Solve : S.O.S over HP error message?

1.	Solve : S.O.S over HP error message?
Answer» Greetings! You are my last hope. I have contacted HP many times in many ways without success. I know my hardware is an ORPHAN but I'm hoping error messages are shared by at least a few different lines. I have an HP Surestore DAT8i which is posting an error message 30300. I bought the unit as new and it doesn't look like it has ever been used. Is this problem fixable? Thank you so much! AllanWhat's your O/S? At what point do you get the error message?Hi! I'm using Windows 98 and the error message is posted shortly after the tape drive's utility starts its self-test. However, at no time does the drive show an amber light. I have a green light until it hangs-up on the self test. Actually, the message seems to be posted just after the drive spins-up: you can hear the high-pitched whirring sound just before. It sounds normal though, not like there is a mechanical fault. AllanHow does it appear in Device Manager? Does it have any errors? Do you have a drivers CD for the device?Well, I don't think my Windows98 has Device Manager but if it does I don't know how to use it. Anyway, I have the driver CD for the unit and in fact it is through the diagnostic on the CD that I get the error message.No support for Win98...See Here...Dear Patio; Yes, I am only too well aware of what the HP site has to offer. In fact, I have emailed them 4 times, each time getting a promise that a techy would be in touch in one business day as well as a customer service number. No techy ever replied. When I phoned them I was redirected 3 times and no one knew anything about the customer reference numbers. I finally found myself listening to a message from their parts department which said they were now closed. It is worth noting that this DAT8i unit was specifically designed for use with Win98. My hope and expectation is that these error messages are not just specific to a particular piece of hardware. Surely some kind of company, if not industry standard must exist! Thanks for your interest. Allan Quote from: alleyoop on December 04, 2007, 06:03:39 PM Well, I don't think my Windows98 has Device Manager but if it does I don't know how to use it. One WAY to get to Device Manager: Click on Start->Settings->Control Panel->System System Properties will open. See the Device Manager tab. Another (shortcut) way to open System Properties: Hold down the WinKey and hit the Pause/Break key. System Properties will open. Quote Anyway, I have the driver CD for the unit It came with whatever back up software you will be using, correct? That's how I understand it from: ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/information_storage/software/9598drivers.txt that I found with patio's link. Further, it seems to me that since HP is STATING that they will not/do not supply a driver, then I doubt they would be able to answer any questions. They'd refer you to whatever software you are using. Just my opinion.... Quote and in fact it is through the diagnostic on the CD that I get the error message. That link I posted above is just a short text article. It is worth a careful read. Does the very last line contain any help for you? Thank you to all. I guess I should have been clearer about what I called the utility that I have. This CD has all the application software including Colorado and Tapeassure. It is the self-test driven by this software that is posting the error message. Quote from: alleyoop on December 05, 2007, 12:43:52 PM Thank you to all. I guess I should have been clearer about what I called the utility that I have. This CD has all the application software including Colorado and Tapeassure. It is the self-test driven by this software that is posting the error message. You've installed the driver? Next look in Device Manager. Any warnings? Okay, I have checked the Device Manager. It took me a while because the drive is actually not in the computer I'm using to communicate with this forum. The computer with the problem tape drive is not connected to the net. Anyway, the Device Manager says "device is working properly". I also reinstalled Colorado Backup and Tape Assure but the result of the self-test (phase 1 of 3) was the same: failure.Have you tried cleaning the tape heads ? ? A long QTip and rubbing alcohol and allow drying time. Hi Patio. No, I haven't tried that. I guess the reason being that the unit is new, even though chronologically it is old. The CD containing all the software had not been opened. The other THING is that this first phase of the diagnostic does not involve any interaction between the machine and a tape. In the third phase---which I can't reach because the process stops when the first phase fails---a tape is installed and that part of the function is tested. If only there was some way of discovering what that error message meant--- "30300"Error CodesHi. I'm beginning to feel like a nuisance! All I know is that those error codes are supposed to have five fields and as far as I can tell I have only one field...with six digits. Therefore, it would seem that none of those codes apply. They SAY that in such a case one should refer to a different sort of code. I'll see if the HP site has anything under that. Thanks for all the help. It's much appreciated.

Answer»

Greetings! You are my last hope. I have contacted HP many times in many ways without success. I know my hardware is an ORPHAN but I'm hoping error messages are shared by at least a few different lines. I have an HP Surestore DAT8i which is posting an error message 30300. I bought the unit as new and it doesn't look like it has ever been used. Is this problem fixable? Thank you so much!
AllanWhat's your O/S? At what point do you get the error message?Hi! I'm using Windows 98 and the error message is posted shortly after the tape drive's utility starts its self-test. However, at no time does the drive show an amber light. I have a green light until it hangs-up on the self test. Actually, the message seems to be posted just after the drive spins-up: you can hear the high-pitched whirring sound just before. It sounds normal though, not like there is a mechanical fault.
AllanHow does it appear in Device Manager? Does it have any errors? Do you have a drivers CD for the device?Well, I don't think my Windows98 has Device Manager but if it does I don't know how to use it. Anyway, I have the driver CD for the unit and in fact it is through the diagnostic on the CD that I get the error message.No support for Win98...See Here...Dear Patio;
Yes, I am only too well aware of what the HP site has to offer. In fact, I have emailed them 4 times, each time getting a promise that a techy would be in touch in one business day as well as a customer service number. No techy ever replied. When I phoned them I was redirected 3 times and no one knew anything about the customer reference numbers. I finally found myself listening to a message from their parts department which said they were now closed. It is worth noting that this DAT8i unit was specifically designed for use with Win98. My hope and expectation is that these error messages are not just specific to a particular piece of hardware. Surely some kind of company, if not industry standard must exist! Thanks for your interest.
Allan Quote from: alleyoop on December 04, 2007, 06:03:39 PM

Well, I don't think my Windows98 has Device Manager but if it does I don't know how to use it.

One WAY to get to Device Manager:
Click on Start->Settings->Control Panel->System
System Properties will open.
See the Device Manager tab.

Another (shortcut) way to open System Properties:
Hold down the WinKey and hit the Pause/Break key.
System Properties will open.

Quote

Anyway, I have the driver CD for the unit

It came with whatever back up software you will be using, correct?
That's how I understand it from:
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/information_storage/software/9598drivers.txt
that I found with patio's link.

Further, it seems to me that since HP is STATING that they will not/do not supply a driver, then I doubt they would be able to answer any questions.
They'd refer you to whatever software you are using.
Just my opinion....

Quote

and in fact it is through the diagnostic on the CD that I get the error message.

That link I posted above is just a short text article. It is worth a careful read.
Does the very last line contain any help for you?

Thank you to all. I guess I should have been clearer about what I called the utility that I have. This CD has all the application software including Colorado and Tapeassure. It is the self-test driven by this software that is posting the error message. Quote from: alleyoop on December 05, 2007, 12:43:52 PM

Thank you to all. I guess I should have been clearer about what I called the utility that I have. This CD has all the application software including Colorado and Tapeassure. It is the self-test driven by this software that is posting the error message.

You've installed the driver?
Next look in Device Manager. Any warnings?

Okay, I have checked the Device Manager. It took me a while because the drive is actually not in the computer I'm using to communicate with this forum. The computer with the problem tape drive is not connected to the net. Anyway, the Device Manager says "device is working properly". I also reinstalled Colorado Backup and Tape Assure but the result of the self-test (phase 1 of 3) was the same: failure.Have you tried cleaning the tape heads ? ?
A long QTip and rubbing alcohol and allow drying time.
Hi Patio. No, I haven't tried that. I guess the reason being that the unit is new, even though chronologically it is old. The CD containing all the software had not been opened. The other THING is that this first phase of the diagnostic does not involve any interaction between the machine and a tape. In the third phase---which I can't reach because the process stops when the first phase fails---a tape is installed and that part of the function is tested. If only there was some way of discovering what that error message meant--- "30300"Error CodesHi. I'm beginning to feel like a nuisance! All I know is that those error codes are supposed to have five fields and as far as I can tell I have only one field...with six digits. Therefore, it would seem that none of those codes apply. They SAY that in such a case one should refer to a different sort of code. I'll see if the HP site has anything under that. Thanks for all the help. It's much appreciated.

Solve : S.O.S over HP error message?

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