Cannot update firmware on HP Ultrium 3 drive, installed in HP 1/8 G2 Autoloader

[NazZaR]

Hello everyone.

I am experiencing a "Drive SEEK" problem with my HP 1/8 G2 Autoloader, because of which, i cannot read previously recorded tapes. To try and resolve it, i am trying to update firmware.

Library updated fine:

But the drive is never finishes updating, no matter if i update to newer C25W firmware, or rollback to C23W.

Here is the update log:

|__ Firmware update process log for device at path 3/0.1.0
|__ Firmware update started on device 3/0.1.0 (C24W:0x80090200/0x2c0e -> C25W:80090200/2c0e)
| |__ starting update...
| |__ SCSI WriteBuffer failure with Sense Condition
| |__ Sense Information: Sensekey: 0x5, ASC/ASCQ: 0x26/0x0 (Operator selected invalid field in parameter list)
|__ Operations Log
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|__ update unsuccessful

 I tried to update via web-interface, no luck:

Then, i tried to update from front panel via USB, and i am getting "invalid firmware error" message.

All the time i was using firmware that  HP Library and Tape Tools downloaded for me - LTO_920_C25W_MSL-G3-Series.frm

[NazZaR]

All this is because of some mysterious "Drive SEEK" problem. You put a tape inside, start identifying the tape, it buzzes inside, and nothing happens for several hours, just for a message after - "media data error detected" in our HP Data Protector Express software.

The funny thing that this tuesday, our engineer disassembled the library and drive in our room. He did nothing more, put it all back together, and then it worked! I have made a full inventory of all available tapes, restored couple of them as a test, and then me, happy that i can at last restore all stuff, moved the library back to server room. And when it started, the "Drive SEEK" message went back. And nothing helps since then, i cannot read any of the tapes, except brand new empty tapes.

Please help me, this thing is killing me. Or our chief will kill me if i don't fix it :(

[Torsten.]

Based on experience I can tell you the drive may get mechanical problems after some years, because of many hours in production, dust around, etc. You cannot "repair" this, better replace the drive.

[NazZaR]

Thank you for the answer.

But then, why it worked flawlessly for two days, until i moved it to server room?

[Torsten.]

Was the lib connected to another server when it worked?

[NazZaR]

when it initially stopped working, it was connected to the same server as was before.

But this tuesday, when it suddenly started to work, it was connected to a test workstation, because i tested it there for a week already.

I spent all day today, trying to make it work again, but no success.

[NazZaR]

I have the spare drive - it is OEM HP LTO4 drive, pulled from ActiData ActLib 1U library. But this thing won't work too. When i start data protector express, the library and drive disappears from device manager :(