Help - Unable to format new HD or SSD in TASKAlfa 3011i

[engage1000]

Hi Everyone,

Long time lurker, thought I would join the forum and would be forever grateful for everyone's ideas on the following problem:

Replacing hard drive in a TASKAlfa 3011i with a brand new Crucial MX500 500GB SSD off the shelf. Copier recognizes the drive as an SSD, attempt to perform U024 Full Format, not Data Format. Copier prepares itself and asked to be switched off and then on (unsure if it wants button on front, or main power switch used). I turn it off and on, Welcome Screen appears for some time and then copier goes into C0660 error, and other times I have tried it goes into C0680 error. Repeating the format process doesn't change anything. Using the front power button instead of power switch seems to make no difference either.

Remove hard drive completely, copier boots up normally with HDD error.

Reset to Factory Defaults U002
Initialize Data U021
Update Firmware to latest

Reinstall drive and try to format again. This time I have SSD Format options of FULL - Box Priority, or FULL - HyPAS, or Data Format. Any of those three will result in the same situation as above.

I remove the drive, mount to a computer, and see there are a bunch of partitions made. I remove them all, reinstall the drive in the copier and the copier boots up normally, with HDD Failure Error Message. I go into Service Menu and try format again, copier starts with WELCOME screen, and then displays either C0660 or C0680.

Remove drive, and install a used 250GB Seagate Hard Drive with all partitions deleted. Copier recognizes this as a Hard Drive, and gives me the option to Format as HDD FULL Format under U024. Execute that and copier goes to Welcome screen after turn off and on, and after a time, I get the same C0660 or C0680.

No data security kit is installed. It is my understanding many others have had success using non-kyocera provided hard drives or SSD during replacement.

Any thoughts?

[engage1000]

Re: Help - Unable to format new HD or SSD in TASKAlfa 3011i

Update: So I paid closer attention to the sizing of the drives I was trying relative to the size of the original HD which was 320GB. The SSD I tried was 500GB, no go. The Hard drive I tried earlier was 250GB, also a no go. So, maybe it doesn't like SSD's and the drive needs to be at least 320GB?

Problem resolved by installing a wiped generic seagate 500GB 2.5" SATA Hard Drive. Copier automatically formatted it on boot - appears to work fine.

Hopefully this will help someone else out! Significant savings over the factory part.

[tmaged]

Re: Help - Unable to format new HD or SSD in TASKAlfa 3011i

I think most manufacturers require a drive at least the same size at the original. Larger drives will usually work, but some machines will not allow you to use the extra space.

[engage1000]

Re: Help - Unable to format new HD or SSD in TASKAlfa 3011i

I think most manufacturers require a drive at least the same size at the original. Larger drives will usually work, but some machines will not allow you to use the extra space.

That makes sense, especially in hindsight. I think I got off track because I expected the 500GB SSD to work based on other reports on this forum, and when it didn't I tried the 250GB Hard Drive, expecting that to work because I saw on the specs that the copier comes standard with a 32GB SSD, with upgraded models having a 320GB HDD. I had figured both drives were larger than the 32GB and should work. It is also interesting to note that after trying to format both drives, when I plugged them into a dock on a computer, I could see that the copier had made a 4 partitions on each drive, with unused space left over, even on the 250GB drive. But they still didn't work lol.

Anyway, lesson learned.

[PrintWhisperer]

Re: Help - Unable to format new HD or SSD in TASKAlfa 3011i

That makes sense, especially in hindsight. I think I got off track because I expected the 500GB SSD to work based on other reports on this forum, and when it didn't I tried the 250GB Hard Drive, expecting that to work because I saw on the specs that the copier comes standard with a 32GB SSD, with upgraded models having a 320GB HDD. I had figured both drives were larger than the 32GB and should work. It is also interesting to note that after trying to format both drives, when I plugged them into a dock on a computer, I could see that the copier had made a 4 partitions on each drive, with unused space left over, even on the 250GB drive. But they still didn't work lol.

Anyway, lesson learned.

In the past, you could use a larger drive and it would only format and make available the 320gb spec. However, your C0660 code comes from the Data Security kit being enabled.

If it wasn't, you would get the typical C0640 code. Check the service manual for the procedure for replacing the HDD with DSK enabled (C0660)

Also please note HDD and SSD means 2 very different items in newer Kyocera's.
The (mSATA) SSD on the Main PWB (8Gb/32Gb) is a separate component and is used for the OS boot partition and should not be replaced with aftermarket and uses a special format procedure when needing replacement. (Is NOT formatted via U24)
The (SATA) HDD is the one you can play with and has some flexibility but IDK about the DSK effect on non-standard drive formatting.