Storex MPiX 357 hard drive issue - no hdd
alef60
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Hello,
I'm sharing my experience as a user of the Storex MPiX-357, which gave me a hard time after I tried to replace the original Hitachi 320GB hard drive with a WD 500GB disk. Almost all the issues mentioned in the Storex MPiX 356/357 forums occurred, including:
- freezing of the multimedia disk menu at startup
- the hard drive does not start with the error message NO HDD displayed
- alarming noises at startup (abnormal activity of the hard drive read heads)
- the drive starts but still displays the error message NO HDD
- the movie randomly freezes during playback
All this is due to a hard drive underpowering problem (design can be improved), which I did not encounter with the original 320GB hard drive. "Strangely," some MPiX-357 units with the 500GB original drive also seem to be affected by my problem...
Here is my review of the MPiX-357, posted on the DivX Compare site, outlining a solution:
"I acquired the MPiX-357 320GB as a replacement for the MPiX-355 320GB, in order to benefit from the USB Host for playing MP3/WMA files. I was not disappointed in this regard, even though displaying titles on the front screen would have been a plus. The graphical interface is much more ergonomic than my old MPiX. The titles are displayed in full, and the preview function, which severely slowed navigation on the MPiX-355, is thankfully absent here. What a joy to navigate quickly between different folders! A small downside is that the device's startup is longer than that of the MPiX-355 by a good twenty seconds. In the end, the lost seconds at startup are quickly made up for (compared to the old MPiX) when it comes to navigation.
- My first concern with this multimedia disk was felt when using the analog audio output RCA (left/right), which suffers from a constant background noise, later identified as coming from the movements of the hard drive's read head. Very annoying! Fortunately, there are no issues with the coaxial digital audio output (RCA).
- The second problem is the presence of a frame in the background of the image displayed in composite (yellow RCA) and S-Video, whereas my MPiX-355 handled it wonderfully with its only composite output!!! Fortunately, the image is superb with the component outputs (RCA YUV), which I was able to try later, after replacing my projector with an LCD screen (52").
- Third problem: the Hitachi T7K500 320GB IDE hard drive is not the quietest. This can be heard during navigation and when playing a too-fragmented file on the disk. In comparison, my old MPiX-355 was relatively silent with its Western Digital WD3200AAJB.
- Fourth problem: scalability. Cramped with my 320GB disk, especially after copying my holiday edits in MPEG2/AC3, I decided to change hard drives for a 500GB and, while I was at it, a quieter Western Digital, namely the WD5000AAKB. What a mistake! While changing the disk is relatively simple (at the cost of losing the manufacturer's warranty, of course), formatting it to FAT32 requires SwissKnife, which has compatibility issues with Windows Vista... Troubles can then begin: "NO HDD" - the hard drive does not start OR it starts and stops OR it continually hesitates between starting and stopping, all with a slight flicker of the screen at the moment the disk starts spinning... Having thought it was a jumper configuration issue (CABLE SELECT by default), I ultimately changed my mind after using my multimeter. The power supply delivers 12V (a bit more, actually), but it is far from delivering 5V, with just under 4.8V... With a primary training in electronics (BAC F2), I disassemble the hard drive's circuit board and continue my measurements. The "5V" on the 4-pin power connector of the hard drive (on the circuit board) is actually measured at 4.65V. Moreover, the electronics of the front screen are powered from this same point. This explains the flickering of the screen at the beginning of the disk's rotation, at a moment when it demands the most energy (over 1.75 amps in my case). Armed with this knowledge, I short-circuit the pin delivering the 4.65V (after filtering the 5V power supply and the standby electronics) with the "direct" input of the "5V" located on the output pin of the switch on the back of the device. And there, "miraculously," my hard drive starts up normally... All that's left is to cut the 5V power wire from the hard drive to solder it directly to the 5V output pin of the switch. Raw, but effective. I can no longer leave the multimedia disk on standby (which I didn't do anyway) without risking prematurely aging the hard drive's electronics (on the 5V side).
- What a series of adventures to get a reliably functioning device... I almost regretted wanting to increase the hard drive's capacity at the expense of the warranty.
I hope these are just growing pains, as I would like to point out that I bought this equipment from Carrefour at the beginning of its commercialization. I'm now very satisfied with it! ;)"
Please note that I cannot be held responsible for any damages that may arise from implementing the above instructions, which are done at your own risk. Be aware of the loss of warranty on your device when disassembling it.
Know that with this setup*, using the ON/OFF switch (located at the back of the device) means that the hard drive operates just like it was originally intended, namely a continuous power supply to the hard drive at 12V and 5V. The only problematic aspect is putting the multimedia disk on standby (using the remote control) because of the continuous 5V power to the hard drive's electronics.
I do not have the necessary knowledge to assess the long-term consequences of continuous 5V power for the hard drive, other than potential premature aging of the components. I remind you that the normal operation of the hard drive requires simultaneous power supply at both 12V and 5V.
* The proposed setup is intended only to address the failure of the power supply to deliver a true 5-volt supply, by providing the hard drive with an acceptable operating voltage.
Feel free to contact me if you're interested in this setup, for which I've taken a few photographs.
I'm sharing my experience as a user of the Storex MPiX-357, which gave me a hard time after I tried to replace the original Hitachi 320GB hard drive with a WD 500GB disk. Almost all the issues mentioned in the Storex MPiX 356/357 forums occurred, including:
- freezing of the multimedia disk menu at startup
- the hard drive does not start with the error message NO HDD displayed
- alarming noises at startup (abnormal activity of the hard drive read heads)
- the drive starts but still displays the error message NO HDD
- the movie randomly freezes during playback
All this is due to a hard drive underpowering problem (design can be improved), which I did not encounter with the original 320GB hard drive. "Strangely," some MPiX-357 units with the 500GB original drive also seem to be affected by my problem...
Here is my review of the MPiX-357, posted on the DivX Compare site, outlining a solution:
"I acquired the MPiX-357 320GB as a replacement for the MPiX-355 320GB, in order to benefit from the USB Host for playing MP3/WMA files. I was not disappointed in this regard, even though displaying titles on the front screen would have been a plus. The graphical interface is much more ergonomic than my old MPiX. The titles are displayed in full, and the preview function, which severely slowed navigation on the MPiX-355, is thankfully absent here. What a joy to navigate quickly between different folders! A small downside is that the device's startup is longer than that of the MPiX-355 by a good twenty seconds. In the end, the lost seconds at startup are quickly made up for (compared to the old MPiX) when it comes to navigation.
- My first concern with this multimedia disk was felt when using the analog audio output RCA (left/right), which suffers from a constant background noise, later identified as coming from the movements of the hard drive's read head. Very annoying! Fortunately, there are no issues with the coaxial digital audio output (RCA).
- The second problem is the presence of a frame in the background of the image displayed in composite (yellow RCA) and S-Video, whereas my MPiX-355 handled it wonderfully with its only composite output!!! Fortunately, the image is superb with the component outputs (RCA YUV), which I was able to try later, after replacing my projector with an LCD screen (52").
- Third problem: the Hitachi T7K500 320GB IDE hard drive is not the quietest. This can be heard during navigation and when playing a too-fragmented file on the disk. In comparison, my old MPiX-355 was relatively silent with its Western Digital WD3200AAJB.
- Fourth problem: scalability. Cramped with my 320GB disk, especially after copying my holiday edits in MPEG2/AC3, I decided to change hard drives for a 500GB and, while I was at it, a quieter Western Digital, namely the WD5000AAKB. What a mistake! While changing the disk is relatively simple (at the cost of losing the manufacturer's warranty, of course), formatting it to FAT32 requires SwissKnife, which has compatibility issues with Windows Vista... Troubles can then begin: "NO HDD" - the hard drive does not start OR it starts and stops OR it continually hesitates between starting and stopping, all with a slight flicker of the screen at the moment the disk starts spinning... Having thought it was a jumper configuration issue (CABLE SELECT by default), I ultimately changed my mind after using my multimeter. The power supply delivers 12V (a bit more, actually), but it is far from delivering 5V, with just under 4.8V... With a primary training in electronics (BAC F2), I disassemble the hard drive's circuit board and continue my measurements. The "5V" on the 4-pin power connector of the hard drive (on the circuit board) is actually measured at 4.65V. Moreover, the electronics of the front screen are powered from this same point. This explains the flickering of the screen at the beginning of the disk's rotation, at a moment when it demands the most energy (over 1.75 amps in my case). Armed with this knowledge, I short-circuit the pin delivering the 4.65V (after filtering the 5V power supply and the standby electronics) with the "direct" input of the "5V" located on the output pin of the switch on the back of the device. And there, "miraculously," my hard drive starts up normally... All that's left is to cut the 5V power wire from the hard drive to solder it directly to the 5V output pin of the switch. Raw, but effective. I can no longer leave the multimedia disk on standby (which I didn't do anyway) without risking prematurely aging the hard drive's electronics (on the 5V side).
- What a series of adventures to get a reliably functioning device... I almost regretted wanting to increase the hard drive's capacity at the expense of the warranty.
I hope these are just growing pains, as I would like to point out that I bought this equipment from Carrefour at the beginning of its commercialization. I'm now very satisfied with it! ;)"
Please note that I cannot be held responsible for any damages that may arise from implementing the above instructions, which are done at your own risk. Be aware of the loss of warranty on your device when disassembling it.
Know that with this setup*, using the ON/OFF switch (located at the back of the device) means that the hard drive operates just like it was originally intended, namely a continuous power supply to the hard drive at 12V and 5V. The only problematic aspect is putting the multimedia disk on standby (using the remote control) because of the continuous 5V power to the hard drive's electronics.
I do not have the necessary knowledge to assess the long-term consequences of continuous 5V power for the hard drive, other than potential premature aging of the components. I remind you that the normal operation of the hard drive requires simultaneous power supply at both 12V and 5V.
* The proposed setup is intended only to address the failure of the power supply to deliver a true 5-volt supply, by providing the hard drive with an acceptable operating voltage.
Feel free to contact me if you're interested in this setup, for which I've taken a few photographs.
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Thank you very much for this well-made tutorial!! Unfortunately, in my case, I don't have any wires... everything is integrated into the board, and the ON/OFF button is a press button... probably a "update" (not very successful!!) of the 357...
anyway, it doesn't really help me much..
anyway, it doesn't really help me much..
Hello there and thank you for your experience on the subject
I am also the unfortunate owner of a WD mpix357 500g
I say unfortunate because the beast doesn't want to cooperate anymore
The HDD makes a "grinding" noise and doesn't start up
Furthermore, it is no longer recognized as an external drive on the PC, neither on XP nor on 2000 Pro; only Linux manages it a bit
So I opened the HDD (one side is actually blocked)
But now I would like a bit more explanation to attempt a power supply derivation or other repair
Thank you very much
I am also the unfortunate owner of a WD mpix357 500g
I say unfortunate because the beast doesn't want to cooperate anymore
The HDD makes a "grinding" noise and doesn't start up
Furthermore, it is no longer recognized as an external drive on the PC, neither on XP nor on 2000 Pro; only Linux manages it a bit
So I opened the HDD (one side is actually blocked)
But now I would like a bit more explanation to attempt a power supply derivation or other repair
Thank you very much
I personally carried out this operation after taking out my voltmeter and observing the same power supply issues as the author of the topic. The operation is quite simple to perform.
All you need to do is open your case (remember to remove the screw under the warranty seal..).
Once opened, you will see the power connector of the hard drive (2 black wires, one red, and one yellow)
This is connected to the power board of the case. Cut the red wire flush with this connector (the one on the power board side and not the hard drive!)
At the back of the main switch of the case, there are 4 metal branches soldered to the motherboard. The two on top are for the 12V power and the two on the bottom are for 5V.
You just need to solder the stripped red wire onto the branch at the bottom right of the back of the switch.
To be more sure of yourself, if you are unsure of the location, use a voltmeter and check that this one outputs 5V and especially that it turns off with the switch.
Once this is done, your disk should work fine!
All you need to do is open your case (remember to remove the screw under the warranty seal..).
Once opened, you will see the power connector of the hard drive (2 black wires, one red, and one yellow)
This is connected to the power board of the case. Cut the red wire flush with this connector (the one on the power board side and not the hard drive!)
At the back of the main switch of the case, there are 4 metal branches soldered to the motherboard. The two on top are for the 12V power and the two on the bottom are for 5V.
You just need to solder the stripped red wire onto the branch at the bottom right of the back of the switch.
To be more sure of yourself, if you are unsure of the location, use a voltmeter and check that this one outputs 5V and especially that it turns off with the switch.
Once this is done, your disk should work fine!
Hello!
Could you tell me more about the procedure to follow? I don’t have a Mpix357 but a 355, but the connections should be relatively similar..
Indeed, I also have a similar issue; when I connect the USB cable and switch the button to "USB," my PC recognizes it for a few seconds before making a disconnection sound.. because my Storex makes some sort of "beep, beep.." when the USB cable is plugged in, and I don’t want to send it back to customer service because I have all my data..
Thanks!
Could you tell me more about the procedure to follow? I don’t have a Mpix357 but a 355, but the connections should be relatively similar..
Indeed, I also have a similar issue; when I connect the USB cable and switch the button to "USB," my PC recognizes it for a few seconds before making a disconnection sound.. because my Storex makes some sort of "beep, beep.." when the USB cable is plugged in, and I don’t want to send it back to customer service because I have all my data..
Thanks!
Hello,
I have exactly the same problem.
Would it be possible to have a photo tutorial?
And could it be the power cord?
I have exactly the same problem.
Would it be possible to have a photo tutorial?
And could it be the power cord?
Hello everyone
I just bought the Storex Mpix 357 with 750 GB and I have a problem.
I loaded my hard drive and once I connected it to the TV, the movies are displayed as encrypted, and when I connected it to my laptops, I can't read them even though I have XP and Vista. I'm trying to contact Storex by email but I think they're on vacation.
What would you do?
Thank you for your help.
I just bought the Storex Mpix 357 with 750 GB and I have a problem.
I loaded my hard drive and once I connected it to the TV, the movies are displayed as encrypted, and when I connected it to my laptops, I can't read them even though I have XP and Vista. I'm trying to contact Storex by email but I think they're on vacation.
What would you do?
Thank you for your help.
Hi alef60,
I would like to see the photos you took to shed some light on the repair of my mpix 357
because I have the issue "no HDD" appearing on the screen and it won't start.
Thanks again for enlightening me.
I would like to see the photos you took to shed some light on the repair of my mpix 357
because I have the issue "no HDD" appearing on the screen and it won't start.
Thanks again for enlightening me.
Hello, I have the same problem you mentioned. I took the device apart, but unfortunately I thought it would be simple, and I'm a bit lost now... anyway, there's no warranty anymore, and the device is broken. Could you send me some elements, like photos, so I can figure this out? Thanks in advance.
Hello everyone,
I'm taking some time to find the photos to upload them at the indicated link.
Please be patient, I'm thinking of you!
I'm taking some time to find the photos to upload them at the indicated link.
Please be patient, I'm thinking of you!
Here it is, it's done!
I created a downloadable tutorial here:
http://dl.free.fr/getfile.pl?file=/IEKHfF7T
... hoping this can solve your issues.
If you could let me know the model of the hard drive that comes with your Mpix357, that would be great.
Good luck,
alef60
I created a downloadable tutorial here:
http://dl.free.fr/getfile.pl?file=/IEKHfF7T
... hoping this can solve your issues.
If you could let me know the model of the hard drive that comes with your Mpix357, that would be great.
Good luck,
alef60
I have the same startup issue as you, so I followed the procedure you described.
My 5V power supply wasn't too bad (5.10), but I think my problem comes from the 12V power supply; I have 12.64V at the output.
Is there a way to lower my 12V voltage because I believe that's where the issue is. When I connect my hard drive to another power supply with a voltage of 12.12V, it starts up without any problems.
Thank you.
My 5V power supply wasn't too bad (5.10), but I think my problem comes from the 12V power supply; I have 12.64V at the output.
Is there a way to lower my 12V voltage because I believe that's where the issue is. When I connect my hard drive to another power supply with a voltage of 12.12V, it starts up without any problems.
Thank you.
Could you take some photos of your new Mpix model:
- open case with the hard drive on top,
- top and bottom of the printed circuit board,
- back of the case,
- back of the power supply
and upload all of this to the site dl.free.fr.
I might be able to help you...
- open case with the hard drive on top,
- top and bottom of the printed circuit board,
- back of the case,
- back of the power supply
and upload all of this to the site dl.free.fr.
I might be able to help you...
Hello, as promised, here is the link with the photos of the latest model (without visible wires).
http://dl.free.fr/getfile.pl?file=/io8uAXbb
- open case with hard drive on top,
- top and bottom of the printed circuit board,
- back of the case,
- back of the power supply unit
Hoping this can help someone.. like me for example? :-)
http://dl.free.fr/getfile.pl?file=/io8uAXbb
- open case with hard drive on top,
- top and bottom of the printed circuit board,
- back of the case,
- back of the power supply unit
Hoping this can help someone.. like me for example? :-)
OK, I'm going to take some photos. However, I still haven't managed to remove the circuit board to see underneath; I can't because of the soldered connectors at the back, but there must be a way... I need to check that and I'll send them to you.
Thanks for your help.
Thanks for your help.
You have an updated MPIX357 equipped with a SATA hard drive and an HDMI video output.
I was able to trace the power supply of the MPIX from the connector and the traces on the circuit board, here:
http://dl.free.fr/getfile.pl?file=/wwmA50Rx
The good news is that I have indicated the 5V solder point on the photo (to be confirmed, however, with a multimeter).
The bad news is that your Hitachi hard drive is not equipped with a Molex power connector, unlike some WD drives. This will complicate how to power the hard drive directly.
The SATA connectivity is detailed here:
https://pinoutguide.com/Power/sata-power_pinout.shtml
I will need a detailed photo of the circuit board without the metal "cage" hiding the SATA connector pins, in order to find a solder point as close as possible to the hard drive.
Do you have a multimeter to confirm my initial findings?
I was able to trace the power supply of the MPIX from the connector and the traces on the circuit board, here:
http://dl.free.fr/getfile.pl?file=/wwmA50Rx
The good news is that I have indicated the 5V solder point on the photo (to be confirmed, however, with a multimeter).
The bad news is that your Hitachi hard drive is not equipped with a Molex power connector, unlike some WD drives. This will complicate how to power the hard drive directly.
The SATA connectivity is detailed here:
https://pinoutguide.com/Power/sata-power_pinout.shtml
I will need a detailed photo of the circuit board without the metal "cage" hiding the SATA connector pins, in order to find a solder point as close as possible to the hard drive.
Do you have a multimeter to confirm my initial findings?
First of all, thank you very much for your help and your time!
No, unfortunately I don't have a voltmeter.. if I understood you correctly, I just need to solder a wire to the indicated solder point, and connect it to pin 7, 8 or 9 of the SATA connector? Is that correct?
I'll take a picture of the circuit of the socket.
Thanks again, for me and for others who might encounter this.
I'll keep you updated..
No, unfortunately I don't have a voltmeter.. if I understood you correctly, I just need to solder a wire to the indicated solder point, and connect it to pin 7, 8 or 9 of the SATA connector? Is that correct?
I'll take a picture of the circuit of the socket.
Thanks again, for me and for others who might encounter this.
I'll keep you updated..
Here is the link with the photos without "the cage"
http://dl.free.fr/getfile.pl?file=/t5zQchuR
So I tried to connect the 5V solder point to pin 8 of the SATA with a wire (see photos), but unfortunately, it didn't work.. still getting the NO HDD message..
http://dl.free.fr/getfile.pl?file=/t5zQchuR
So I tried to connect the 5V solder point to pin 8 of the SATA with a wire (see photos), but unfortunately, it didn't work.. still getting the NO HDD message..
Hello,
I also have a mpix 357, which unfortunately fell and has become unusable. I opted to replace the hard drive inside, which I formatted to fat32, but nothing happens when I connect it to the TV.
Is it because I no longer have the root directory? Thank you for your help and response, and if possible, could you
send me a copy of that directory?
I also have a mpix 357, which unfortunately fell and has become unusable. I opted to replace the hard drive inside, which I formatted to fat32, but nothing happens when I connect it to the TV.
Is it because I no longer have the root directory? Thank you for your help and response, and if possible, could you
send me a copy of that directory?
Small questions:
- Do you hear your drive starting up?
- If so, do you hear any unusual clicking sounds or variations in the drive's rotation?
- When you connect the multimedia drive to your PC, does it recognize the drive?
- Are you experiencing any operational issues with the multimedia drive when it is connected to the PC?
- Do you hear your drive starting up?
- If so, do you hear any unusual clicking sounds or variations in the drive's rotation?
- When you connect the multimedia drive to your PC, does it recognize the drive?
- Are you experiencing any operational issues with the multimedia drive when it is connected to the PC?
Hello, regarding the last question
my computer recognizes my box until now everything is fine, but after a while my box is no longer connected to my computer and disappears, but on the small screen of my box it says (even when it is no longer recognizable on the computer) "USB CONNECTED" please help me.
my computer recognizes my box until now everything is fine, but after a while my box is no longer connected to my computer and disappears, but on the small screen of my box it says (even when it is no longer recognizable on the computer) "USB CONNECTED" please help me.
Yes, I can hear the disc starting up, it shows LOAD, then there are the "abnormal clicking" sounds as you mentioned, followed by the NO HDD message..
As for when it's connected to the PC, the PC doesn't recognize it.. but I haven't tried again since the tinkering. In my opinion, it must still be the case.
As for when it's connected to the PC, the PC doesn't recognize it.. but I haven't tried again since the tinkering. In my opinion, it must still be the case.
If you're talking about a connection in the PC, that's worrying, because it should at least be recognized by the SATA controller.
The fact that it's not recognized under Windows isn't a problem in itself; it could simply be due to the lack of a drive letter assignment if it's already formatted.
You should install it in your PC to isolate the problem, hoping that the drive isn't dead. At best, this will allow you to correct any errors that may be present on the drive, potential sources of other problems.
I also suggest a "nice" setup to check if the issue comes from the power supply:
- remove the hard drive from your mpix and connect it to one of the SATA power connectors in your PC
- connect your hard drive to the SATA port of your mpix with a SATA cable (if you don't have one, use the one from your PC)
- connect the mpix to your TV
- turn on your PC first to power the hard drive, then the mpix second. Since the hard drive is already running, the mpix should start up correctly.
Keep me updated.
The fact that it's not recognized under Windows isn't a problem in itself; it could simply be due to the lack of a drive letter assignment if it's already formatted.
You should install it in your PC to isolate the problem, hoping that the drive isn't dead. At best, this will allow you to correct any errors that may be present on the drive, potential sources of other problems.
I also suggest a "nice" setup to check if the issue comes from the power supply:
- remove the hard drive from your mpix and connect it to one of the SATA power connectors in your PC
- connect your hard drive to the SATA port of your mpix with a SATA cable (if you don't have one, use the one from your PC)
- connect the mpix to your TV
- turn on your PC first to power the hard drive, then the mpix second. Since the hard drive is already running, the mpix should start up correctly.
Keep me updated.
Not bad this setup, I hadn't thought of that, except that my PC is a laptop, so I can't put the mpix disk in it.. I would need to do all this (at least to check the disk) on another PC. I need to manage to format it because the first symptoms started from there, a message telling me that it wasn't formatted properly (FAT32 or NFS, I can't remember which one is needed).
Hello,
My contribution to this discussion: to start with, in summary, the same problems of slow startups, freezes, crashing and restarts, unrecognized media, etc. until: no more startup at all!
I disassembled and checked my hard drive: everything was fine; then I applied the "power supply modification" as recommended (thanks a lot again!)
but no better! still no startup (the hard drive makes noises trying to start but can't; click-click-click)
So I tried with another power supply ( the genius idea), from an external hard drive of the Packard Bell brand (store&save) with the same specifications (absolutely) and of course the same pinout and .. bingo! it works like new again!
So thank you for the power supply lead, it confirms that it's the right one!
In the end, all these problems come from an undersized power supply
and that wears out relatively quickly (made in China!)
The end of the story: customer service Storex at 0155858200, site http://www.storex.fr/storex/
Known issue resolved by sending a power supply for €25 including shipping!!!
For my part, I had registered my product after purchase so it was rather quick even though I'm no longer under warranty, so don't hesitate, call customer service and the number is not premium-rate like many!
Hoping to have helped
Cheers to all.
My contribution to this discussion: to start with, in summary, the same problems of slow startups, freezes, crashing and restarts, unrecognized media, etc. until: no more startup at all!
I disassembled and checked my hard drive: everything was fine; then I applied the "power supply modification" as recommended (thanks a lot again!)
but no better! still no startup (the hard drive makes noises trying to start but can't; click-click-click)
So I tried with another power supply ( the genius idea), from an external hard drive of the Packard Bell brand (store&save) with the same specifications (absolutely) and of course the same pinout and .. bingo! it works like new again!
So thank you for the power supply lead, it confirms that it's the right one!
In the end, all these problems come from an undersized power supply
and that wears out relatively quickly (made in China!)
The end of the story: customer service Storex at 0155858200, site http://www.storex.fr/storex/
Known issue resolved by sending a power supply for €25 including shipping!!!
For my part, I had registered my product after purchase so it was rather quick even though I'm no longer under warranty, so don't hesitate, call customer service and the number is not premium-rate like many!
Hoping to have helped
Cheers to all.
If Alef60 correctly identified the origin of the problem with his Mpix 357, namely an under-powering issue of the hard drive at 5V, the solution proposed in his tutorial (See post from September 14, 2008, at 11:37:36 PM) is of no help.
Let me explain: If you take a closer look at the last photo in the TutorialSTOREXMPIX357.pdf file, you will see that the red wire has been removed from the terminal just to the left of capacitor C51, and then directly connected to the 5V output of the switch. This simply amounts to bypassing the fuse F1 (follow the track on the printed circuit board).
The removal of fuse F1 has no other consequence than eliminating a safety mechanism in the hard drive's power supply chain.
This explains why O.dessa applied Alef60's method without any results (Post from Monday, October 13, 2008, at 01:13:10 AM).
On the other hand, the post from fjmendes on Thursday, October 9, 2008, at 11:30:21 AM provides the real answer to the 5V under-powering issue of the hard drive. Since this 5V goes directly from the external power supply to the hard drive, that’s where the flaw should be sought. Upon verification, I confirm that the voltage delivered by this unit on the 5V output weakens as soon as the current flow reaches a value that is too high (at startup of the hard drive, or when the unit becomes too hot or even burning).
This power supply unit labeled Storex made in China is undersized, and certainly poorly designed as it overheats excessively even when not connected to any load. Consequently, it ages prematurely.
Therefore, it needs to be replaced. See the post mentioned above.
For your information, mine is the model RS-E02AB1.5-S28
Next steps for me:
1 - find a replacement power supply unit.
2 - if I can't find one: open the original unit to identify the undersized or poor-quality components and attempt to replace them.
3 - keep you updated.
Let me explain: If you take a closer look at the last photo in the TutorialSTOREXMPIX357.pdf file, you will see that the red wire has been removed from the terminal just to the left of capacitor C51, and then directly connected to the 5V output of the switch. This simply amounts to bypassing the fuse F1 (follow the track on the printed circuit board).
The removal of fuse F1 has no other consequence than eliminating a safety mechanism in the hard drive's power supply chain.
This explains why O.dessa applied Alef60's method without any results (Post from Monday, October 13, 2008, at 01:13:10 AM).
On the other hand, the post from fjmendes on Thursday, October 9, 2008, at 11:30:21 AM provides the real answer to the 5V under-powering issue of the hard drive. Since this 5V goes directly from the external power supply to the hard drive, that’s where the flaw should be sought. Upon verification, I confirm that the voltage delivered by this unit on the 5V output weakens as soon as the current flow reaches a value that is too high (at startup of the hard drive, or when the unit becomes too hot or even burning).
This power supply unit labeled Storex made in China is undersized, and certainly poorly designed as it overheats excessively even when not connected to any load. Consequently, it ages prematurely.
Therefore, it needs to be replaced. See the post mentioned above.
For your information, mine is the model RS-E02AB1.5-S28
Next steps for me:
1 - find a replacement power supply unit.
2 - if I can't find one: open the original unit to identify the undersized or poor-quality components and attempt to replace them.
3 - keep you updated.
Hello,
In addition to the text explanations, I took the time to take photos of the internal wiring modification of my Mpix357 case. They are meant to guide DIY enthusiasts who want to attempt the modification. See here: http://www.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich 6406201 probleme storex mpix 357 disque dur no hdd?page=2#37
But if with my explanations you still don't see what needs to be done, I think it's better to opt for purchasing an original power supply case from Storex/SAV.
Diving into this modification without the necessary technical background is risky:
- it could permanently destroy the Mpix357's electronic board, and possibly the hard drive,
- it could burn the case, and the housing that hosts it at the same time.
Good luck.
In addition to the text explanations, I took the time to take photos of the internal wiring modification of my Mpix357 case. They are meant to guide DIY enthusiasts who want to attempt the modification. See here: http://www.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich 6406201 probleme storex mpix 357 disque dur no hdd?page=2#37
But if with my explanations you still don't see what needs to be done, I think it's better to opt for purchasing an original power supply case from Storex/SAV.
Diving into this modification without the necessary technical background is risky:
- it could permanently destroy the Mpix357's electronic board, and possibly the hard drive,
- it could burn the case, and the housing that hosts it at the same time.
Good luck.
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Suivant
I just bought, for almost nothing but with a 3-MONTH warranty, a STOREX MPIX 357 containing a 750 GB Western Digital hard drive.
I immediately connected it to a PC running XP to clean up the files. Some files wouldn't delete, so I reformatted the HDD to FAT32 using the friendly software available on the Storex website (Fat32Formatter is freeware and written by TOKIWA to format drives larger than 32GB to FAT32). I created 4 partitions (videos, photos, music, and data). I copied over 350 GB from my old multimedia drive QPS (QPS3DX/KM that wouldn’t start anymore; I put its HDD in another enclosure), making sure to create a directory for each movie. I haven’t added anything else to the drive. Connected to the TV and using the FILE menu, it works very well. A few issues: some movies tested play in B&W and the small videos from my Canon IXUS 50 don’t play. I find it much better than my old QPS: faster menus, nice design, pleasant remote control. Too bad the initialization time is a bit long.
For now, despite everything I’ve read in the forums and with my very limited experience, I think this drive is great.