Merlin Messaging Down - Possibly the HDD?

[KiloWattson]

Hey guys! We have an ancient Magix/Messaging system and today the voicemails all died. No amount of rebooting the modules or reseating the modules has helped. Call in and you get a ring beep.

Then one of my coworkers mentioned he was in the closet yesterday getting some office supplies and heard what sounded like a hard drive clicking (he's a fellow tech-y so he's familiar with the sound). So I'm fairly sure it's the HDD, which I see exmogger selling on eBay.

Couple of quick questions to follow up:

The LED indicators - at first it was zero ports lit up but the status was green. Then after about 30 seconds it goes to status red and the port indicators flashing in an up and down pattern (think music equalizer). I couldn't find what this meant online... I'm assuming it's reporting a specific error?

How do I find which RX model I have so I know what to specify to exsmogger in the eBay order?

Once I receive the correct hard drive, is it as simple as just swapping them out? Other than losing all of the old VMs of course (no biggie).

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[TouchToneTommy]

If you're daring, and since you have nothing to lose at this point, pull the card out. Take the drive off of the board, hold it in you fingertips, and snap/rotate your wrist to spin the platter. Put the drive back in and see if it will boot up. For me this has saved numerous Partner and Merlin Messaging systems long enough to back up or at least get the settings until the new one could be installed.

 

[KiloWattson]

I'll give it a shot! Although in all of my hdd woes in the past, that trick has never worked for me. But, like you said, what do I have to lose?

 

[Telecomboy]

If you order a replacement hdd just make sure it is the same release as the board you have now or else it won't work.

 

[KiloWattson]

@Telecomboy - that was part of my initial post and maybe you can help with that? I'm not sure how to identify the R version!

 

[exsmogger]

If there is no sticker on the hard drive indicating the version, look at the part number on the top front of the bezel. 617A49=R1, 617B49=R2, 617C49=R2.5, 617D49=R3, 617E49=R4

Brian Cox
Georgia Telephone

http://Georgia-Telephone.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/briancox1952

 

[KiloWattson]

Short follow up! The day after posting this, I went to go pull the card and check the HDD and the VM system is magically working again.

Might go ahead and order an HDD just in case, because I have a feeling it's going down again soon.

 

[exsmogger]

Login to the admin mailbox. After entering the password dial 7 to hear the current software version.

Brian Cox
Georgia Telephone

http://Georgia-Telephone.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/briancox1952

 

[merlinman]

I say you're living on borrowed time. These electro-mechanical hardvdrives are like RC Planes, it's not a matter of if they will crash, but more of matter of when!

So get a replacement at your earliest oppertunity. (SSD if you can find one)

http://merlinmanswebpage.yolasite.com