Configuring NEW Hard Drive for HP Scitex FB500

[Boston Uncommon]

Hello. I had the power go out a couple times repeatedly a few weeks ago, and since then I cannot get the printer to fully initialize properly. For a while it would get to the point where it would bring up the prompt "the software was not able to find the service stations home height. Would you like the software to try and home the service station again? If you select No you will be unable to load media" It would not be able to do it and pressing no finished the initialization but, as it warned, no media would be loadable. I would go to service menu and home the station but would then would have to shut down to start over.

After much round robin, it seemed the conclusion of the technician that somehow the hard drive got corrupted and is not sending the proper codes to allow the initialization to happen properly although this not a confirmed certainty.

Now when I turn it on, it completes the initialization and skips over that error and just acknowledges that media can not be configured because the head height has not been configured. I have gone through through just about every service menu option there is to now avail.

I can buy a hard drive for around $410 ish from HP. HOWEVER, I would not have any idea how to install/configure it.

Has anyone had any experience with this happening or could provide advisement. I have only had this machine running for a couple of months and I would hate to scrap it. It was actually on a monthly service contract at its former home and was in good shape.
I appreciate any feedback you could offer.

 

[Morten CHristensen]

It has been a couple of years, but as far as I remember it was pretty straight forward, just a couple of prompts, sorry but can't remember for what... Be sure to get a version that is compatible with your main board or you will have to change that too, HP will know about this! If you are IT savy, then please make an image of the uninitialized hard drive always handy to have around.
Good luck

 

[Vassago]

Pretty easy to make an image with a pc.. In fact, you might just be experiencing an error.. Do the image so you have a backup of it's current state then attempt a file repair.. Just don't use the windows repair system as it'll just "Fix" files by turning them into .chk files. Most devices use a variety of Linux to operate as it makes it easy for them to design.. Equally that makes it easy to fix when things go wrong.

 

[Boston Uncommon]

It has been a couple of years, but as far as I remember it was pretty straight forward, just a couple of prompts, sorry but can't remember for what... Be sure to get a version that is compatible with your main board or you will have to change that too, HP will know about this! If you are IT savy, then please make an image of the uninitialized hard drive always handy to have around.
Good luck

Thank you so much for this info. Hate to admit that my challenge would begin with finding where the hard drive actually goes. (Oh boy, if that is not incriminating)

 

[Bonzai901]

Do you have pictures of the screen? I ran 2 FB700 for almost 10 years and there was a time when we had to reconfigure the Bios on the printer computer, technician recommended to replace the battery on the computer before doing all the work, I remember it was almost two pages of stuff, and we had to do it twice since the first time wasn't successful.

 

[Boston Uncommon]

Oh my. Don't have any telling photos of the screen other than the alerts for the configurations not completed. I did order the hard drive today so I would have it on hand as hoping to get advisement on getting it put in before damage to heads occurs due to them being exposed. I'll have to look at schematics to see what comes apart to even locate where the existing hard drive is located.