Can't Initiate SAS HDD in Windows 11

[HMPumpkin]

So, basically I just got 3 used 4TB Seagate SAS HDDs for dirt cheap and I got a Cisco UCSC-SAS12GHBA RAID card flashed into IT mode, and I got this mini SAS HD to SAS cable. (I'm using these in a desktop PC) When I go to start it up, the drives spin up like they should but when I go to initiate them with disk management, it says "could not initiate disk because of an I/O error." I also tried going though the windows 10 setup and when I try to create a partition, it doesn't work. To me this sounds like windows can't write anything to the drives, but I really don't know as I just got these and I've never worked with SAS. Also, if this helps, the guy who I bought them from was using them with Server 2019.

 

[CyklonDX]

did you see any disks working with this sas controller after you flashed it?

Check the disk from seachest tools, it could be locked.

 

[HMPumpkin]

I didn't flash it myself (I got it already flashed) but in the PC motherboard BIOS the disks do show up under the SAS controller

 

[i386]

528b problem?

 

[HMPumpkin]

What is that?

 

[CyklonDX]

sector format

You may have to use either sg_format or seachest tools to correct format those disks.

https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/how-to-reformat-hdd-ssd-to-512b-sector-size.4968/

(here's a thread about reformatting, as well as checking sector size in sg utils under linux.)


for windows

GitHub - Seagate/ToolBin: All the great tools we have for the field.

All the great tools we have for the field. . Contribute to Seagate/ToolBin development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

exe location

ToolBin/SeaChest/Format/v3.0.4/Windows at master · Seagate/ToolBin

All the great tools we have for the field. . Contribute to Seagate/ToolBin development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

and you would check id of the disk
SeaChest_Format_x64_windows.exe -s

check supported formats
SeaChest_Format_x64_windows.exe -d [ID0-9] --showSupportedFormats

format to different sector size
SeaChest_Format_x64_windows.exe -d [ID0-9] --setSectorSize XXX --confirm this-will-erase-data-and-may-render-the-drive-inoperable
[would recommend 512 or 4096 - depends on your supported formats]

 

[HMPumpkin]

I tried using Ubuntu but I cant do anything with the drives. When I try to mount the disk it gives me an error message just like when I try to initiate them in windows

 

[CyklonDX]

what msg, have you tried seachest tools? ~ see supported formats?

 

[HMPumpkin]

I dont know what msg is and seachest tools are. I just put in this command in Ubuntu that the guy I bought them from said to do: sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX bs=4M

 

[CyklonDX]

ok familiarize yourself with previous responses.

 

[HMPumpkin]

Ok, what confuses me is that the guy I bought these from used them in windows servers 2019 so I went to install servers 2019 but in the setup menu it gives me an error when I choose the drive. This makes me think could it be something other than the drives? Could it be the SAS HBA? The mini sas HD to sas cable? (I think I better understand the previous responses too so I think I'll try the seachest tools soon)

 

[HMPumpkin]

Hello?

 

[Sorin Bidian]

As other say You need to format disk to 512 sector> I don't think that your disks work on Windows server

 

[HMPumpkin]

I don't understand how to use the SeaChest tools. When I open the exe, it shows the "Do you want to let this app make changes to you device" but after that it doesn't do anything. I also can't do any format to the disks on windows 11, windows server, and ubuntu. On Win 11, it says "Could not initiate disk because of an I/O error." On Ubuntu, it says "could not mount disk." Are you sure this isn't related to the SAS HBA or SAS cable?

 

[HMPumpkin]

Hello??

 

[Sorin Bidian]

You need to format the disk with 512 sector using an hba or raid card in it mode. Search the forum and you find the answer.

 

[HMPumpkin]

I already said that it DOESNT WORK when I try. In windows, it basically says 'Cant initiate drive' and in Ubuntu, it says 'failed to mount drive.'
Please help me!
I'm really inclined to try buying a different sas hba. I'm wondering if its really the disks at all. Any suggestions? Should I try a different HBA? Should I try buying another HDD and see if that works?? Should I just give up?

 

[Sorin Bidian]

You can't mount the disk if the file system is not ok. If you can't find information on forum just give up. Others give you the right information but I think you don't have the knowledge to use. Learn more.

 

[HMPumpkin]

I tried using sg format like they said above but it wont work. Can you please help me try to use the seachest tools or find a tutorial somewhere?

 

[HMPumpkin]

Hello? Anyone?