Clearing Hard Drives

In the event that you want or need to completely reset your Drobo storage device (clear all data from the hard drives and start anew), you may do so using one of the following procedures:

Warning: This procedure will clear ALL existing data on the hard drives in your Drobo storage device.

Option 1 - Using Drobo Dashboard:

1. Open Drobo Dashboard.
2. Go to Advanced Controls -> Tools.
3. Click "Reset..." in the commands section.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Option 2 - Using the Clear Hard Drives Pinhole on the rear of your Drobo storage device:

1. Disconnect the power from your Drobo storage device. (Some devices can be switched off with the power toggle switch in the rear of the unit.)
2. Locate the Clear Hard Drives pinhole in the back of your Drobo device (see below).
3. Find a thin, firm piece of metal similar to a straightened paper clip.
4. Insert the metal into the hole and depress the button. You should be able to detect the button "click."
5. While keeping the button depressed, connect the power back to your Drobo or toggle the power switch on the back of your Drobo S, Drobo FS, DroboPro or DroboElite.
6. Hold the paper clip in place, depressing the button, until the data bay indicators next to the drives are green. This will usually take a minute or more.
7. You are now ready to format your Drobo storage device.

Related Topics

Formatting Drives Using Drobo Dashboard
Formatting Drives Using Windows Disk Management Utility