Hacking Problems with HDD when some games are installed

[Sleepwalker]

Hi there,

I got some weird problems with two games.

When I install "Soulcalibur Legends" or "Boom Blox: Smash Party" (both PAL) on my HDD, it keeps clicking when I turn on my Wii. Even if I just stay in the system menu. It sounds like the HDD is turned off and on every 5 seconds...again and again and again and again...
In this state USB Loader GX doesn't recognize the HDD correctly (just sometimes) and I can't play a game without many (loading) lags. I can even play both mentioned games, so they seem to be copied correctly.
Well, and when I delete these two games, the clicking and all problems are gone.
My Wii is PAL and on 4.0E with cIOS rev. 14.

Can this have something to do with the cIOS? Also, I found out that in the folder name of "Boom Blox: Smash Party" is a "|" (pipe). I read something about that, but I can't find a tool to change the folder name to test if that's the problem.

Is this normal? I'm grateful for any hint.

PS: I just tested cIOS rev. 13b and I had the same issues :\

 

[Sleepwalker]

I got an update for this. But it's a bit complicated for me to explain. I'll give it a try, perhaps anyone can help me out.

- I've got a WD 320GB My Passport Essential
- First I formatted my HDD and made a new WBFS partition with 150gb (it was 300gb before)
- On the 150gb partition the games (SC and BoomBlox) worked flawlessly

Then I made another partition on the HDD (beyon the first 150gb) and copied a game here. At this point the clicking was back again!

So I formatted again in NTFS and let TuneUp Utilities scan the drive for a few hours to test if there's something wrong with it. It isn't.
The next step for me is only to make a single partition on the HDD beyond the 150gb mark.


Now I'm a bit confused. Are there any limitations in WBFS for bigger drives than ~150gb? Or is is perhaps a maximum of files (which would be illegitimate since the game didn't work on the nearly empty 2nd partition)?

Help

 

[zektor]

My brother has the same drive, but we never messed with multiple partitions. Maybe the drive just doesn't like it. Just create one solid WBFS partition, and if it stops clicking, leave it that way. What you are experiencing is definitely *not* normal. I have used 320GB, 500GB, and 1TB drives as solid WBFS drives without ever having that issue.

 

[pembo]

My brother has the same drive, but we never messed with multiple partitions. Maybe the drive just doesn't like it. Just create one solid WBFS partition, and if it stops clicking, leave it that way. What you are experiencing is definitely *not* normal. I have used 320GB, 500GB, and 1TB drives as solid WBFS drives without ever having that issue.

drives sometimes click like that before they're on there way out. I've had a WD USB drive go like that just recently and then die about 4 months later. Scans/SMART generally tend to reveal nothing in my experience when a disk seems to go like this, so my advice would be to back up everything important on it now just in case.

It's probably some damage towards the outer edge of the disk which is why you're seeing some success with a clean 150GB formatted disk.

 

[Gavry]

Clicking noises with a USB powered hard drive are usually power related. There should be no problems at all as far as copying games onto it which will cause the problem you have mentioned.

My advice.
Copy everything off the drive.
Delete all partitions.
Format the whole drive as WBFS.
Copy the two problem games back to it and test again.

If the problem continues it's either the cable between the drive and Wii or the drive it's self.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Thanks for the hints.

Before the clicking occurred, I had one whole WBFS partition on the drive. I formatted twice and got the same problem again and again.

@zektor: Are the HDDs filled up with more than 150gb of data?

@pembo: Thats why I did a hour lasting scan on my drive. TuneUp Utilities didn't encounter eny problems.

@garvo: I "quick" formatted, which seems to be a problem. I'll try it with a normal format after testing the partition beyond the 150gb mark.
Could it perhaps be a power supply problem when the 2nd HD head needs to be moved (if there are two)? I'll try to find a y-USB cable for extra power.

 

[pembo]

Thanks for the hints.

Before the clicking occurred, I had one whole WBFS partition on the drive. I formatted twice and got the same problem again and again.

@zektor: Are the HDDs filled up with more than 150gb of data?

@pembo: Thats why I did a hour lasting scan on my drive. TuneUp Utilities didn't encounter eny problems.

@garvo: I "quick" formatted, which seems to be a problem. I'll try it with a normal format after testing the partition beyond the 150gb mark.
Could it perhaps be a power supply problem when the 2nd HD head needs to be moved (if there are two)? I'll try to find a y-USB cable for extra power.

scans revealed nothing before my disk just died - don't believe everything they tell you.
I run a 3 hour scan on mine and it all reported ok. 2 days later it was dead.
I suspect the scan contributed to the failure ultimately.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Sounds not that good...

I did another check (read and write, i.e. erasing) for every block which took nearly four and a half hour. Again with no signs / peaks for any damaged areas. See pic below.
The thing is that the HDD has not "clicked" under Windows yet. Only when connected to the Wii with games installed after the 150gb mark

Now, I'll format it in a normal way and have another look if the clicking still occurs.

Can I rely on the HDD compatibility db in the GBAtemp Wiki? Because till last week, I would have confirmed the drive as working...but that was before the problems began

Now I can play DJ again for the next few weeks if I should send the drive back (just a few months old).

 

[Gavry]

It may just be a bad drive.

I have exactly the same drive, 1 WBFS partition, 100% full, and have never had an issue with it.

Did you try a different USB cable? Possibly a shorter one?

 

[Four_X]

If you’re using a HDD powered by the Wii's USB Port I.E. Portable 2.5" HDDs some times
Not all the time a problem can accrue like this because the drive takes more power the
Further away the Data is stored on the HDD and the wii's USB power can’t handle it.

Try this

1) Connect the drive to the wii like you would normally.

This bit sounds strange but it helps in diagnostics.

2) Put the drive to your ear

If the drive sound like its spinning up then 4 secs later stops sharply then spins up again
and stops sharply and keeps doing this well this is what’s known as (dropin' out) this is
generally a sign that the drive isn’t getting enough power from your wii's USB port.

It can also happen on laptops when you use the usb port to power your portable 2.5" HDD
so it’s not just a wii thing

If this is the case you may need to use an external power supply to power the drive
but you should have got a Y shaped USB cable with the drive. Just for this type of situation
if so plug the main USB cable (fat bit) in to port 1 on the wii and the extra power
(the part of the cable with the thin USB bit) into slot 2, this should solve Your problem.

Basically it sound like the drives getting enough power from your PC's USB Port but not
from your Wii's, these thing happen when using portable 2.5" HDDs that why most
manufactures give you the Y shaped USB cable I know Western Digital supply you with
one when you buy one of there portable 2.5" HDDs

That’s why I use a 3.5" Enclosure that’s powered by its own PSU because I know I won’t
run into this problem.

If your using a HDD with a 3.5" Enclosure I.E. its own PSU try a different enclosure if
the problem continues then i am sorry mate but it sounds like you drive is failing back up
All your data quick and get yourself a new HDD

Four X

 

[zektor]

Thanks for the hints.

Before the clicking occurred, I had one whole WBFS partition on the drive. I formatted twice and got the same problem again and again.

@zektor: Are the HDDs filled up with more than 150gb of data?

One solid 1TB wbfs partition....420GB used

 

[Sleepwalker]

Thank you all. I appreciate any supporting post

Finally, after formatting the whole disk for about three hours and refilling it for another few hours...it works.
I don't know why.

I also tried a shorter cable, but that was after formatting. Now it works with both, the short one and the long one.
Some more tests to go, but I hope that the problems are gone, now

@Four_X: That were my thoughts, too. I was going to buy an y-USB cable today afternoon, because I didn't believe in the formatting method. But just in case: When the disk uses two ports, can I play with a keyboard etc. anyway? With another y-adapter?



Edit: Ok, after trying some more games, I got the clicking again. BUT then I switched to the short cable and the clicking was gone. Still testing...

 

[Four_X]

Thank you all. I appreciate any supporting post

Finally, after formatting the whole disk for about three hours and refilling it for another few hours...it works.
I don't know why.

I also tried a shorter cable, but that was after formatting. Now it works with both, the short one and the long one.
Some more tests to go, but I hope that the problems are gone, now

@Four_X: That were my thoughts, too. I was going to buy an y-USB cable today afternoon, because I didn't believe in the formatting method. But just in case: When the disk uses two ports, can I play with a keyboard etc. anyway? With another y-adapter?



Edit: Ok, after trying some more games, I got the clicking again. BUT then I switched to the short cable and the clicking was gone. Still testing...

It sounds to me like you may have fixed your problem with the shorter cable
You see the shorter the cable the less resistance there is in the cable. Less
Resistance = more power was the cable before certified USB 2.0 this can be
A factor to. Most peps with problems are using cables that are USB 1.1 But
Don’t realise that USB 2.0 cables were made to handle more power and data
rates.

Or it might have just been a faulty cable you were using before.

Let me know how you getting on

To your original question yes there is a way to use your keyboard if you used
one of these and a Y shaped USB Cable.

It would power your HDD

You’d plug one end of your HDDs USB Y-cable into the wii like you would
normally and the other end of the USB into this power supply thus freeing a
USB Slot on your Wii.

There called USB Mains Power Supply’s or USB Mains Power Adapter. The
one in the picture is for UK mains but you can get them all over the world.

Four X

 

[Sleepwalker]

Yeah, stupid me. Of course I can directly plug it in with such an adapter

@topic: Well, I haven't experienced any problems til today. Seems to be working now. I'm still a bit sceptical, but excessive testing isn't necessary anymore. Time will show if everything is alright now. And if not..I will be back

Thanks to all for your help