Anyone successfully clone a Designjet hard drive?

**D Hook** · 03-26-2019

I have a Designjet 5000PS that has the original hard drive in it and I'd like to clone the drive before the drive goes bad. Anyone have any luck doing that in the past? I know it's more complicated than just copying the files to a new hdd.

Any help much appreciated.

**Phil B.** · 03-26-2019

Originally Posted by D Hook

I have a Designjet 5000PS that has the original hard drive in it and I'd like to clone the drive before the drive goes bad. Anyone have any luck doing that in the past? I know it's more complicated than just copying the files to a new hdd. Any help much appreciated.

Long time ago...
used ghost...
not in a decade tho

**Kiran Otter** · 03-26-2019

I've used SelfImage to clone drives from Designjets. However, the 5000 is unique in that you can put a blank hard drive in and prepare it via the front panel, and using a PC to upload the firmware via a parallel cable. Of course you have to find a PC with a parallel port!

You can get SelfImage here; Download SelfImage - MajorGeeks

And here's a how-to on using a blank hard drive. Dropbox - Installing a new blank hard drive in a DesignJet 5...pdf

Kiran

**D Hook** · 03-26-2019

Thanks Kiran! Those are exactly the instructions I've been searching for. Used to have them on an old hard drive that went kablooey several years ago.

I think I have an older Dell with the right port. I'll give this a try.

Thanks again!

**Lance15** · 03-26-2019

Of course you have to find a PC with a parallel port!

I keep my trusty decade old HP around just for that reason. I keep the firmware and disk image on it for the 500/800 and use the parallel port to push them when I need to.

Pushing the firmware for a 5000 would take AGES over a parallel port. Hope I never have to do that.

Good luck OP.

**Arcadian** · 03-26-2019

I have done it with clonezilla and reflect maricum, successfully. Make sure the drive is working properly, you can even use a sata drive with an ide convertor, just make sure you get the molex power adapter. some work and some dont.

its easy.

but the drive have to be working to be successful. if it fails (the source) you wont get a good copy. with all paper profiles saved on it!

Good Luck!

**D Hook** · 04-17-2019

Ended up getting a brand new hard drive from LeTech Solutions.

Letech Solutions
16478 Beach Blvd, Unit 362
Westminster, CA 92683
Tel. 714.754.1217
Plotters for Sell, Repair, Parts, and Service | Orange County, CA

No affiliation, just satisfied customer.
First hard drive they sent wouldn't boot so they shipped another and it worked just fine. Came up with Media Profiles and all set to go. Highly recommend the seller. They don't show the hard drives on their website but if you contact them they'll make one for you. Around $85. 1 year warranty.

Should be set for a few more years. But still going to try cloning the original. It's starting to make a racket so not sure how long it will last. Keeping it as a spare right now.

Thanks for everyone's help on this.

**philfine** · 11-02-2020

Hi everyone,

First of all thanks for this forum and great content. Apologies for replying to such old thread but it seems to be in the context of my problem.

Recently I am recovering my old DesignJet 800PS, with great success being able to clean an prime printheads to great test results.
Unfortunately, in the process the Formatter Board HP-GL2 HD card decided to died right when I was thinking it would be worth to replace that drive by a compact-flash version.

Story short, does someone can provide me a valid HD image for this printer ?
My guess is that if I get partition table to be correct I will be able to reinstall the HD through firmware upgrade.

Thanks

**Arcadian** · 11-02-2020

i have cloned a working drive just make sure it the same size i have used compact flashed card to duplicated a regular hdd, i use reflect maricum. With some wierd results you might want to try several drives to see whoch might work also the interface must be powered by the motherboard but some interfaces work and some dont its a trial and error game you have to play with.

good luck

Originally Posted by philfine

Hi everyone,

First of all thanks for this forum and great content. Apologies for replying to such old thread but it seems to be in the context of my problem.

Recently I am recovering my old DesignJet 800PS, with great success being able to clean an prime printheads to great test results.
Unfortunately, in the process the Formatter Board HP-GL2 HD card decided to died right when I was thinking it would be worth to replace that drive by a compact-flash version.

Story short, does someone can provide me a valid HD image for this printer ?
My guess is that if I get partition table to be correct I will be able to reinstall the HD through firmware upgrade.

Thanks

**Kiran Otter** · 11-02-2020

philfine, I'll PM you. I have a tool and image for the 800. As mentioned, it's hit or miss using a SSD. I tried a couple and neither would boot, ended up just using a standard 2.5" HD. Remember it has to be PIDE, it's not SATA.

Kiran

I want to also note, the SSDs I used were mSATA in an adapter to convert it to PIDE. I had two different mSATA drives, and two different adapters, neither of them worked in the 800. One wouldn't boot at all, the other would start to boot and hang before the printer would normally start initializing.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017VQT5YW