Plz Help - Anyone own a Zalman ZM-MH200 U3 Dual HDD Dock

[Browser]

http://www.zalman.com/DataFile/product/ZM-MH200U3_m.jpg
http://www.zalman.com/ENG/product/Product_Read.asp?Idx=408

Does anyone here own a Zalman ZM-MH200 U3 HDD Dock?

If so would you please download your firmware from the dock and upload it somewhere (like http://ifile.it/ etc..) or send it to me? PM me for an email address if you like. I'd really appreciate it and it would be a great help.

There is a JMicron tool that will backup the firmware for you, opening the tool and checking the "RD version" box will reveal the "Backup Old Firmware Only" option and let you choose where to save it. For those that worry about flashing firmware those worries aren't a problem when just reading/saving the firmware.

Here is the tool that will let you download and save the current firmware from the dock..
http://www.station-drivers.com/telechargement/jmicron/usb/jms553_255.31.3.41.22(www.station-drivers.com).exe

that should be the latest version from this page for the "JMS-539/551 Series"..
http://www.station-drivers.com/page/jmicron.htm


This would be really appreciated as my dock started acting up so I tried different firmwares to see if it would improve, but now I have a different problem on the latest firmware and I didn't see the option to backup when I first updated it and I can't find a place to download the default Zalman firmware :cry:

[psheldon]

I don't

[BazookaJoe]

Hi - I have an un-upgraded ZM-MH200 U3, and I will get you the bios this weekend sometime.

Mine has also crapped out but I haven't done any flashing with it yet.

[Browser]

Thanks BazookaJoe, that would be really appreciated. I'd really like to compare the updated firmware to the original.

I'm curious, what problem is yours giving you?

[BazookaJoe]

Well OK here's the long story :

I got this Zalman thing because I was out of SATA ports in my pc and needed MOAR DRIVESZ!

At first all was great for a month or so, it ran 24/7 supporting 2 Seagate Low Power 1TB drives.

After about a month it began to "glitch" very very rarely (maybe once in 20 days) - you would hear both drive heads kick and lose both drives - no problem - turn it off & on again and all is fine - Hooray!

A few weeks later it no longer worked if you restart the PC - After PC restarts you can just hear the drives spin down, then up then down then up .... Turn off when restarting, and back on AFTER restart - and all is fine - Hooray!

A week or so later it just began to bomb out at any moment - maybe every few hours - you lose both drives, and they just spin up and down persistently - UNPLUG power and plug back in and it comes back online - but only for another hour or so - NOT HOORAY :(

Another week goes by and that's it - it will not start a drive at all no matter what you do - any attempt to start a drive either results in violent head thrashing form the drive or an endless loop of spin down spin up - can no longer get it to start at all.

BOTH drives are 100% fine and are currently running in some older USB2 cases I have.

I have tested the devices PSU - and it's internal 12v & 5v rails and they both appear fine - I'm sure Its just the CRAPPY jMicron controller - a brands which has failed me MANY MANY MANY times in the past on motherboards & other devices.

THE PROBLEM NOW : Since I cannot get it to start any drive at all - not even a 2.5" - I cant get the firmware because the flash software ID's the device via a drive letter that it cannot produce :( - I have a friend who also has one of these things - that he only ever uses for the odd read now & then - so its hardly been used - I will try and get a copy of the firmware from his, but it may take a week or so.

[Browser]

I've read that a lot or all docks with more than one bay while using USB3 have this problem, of the drives/dock turning off or otherwise vanishing from My Computer. Seems to happen more often during intense usage or idle time.

With mine on one firmware version I noticed it only happened when using the rear bay of the dock, and with another firmware version the rear dock doesn't work at all while it seems to have stopped the problem of drives vanishing/turning off.

I remember reading and trying solutions ranging from updating USB3 controller drivers, PCIE and USB power saving options to firmware updates all with varying degrees of failure. So it seems if using USB3 it's best to avoid multi-bay docks.

[BazookaJoe]

OK here we go - an extracted firmware from a friends working - ZM-MH200U3 - http://ifile.it/g2falqs - http://ifile.it/g2falqs/Zalman%20-%20ZM-MH200U3%20-%20Taken%20from%20working%20unit%202011-09-05.BIN

Did not manage to read from mine - cannot start it at all

[Browser]

Thanks a lot BazookaJoe, going to check it out.

[BazookaJoe]

Any luck?

[Browser]

Thanks again BazookaJoe. Between the original firmware and newer versions I'll have to choose which problems effect me the least lol.

The newer ones only let the front slot of the dock work but is more stable than the original which lets both slots work.

[ridhuankim]

Thanks again BazookaJoe. Between the original firmware and newer versions I'll have to choose which problems effect me the least lol.

The newer ones only let the front slot of the dock work but is more stable than the original which lets both slots work.

Hi, Browser.

I followed this topic and my ZM is still disconnecting so I am using USB2 port.
Now I tried to go back to the original firmware which both slots work but I can't find a way to do that.
I downloaded a new firmware from ZM website but that also did not change anything.

Please advise if you know how to revert back to the original firmware where both slots work.

Thanks,

Kim

[Browser]

I'm not sure you'll find a way to stop it disconnecting as long as both docks are enabled, If I remember right it's something to do with the chips they use in them and it happens to other dual docks too, because they also use that chip.

I eventually just settled on using a firmware which only let the front dock work but it works reliably, when it comes terrabytes of data reliability is much more important to me than a second dock. However since then the dock being used elsewhere for a media player so I can't open up the firmware tool as it just says a device was not found and closes, so I can't check the steps to help you out there. Though it is pretty basic by nature, open up the firmware tool, it should detect the device and its current firmware version and have an option to select a new firmware with an option to apply it.

I think this is the original firmware that BazookaJoe uploaded for me, uploaded it here for you http://www.fileduct.com/4skd41igptuk

However I would recommend sticking to just one reliable dock versus have two unreliable docks. I lost over 1TB on a brand new 2TB drive and the drive was dead and had to be returned, fortunately I was still copying data onto the drive so I didn't loose the data from the source.

Still it's up to you if you want to get both docks working again, to me after what I've seen it do it's in no way worth the risk.

[ridhuankim]

I'm not sure you'll find a way to stop it disconnecting as long as both docks are enabled, If I remember right it's something to do with the chips they use in them and it happens to other dual docks too, because they also use that chip.

I eventually just settled on using a firmware which only let the front dock work but it works reliably, when it comes terrabytes of data reliability is much more important to me than a second dock. However since then the dock being used elsewhere for a media player so I can't open up the firmware tool as it just says a device was not found and closes, so I can't check the steps to help you out there. Though it is pretty basic by nature, open up the firmware tool, it should detect the device and its current firmware version and have an option to select a new firmware with an option to apply it.

I think this is the original firmware that BazookaJoe uploaded for me, uploaded it here for you http://www.fileduct.com/4skd41igptuk

However I would recommend sticking to just one reliable dock versus have two unreliable docks. I lost over 1TB on a brand new 2TB drive and the drive was dead and had to be returned, fortunately I was still copying data onto the drive so I didn't loose the data from the source.

Still it's up to you if you want to get both docks working again, to me after what I've seen it do it's in no way worth the risk.

Hi, I really appreciate your prompt response on this, I downloaded the firmware and after flashing it I can see the firmware version is downgraded.

But the rear slot is still not working.
Perhaps the issue is not at the firmware.

My front slot still disconnects when connected to USB3 and my rear slot is dead.
I guess I will just have to re-flash to the current firmware and just use it as a USB2 single dock if there are no other way to revive this device.

Thanks

Kim

[howardb]

Mine's also knackered - tried everything, but the firmware flasher doesn't even see the device. It keeps disconnecting every 2-3 seconds, then connecting again (no drives inserted) - when it does stabilise, the firmware flasher shows the JMxxxx number of the connected device, but says it's not a JMicron controller, therefore cannot flash it... wtf... ???
Time to buy something else me thinks...

[Browser]

ridhuankim, I think it could be 3 things causing your device to disconnect, the chip/firmware or operating system settings. Presumably you're using windows so you could check the power settings and make sure it isn't set to save power by shutting down USB devices or otherwise making them goto sleep.

Also I just had a look at that page with different firmware version from my first post for this and next to one it says "(no Sleep Mode)" using that firmware might help, but with all firmware flashing it's risky. I'd suggest using an old hard drive with unimportant data while doing this until you're done with the flashing and convinced that it's working properly.

howardb don't know what could help with that, flashing will require the device to remain connected for a while and if it vanishes during flashing its firmware could become corrupt rendering it useless. I guess you could try see if trying on a different computer has any luck, or if you've purchased it within the last 6 months the CPA says you can have a refund/replacement etc since it's clearly not working as it should.

[ridhuankim]

ridhuankim, I think it could be 3 things causing your device to disconnect, the chip/firmware or operating system settings. Presumably you're using windows so you could check the power settings and make sure it isn't set to save power by shutting down USB devices or otherwise making them goto sleep.

Also I just had a look at that page with different firmware version from my first post for this and next to one it says "(no Sleep Mode)" using that firmware might help, but with all firmware flashing it's risky. I'd suggest using an old hard drive with unimportant data while doing this until you're done with the flashing and convinced that it's working properly.


I actually tried them, I am using Dell L701X and Windows 7 64bit.
My power management is set to max performance and all power saving modes are turned off.
The USB3 firmware also have been updated to the latest, the driver as well.

----------------------------
USB 3.0 Driver Version : 2.1.28.0
Firmware Version: 3028
[x] Disable USB 3.0 power management functions
----------------------------

I even had Dell replace my USB 3.0 board too but with no luck.

I did see some strange behavior when I was flashing the firmware yesterday, the firmware version switches on and off.

When I ran JMicron Firmware Updater 1.5 and 1.6 as well.

Following is after flashing with your backup firmware.

----------------------------------------
Chip: JMS551/539 Series
USB DISK: <<USB>> WDC WD10EAVS-00D7B0
Firmware Version: 4.08.11.16.00
Flash Type: PMC
----------------------------------------

But after flashing, at times the Firmware Version shows up as 66.xx.xx.xx something like that.

Now it seems permanently showing 4.08.11.16.00.