Sharp MX-4112N - Change HDD hard drive to a new one?

**epionier** · 03-24-2017

Hello,

we own a MX-4112N machine. I tried to change the HDD. I removed the old one and inserted a new one (brand new without partitions, etc.)

When I switched on the copier the display stayed black and the LED blinked with orange and green signs by turns.

Is it possible to change the HDD without a technician and how?

**driving lots of miles** · 03-24-2017

It is not recommended to change the HDD without a technician.
There are to many steps and sims to follow if you don't know what you are doing.
I have not changed any in the last 3 years of working on sharps.

**spanky** · 03-25-2017

Why do you want to replace the HDD?

If you want to remove any information from it there is a way to do it with the settings mode.

**epionier** · 03-25-2017

Originally Posted by spanky

Why do you want to replace the HDD?

The HDD is now 5 years old and I want to maintain it before it collapses all of a sudden.
Furthermore I have a fast SSD left and hope it will accelerate the system a little bit.

**repn1999** · 03-27-2017

I can walk you through hard drive replacement. I have all of the required software. Its not really that hard....do not try a ssd. The machine boots from the sd card...and thats why its slow.

**epionier** · 03-27-2017

Hey repn1999,

that would be great, thanks in advance. Due to your information I have some questions remaining.

1. "...do not try ssd" -> Is there a certain reason? We use specified folders on the MFP to store the print jobs by the users. All users work on a Server (Remotedesktop).
Sometimes it takes quite a long time after sending a print job to the MFP until it is finally listed in the specified directory. As far as I can see the print data is stored on the hdd so I assumed it could be because of the spin up/down and performance of the hdd. Thats what I meant with a perfomance gain in my case.
(But this could also be the case because the MFP does not always show the being "online" label green when clicking on a directory on the MFP. But I could not find any setting to shorten the communication interval between the MFP and the server.

2. "The machine boots from the sd". So, would it make sense to replace (clone) the SD card with a newer model that has a much better performance? If yes, are there any restrictions with the sd card like SDHC, SDXC, e.g.?

3. Is your software also compatible with european models?

4. Is it a problem that the hdd being replaced is smaller than the existing one? (250 GB -> 80 GB)

Originally Posted by repn1999

I can walk you through hard drive replacement. I have all of the required software. Its not really that hard....do not try a ssd. The machine boots from the sd card...and thats why its slow.

**repn1999** · 03-27-2017

First the reason for not using a SSD. There are actually 2. First the controller does not support ncq or ahci modes which a SSD needs for it to perform. Second the controller is really touch to smart errors and it may read the way a SSD reports as a failure when it actually isn't.

Second the SD card. Sharp SD cards are known to fail. There is actually a newer rev sd card from sharp for this but they still fail. I have figured out how to copy the cards but it isn't as simple as just copying them.

Third replacement of the hard drive requires at least a 160gb drive I believe. Larger drives generally out preform smaller ones unless the spindle speed is faster. Faster drives use more power and there isn't much headroom for extra power over the stock drive so keep that in mind when buying. We usually use wd blue 500gb for replacement with great luck.

**mojorolla** · 03-28-2017

You can use almost any HDD in the various Sharp models as long as the partition size is a match. A 500GB HDD will work if sized to 80GB, 160GB, 320GB.
As mentioned, you will need engine, watermark, and E-maunual firmware to complete the install.
I never tried or SSD or a TB drive for that matter....

**epionier** · 03-29-2017

Originally Posted by repn1999

First the reason for not using a SSD. There are actually 2. First the controller does not support ncq or ahci modes which a SSD needs for it to perform. Second the controller is really touch to smart errors and it may read the way a SSD reports as a failure when it actually isn't.

Second the SD card. Sharp SD cards are known to fail. There is actually a newer rev sd card from sharp for this but they still fail. I have figured out how to copy the cards but it isn't as simple as just copying them.

Third replacement of the hard drive requires at least a 160gb drive I believe. Larger drives generally out preform smaller ones unless the spindle speed is faster. Faster drives use more power and there isn't much headroom for extra power over the stock drive so keep that in mind when buying. We usually use wd blue 500gb for replacement with great luck.

You are right. Compared to the problems that may raise up there wouldn`t be an adequate gain in performance with using a SSD.

The most efficient would be to replace the SD card with a much better one but unfortunately this does not seem as easy as I wish.

I think I will leave the HDD untouched so far but thank you very much for your telling me your experiences that helped me a lot.

**SpeedyPrints** · 01-07-2020

Originally Posted by repn1999

I can walk you through hard drive replacement. I have all of the required software. Its not really that hard....do not try a ssd. The machine boots from the sd card...and thats why its slow.

Hi there repn1999. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind doing the same for me? Our HDD is on the way out and will soon need replacing. We have the same model. And are planning on putting in a 500GB HDD. Any support would be much appreciated.