Troubleshooting

Below are some basic troubleshooting tips that you can try to help resolve the most common issues.

Connectivity

Check to see that the power cord is securely plugged into both your Drobo device and a live power outlet. The power light on the Drobo unit should be green or, if not connected to a powered-on computer, orange (yellow on Drobo S, Drobo FS, DroboPro and DroboElite). On a DroboShare, the power light should be green.
Check to see that the data cable is securely plugged into your computer's FireWire 800 (2nd Generation Drobo, Drobo S, DroboPro and DroboElite only), USB 2.0, iSCSI (DroboPro and DroboElite only), Ethernet (Drobo FS only) or eSATA (Drobo S only) port AND your Drobo storage device. There should not be any “wobble” on either end. Connect only one cable between your Drobo device and your computer at any given time.
Check to see if Windows recognizes your Drobo. Make sure all the lights in your unit are green. In Windows, click on My Computer to see if Drobo's drive letter appears.
If you are using DroboShare, check to see if DroboShare has an IP address if possible. Click on the DroboShare Setup button located in Advanced Controls -> Tools in Drobo Dashboard. DroboShare requires an assigned IP address (either automatically or manually) in order to be shared on your network. If it cannot obtain an IP address, it will be assigned the default IP address: 169.254.213.234.
Make sure you are using the latest drivers for your FireWire, eSATA, or Ethernet card.
If you are using the iSCSI connection, if possible, verify your IP settings and make sure that any firewall you might be running on your computer allows Drobo Dashboard (DDserviced or DDservice64d). This is typically classified as an “exception” in firewalls. If you cannot reach your DroboPro or DroboElite through iSCSI, try connecting with USB or FireWire.
If possible, try connecting your Drobo device to a different computer to see if the problem persists.
If none of the above works for you, try shutting down your computer, safely shutting down your Drobo storage device, restarting your computer and then power up your Drobo device.

Drive Problems

Before performing this step, it is best to safely shut down your Drobo device first, if possible (see below). Make sure all the hard drives are inserted properly into the Drobo unit. Gently push each drive inward, making sure the drives are seated and the thumb locks are securely holding the drives in the device. (Note: the thumb locks should all be in the same relative position.) Power on your unit and see if this remedies your problem.
Check to see if a hard drive was removed that shouldn't have been removed. If this is the case, it is best to safely shut down your Drobo storage device first (see below). Then, re-insert the drive you removed, power up your unit and wait until all the drive lights are solid green before you try to remove it again.
Check to see if a hard drive has failed. When a hard drive fails, it has a blinking red light in the data bay indicator. Replace the failed hard drive with a healthy hard drive.
Ensure that you are using only SATA drives. With your Drobo device powered down, eject each drive, inspect it for any visible damage and verify that it is oriented properly for the drive bay. If an SSD, PATA, IDE, or SCSI hard drive was inserted into your device, it may have damaged the Drobo storage device. These types of drives will not work with any Drobo device. Drobo storage products can only use 3.5” SATA hard drives.
If you can still access your Drobo product, make sure you are running the latest firmware and Drobo Dashboard by visiting www.drobo.com/support/updates.

If you are unable to resolve your problem after going through the above troubleshooting steps, visit our knowledge base at: www.drobo.com/support/knowledgebase.

Safe Shutdown on 1st and 2nd Generation Drobo

To safely disconnect Drobo from your Mac or DroboShare and shut it down, follow these steps:

Put Drobo in standby mode: On Drobo Dashboard, select Advanced Controls -> Tools and then click the “Standby” button. Once in standby mode, the power light turns orange.
Note: To see the power light, you will need to remove Drobo's faceplate.

If you are unable to access Drobo Dashboard (for example, if you are using AirPort Extreme), you can manually put Drobo into standby mode:
- Drag the Drobo icon into the Trash (icon changes to disconnect symbol) to cause Drobo to unmount (or eject). If your Drobo is connected to an Airport wireless base station, launch Airport utility -> Manual Setup -> Disk tab -> Select Drobo -> Disconnect All Users. If Drobo is still mounted, then eject.
Once the power light on Drobo has turned orange, disconnect the data cable (USB or FireWire). Windows Vista and Windows 7 users will be prompted by Drobo Dashboard when it is safe to disconnect the data cable.

If the power light on your Drobo does not turn orange, do the following;

Shut down your computer.

Remove the USB or FireWire cable.

Unplug Drobo’s power cord

Safe Shutdown on Drobo S, Drobo FS, DroboPro and DroboElite

To safely shut down all other Drobo Storage Devices using Drobo Dashboard:

Make sure no applications on your computer are using your Drobo storage device. If applications are using the unit, they may prevent it from properly disconnecting. Close the applications if applicable.
On Drobo Dashboard, select Advanced Controls -> Tools and click the “Shutdown” button. The power light briefly turns amber, and then all lights go out.
When the Drobo product's power light is off, it is safe to disconnect the data cable or unplug the power cord, if needed. (It is not necessary to unplug the power cord to finish the shut down process.)

To shut down without Drobo Dashboard

Although using Drobo Dashboard is always the preferred method, if you are unable to access Drobo Dashboard, you can manually shut down by:

Make sure no applications on your computer are using your Drobo storage device. If applications are using the device, they may prevent it from properly disconnecting.

Unmount (or eject) the Drobo drive.
Disconnect the data cable.
Flip the power toggle on the back of the Drobo device or unplug the power cord.

Note: If your computer is either turned off or not functional, the power light on your 1st or 2nd generation Drobo will be orange, indicating standby mode. It is safe to push the power toggle (if available) on the back of the Drobo device to turn the power off. On 1st and 2nd generation Drobos, unplug the power cord.