Cannot Initialise Drives!!!!! - Investigating Problems with Disks https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/ SoftRAID Discussion Board en-US Sun, 26 Apr 2026 18:11:55 +0000 wpForo 60 RE: Cannot Initialise Drives!!!!! https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13140 Sun, 05 Dec 2021 23:07:59 +0000 The SoftRAID driver is loading now, so this should be working easily.

When you manually unmount the volumes (or command e to eject), do they unmount?

If you can unmount them, they should be initializable.

]]> Investigating Problems with Disks SoftRAID Support https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13140 RE: Cannot Initialise Drives!!!!! https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13138 Sun, 05 Dec 2021 20:48:29 +0000 Ahhhh

On a hunch, I used SoftRAID to unmount the last 2 drives, then tried to initialise them from an unmounted state, each one mounted and initialised perfectly.

I now have all 4 done an day new volume created.

Many thanks for the assist, really appreciated especially on a weekend.

 

Robin

]]> Investigating Problems with Disks Robster https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13138 RE: Cannot Initialise Drives!!!!! https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13137 Sun, 05 Dec 2021 20:44:18 +0000 Hmmmmm, ALMOST!!!!!

Gave Full Disk Access and then tried to initialise the 4 disks.

The first 2 initialised perfectly, the last 2 did not and came back with the same error!

Now I am totally confused.

New report attached.

REALLY appreciate the help and support.


Robin

 

1116]]> Investigating Problems with Disks Robster https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13137 RE: Cannot Initialise Drives!!!!! https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13134 Sun, 05 Dec 2021 19:14:53 +0000 @robster

Give the SoftRAID app Full Disk Access (System Preferences/Security/Privacy/Full Disk access.

 

Try again and if it still gives the same error, send another support file.

]]> Investigating Problems with Disks SoftRAID Support https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13134 RE: Cannot Initialise Drives!!!!! https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13127 Sun, 05 Dec 2021 07:21:25 +0000  

File attached.  I tried to attach a screenshot of my SoftRAID window but it won't allow it.

 

It shows quite clearly that all 4 drives are not associated to a volume and are not initialised by SoftRAID.

]]> Investigating Problems with Disks Robster https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13127 RE: Cannot Initialise Drives!!!!! https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13126 Sun, 05 Dec 2021 02:21:34 +0000 @robster

You need to attach a SoftRAID support file so I can take a look,

]]> Investigating Problems with Disks SoftRAID Support https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13126 RE: Cannot Initialise Drives!!!!! https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13121 Sat, 04 Dec 2021 21:24:12 +0000 They are individual drives and not part of a volume, they cannot be part of a volume until they are initialised by SoftRAID. 

they are not part of or associated to Time Machine. 

]]> Investigating Problems with Disks Robster https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13121 RE: Cannot Initialise Drives!!!!! https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13120 Sat, 04 Dec 2021 20:46:12 +0000 @robster

Manually unmount the volumes first. Make sure you are using 6.2.

If that is not working, delete them from Time Machine.

]]> Investigating Problems with Disks SoftRAID Support https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13120 RE: Cannot Initialise Drives!!!!! https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13119 Sat, 04 Dec 2021 20:01:51 +0000 Hi

I think you may have missed part of my message.

The drives are not part of a volume and the drives are already Apple formatted on another Mac.

In Softraid they are showing as individual HFS formatted drives, not associated with any kind of volume.

This worked the first time and I was able to initialise them with SoftRAID and start to build a volume until the enclosure lost power.

So I moved them to anther computer again and reformatted the drives again in Apple format (HFS) but now they won't initialise in SoftRAID.

Any other ideas please?

 

Robin

 

]]> Investigating Problems with Disks Robster https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13119 RE: Cannot Initialise Drives!!!!! https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13116 Sat, 04 Dec 2021 19:46:10 +0000 If SoftRAID is telling you the volume is busy (and you are running 6.2), then Time machine is hanging onto the volume.

I assume you tried manually unmounting the volume first?

 

A workaround if you are stuck is remove all drives not associated with this volume (just pull them out slightly from the enclosure)

Now, uninstall SoftRAID driver, restart.

Run Disk Utility and erase them (choosing HFS is best) (Do not let them be used as Time Machine when asked)

Run SoftRAID, install the driver, "Allow" OWC and restart.

Now you can erase them with SoftRAID.

]]> Investigating Problems with Disks SoftRAID Support https://forums.softraid.com/investigating-problems-with-disks/cannot-initialise-drives/#post-13116