Anyone have a "Metal Gear Box" that works?

[zeszut]

I was looking for an external drive for backup purposes and ran across this external drive case (refered to as a "Metal Gear Box") on eBay and purchased it. Only much later did I find out the manufacturer and other, legitimate retailers. See here http://iocombo.com/main/configurator..._id=HD3MA_U2SA for a description.

Well, I am extremely unhappy with this product. The version I bought was the USB 2.0 version. I'm running XP HOME.

While the physical set up is simple, the operation is a nightmare. There is no manual so I have spent these last four days playing with every combination of things I can find. I have posted to VIRTUALDR.COM a thread asking anyone for help on this. I have downloaded various drivers from the web (from EUMAX.COM). Here is a synopsis of what has happened.

I removed my second hard drive and connected it to your case. The jumpers had been set to CABLE SELECT which, again with no manual, I left as is.

The drive showed up in MY COMPUTER and I could see the data. I deleted one of the folders. Everything looked fine. That was Wednesday. I shut down the computer. I later started up the computer but when I turned on the external driver I got a blue screen (similar to 98's BSOD) with the following error message stating that if drivers are identified in the STOP message then to disable them.

And, after the STOP message:

*** STOP: 0x0000007e (0xc000000J, 0xF847F183, 0xF897E8D8, 0xF897E5D8)

This is when I started searching the web to see if anyone else had this problem (this is also when I found legitimate sellers of this product). I downloaded the so-called XP DRIVER for this device from EUMAX.COM but upon installation, I got a message saying that the drive I was trying to install was older than the one found in my WINDOW SERVICE PACK and so it would not install. I then installed the so-called CASE DRIVER from the same website but there were so many actuall executable programs after I unzipped the file, that I didn't know which one to run so I abandoned that idea.

I received a reply from the VIRTUAL DR site. Someone had seen my post and was familiar with the error message. He directed me to Microsoft's knowledge base. Microsoft's knowledge base says this about this error:

"If the USB bandwidth consumption exceeds the 100-percent maximum that the USB 2.0 update or XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) allows, you'll receive the error you mention. Specifically, if existing USB devices are already using the maximum bandwidth and you add another USB device (e.g., if you're viewing streamed audio or video through a USB device and plug in another USB device)."

Well, I tried a number of things.

Firsts, I disconnected ALL USB devices (including my mouse). External drive connected to USB 2 - no change (blue screen). External drive connected to USB 1 - no change (blue screen). I went back ro EUMAX and saw the statement that the external drive's jumpers should be set to MASTER. This started another round of tests.

I changed the jumper settings on the external drive. Settings to MASTER - no change (blue screen). Settings to SLAVE - no blue screen; device detected but classified as UNKNOWN device; not found in MY COMPUTER. Settings to CABLE SELECT - no blue screen; no device detected; not found in MY COMPUTER.

I put the drive back into my second HDD internal bay and found all the data still there - so the drive is still functioning correctly.

I then thought that maybe I could install the device as a NEW HARDWARE since one of the settings (SLAVE) at least saw the device but didn't know what it was. I removed the drive from my second bay, set the jumpers to SLAVE and put it in the external case. I turned on the computer and turned on the external case. No blue screen, a USB icon in the system tray and, when I clicked on MY COMPUTER - lo and behold! there was the external drive!

So, I looked at the drive and my data all showed up okay. I then backed up my data to the external drive (the reason, by the way, for me buying this in the first place) with no problem. My problems had been solved even though I didn't know how it had been done. This was now Friday night.

Or so I thought.

I turned off the machine and went to bed (this was last night). This morning, I turned on the computer and turned on the external hard drive.

We are now back to the blue screen showing the error:

*** STOP: 0x0000007e (0xc000000J, 0xF847F183, 0xF897E8D8, 0xF897E5D8)

So I am back where I started 4 days ago.

Is anyone familiar with this device? Can anyone offer me any suggestions as to how to get it to work?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated?

Thanks, Terry.

[zeszut]

Seller has contacted me to say the manufacturer's technicians are at a loss to explain the malfunctions of this device.

Has offered to refund my purchase price.

Maybe I'll look into DVD burners for data backup.

[jimbobfella]

Just out of interest, if anyone like me got one of these for Christmas!

Set the jumper on the hard disk to Master. If the drive is new, you will also need to format it - choose NTFS if using Win2k or XP.
You can do this by putting the drive into your PC as a Secondary Master - most people have their CD/DVD drives set as their secondary master.
Next, boot into windows and go to control panel->admin tools->computer management. Go to disk management. In the window on the right, right click your new hard disk and select format - go through the options (I won't go into formatting in any detail as I cant be bothered and there is plenty of stuff on the net about it) and when the disk has been formatted, shut down the PC and install the disk into the Metal Gear Box. Reboot the PC, with the Metal Gear Box connected, but turned off. When Windows has finished booting, switch on the box. You should get a notification that a new USB device has been detected. Now, you will notice that the drive does not appear in My Computer - go back to disk management in Computer Management and find the new disk. It should have a diagonal red line through the centre - right click the disk and select 'reactivate disk' - hey presto, the disk springs into action and is now useable!

Best of luck!

Jim

[hwdcore]

Hmmm ..weird .. I have had mine for about 3 months now. I put maxtor 200GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache (6y200P0) in there and haven't had any problem since day 1.

Solid product if you ask me. Maybe just bad luck? or bad unit?

BTW, iocombo.com installs the HDD for me and format it for me, so I am not sure how they go about formatting it. Anyway, it was all just plug and play for me and my windows XP Pro system.

[netmask]

I have tried everything to try and get mine working. I took new hard drives & formatted hard drives, but they all give me the same problem. It works for about 20 to 30 file transfers, and then the thing gets errors and stops working. I have tried for the last several days to get onto the www.eumaxinc.com web site, but it is either "down for 12 hours" (someone should teach them that when it is down for over 48-hours, they should take the 12 hours down and put up "until further notice"), or the links are broken. I can not download any drivers or search the FAQ. It sounds like they have a manufacturing/product quality issue. Do I return it to the store I bought it from, or the does eumaxinc take it back direct? If their web site was working, I'd know the answer to this probelm...

[iixtgwww]

OK... I had the same problem from the start. I'm sure someone else will come across this who needs help so here it goes. Go here:
http://www.ewaggle.com/ext_format/ex...port.htm#winxp
It has step by step instructions.. I couldn't figure it out on my own so I would have been pretty upset if I hadn't found this. It didn't come with any sort of instructions other than install cd and click on drivers.. when I did that, a message popped up saying it only had drivers for 98 and I was like... uh..great... This step by step will show you how to get the computer to recognize that it's there and format it for use.. follow the instructions closely!

[Tastee]

Dohhh.. must have brain flatulated.. i just read the above and now i see it.. and i call myself a IT pro.. bahhh)

thxs for help all!

[msgoodygal]

Hi...

I just got mine in the mail from an eBay seller. It was new in box. I've wasted the whole day on this thing!

I've tried all jumper settings, and get nothing. No recognition of the drive, which I just pulled from a working machine.

The software that comes with it is useless. There is no set-up program, but why should there be, it's supposed to be plug n play for winXP, which is what I'm running.

I downloaded the enclosure drivers from the manufacturer's website, as well as the XP drivers. That too was a waste of time. When installing the XP drivers, I get the same message that they can't be installed with the XP service pack installed already.

I know I'm not alone here, as others of you have posted the exact same issues. If any of you who had these problems have succeeded in getting this thing working right, please let me know what you've done to get it to find the drive.

Otherwise, this otherwise gorgeous piece of aluminum is going either to the trash or to the person who sold it to me, even if I don't get my money back!

For those of you thinking about buying one - go with another brand - it just doesn't have a good track record for working (wish I researched this BEFORE purchasing). It wouldn't even be bad if the manufacturer's website had any support for the item - the FAQs are not close to being helpful, and their 'driver downloads' are useless!!!! I emailed the manufacturer, and no response.

Just not worth it!

Linda

[klmurphy]

I'm having the same issues, earlier in this thread it shows this link to fix this problem...

http://www.ewaggle.com/ext_format/ex...port.htm#winxp

but that link is no longer valid and I'm having this exact problem. Can someone guide me in the right direction?