  The device will operate at a slower USB 1.1 speed until the USB 2.0 drivers are installed.  To install the USB 2.0 drivers, follow the steps below:

1. Right click on the My Computer icon and select Manage

2. Select Device Manager
3. Right click on the Universal Serial Bus Controller listed in the “other devices” section
4. Select Properties
5. Select Update Driver and follow the instructions to update USB 2.0 drivers.