New Mac Studio M2. SoftRaid 8.3. ThunderBay Flex8. All Volumes Disappeared Waking Up - Not A Good Start!

Posted by: @softraid-support

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@guitarflex 
I would try to RMA all 4 blades, to get the other 3 with firmware updates, which I believe there are for your blades. It may help with the disks disappearing issues.

Just realized I had not clarified this with you so need to ask. The dead blade is a P12. I believe the two newer blades are Aura Pro IV (2280) --- does your firmware update recommendation apply to both models? 

@guitarflex 

Probably not, but ask your rep. they will have access to all the suitable documentation. Its my understanding that only the P12 might need updating.

@guitarflex 

Your clarification indicates its unlikely you need to update the other two. Again, the CS rep you speak with should know. I am not in the loop for that kind of information.

@softraid-support UPS dropped off the blades last night at 8pm (never got a tracking notice or update it was on the way but was patient so I left everyone alone). Final verdict is the dead P12 was replaced. The other two Aura Pro IVs are still in the shuttle, so they must have checked it all out and decided those did not need firmware updates.

Thanks again for your help through the first half of this year. The extent of the time-loss continues to amaze and stagger me looking into Memorial Day weekend but I am hopeful now that perhaps at last I can pick up what pieces remain that can be recovered in in terms of views, algorithms, visibility, and getting out of the deep red financial hole from going backwards on website and video hosting for a product that was largely abandoned for 6 months beginning last December. Yourself and Jeremy over in service are the two who got me through it. Without either of you, I would have given up entirely. 

I'm hopeful this will be my last update for a very long time. Thank you. 

(please update me when the Largest Free Block 18.4 - problem with the software is resolved. Until then I'll use the workaround solutions). 

@guitarflex 

I was just wondering how you were progressing. Good to know.

If we can fix the 18.4, I will certainly let you know.

@softraid-support Just logged on here again after checking on my license status/renewal date. Many thanks for all your help last year. Without any lack of gratitude or graciousness (I'm very thankful), honestly it was so emotionally and time draining that midway through 2025 I just sort of forgot about everything and largely gave up trying. I still kept making some videos but the YouTube numbers and website definitely took a decline because I had so little left. That said, success or failure is still my responsibility and there is no blame in my heart over it. I'm thankful for what you and OWC did to try to help. 

I was thankful to remember the gracious SoftRAID license extension given back then and hemorrhaged money a week ago for one last year of annual site hosting. Now I need to decide if I'm going to renew my SoftRAID license mid Feb coming up. Haven't made a YouTube video since November or even logged onto YouTube since. 

So legitimately I had forgotten the 18.4 problem until checking logging back onto this thread. I never updated the macOS on the new Studio after rolling back one year ago but will probably upgrade now over the coming few days to a newer one. 

The disks the 18.4 issue was happening with are stored away in the closet. If I renew my license mid Feb. was anything ever fixed?

@guitarflex 

I cannot find the correct slot to post this....
I finally figured out the 18.4 issue. Its a minor SoftRAID user interface but, but primarily a "user error".
the problem comes when you have a fully partitioned disk adn you try to create a NEW volume, despite that. Note that your 4TB that "show this problem", only have 134MB unpartitioned space. You cannot create a volume out of that, the disks do not always support it.
If you either delete the existing volumes, or resize them smaller so there is say 5GB free space, then you will not see this error.

Follow?

@softraid-support Thanks, I'll have to review this thread and take a closer look in a week or few to even remind myself (just remembered it when seeing your post from last May after logging on here). It's all real, I just sort of blocked things out for awhile and forgot a lot. That said, the SoftRAID renewal price was entirely reasonable so I'm inclined to keep it going one more year. 

If I don't follow after reviewing later on I'll check back in.

Reviewing the thread and looking back, I sort of remember now. Again, it's been so long and I got so burned out that I may not be remembering correctly but seem to recall the 18.4 behavior occurring after disk certification when going to create a new volume. At some point I'll have to swap disks and take a fresh look. If that yields an update worth reporting I'll update this thread later. 

@guitarflex 

I did some research to figure this out and it is a diffference in how drives report trailing space. I did manage to see it, not in the SoftRAID user interface, but in your configuration, trying to create a volume and the drives were already fullly partitioned. (that was the part I missed where I never saw this in my testing)
So I am confident this is not a bug that affects anything, it will only show up if you are trying to create a volume, where minimal free space is remaining. (less than 10GB)

Posted by: @softraid-support

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@guitarflex 

I did some research to figure this out and it is a diffference in how drives report trailing space. I did manage to see it, not in the SoftRAID user interface, but in your configuration, trying to create a volume and the drives were already fullly partitioned. (that was the part I missed where I never saw this in my testing)
So I am confident this is not a bug that affects anything, it will only show up if you are trying to create a volume, where minimal free space is remaining. (less than 10GB)

I really need the time to revisit this to make sure I'm not remembering wrong and wasting your time so I'm reticent to ask before then, but based on my hazy memory and trying to make sure I'm understanding your reply, here is the immediate question that springs to mind: How could a disk be partitioned following certification when creating a new volume? 

What I really need is the time to load the Seagate disks this was happening with, confirm I can say goodbye to all the data on one (or several) of the disks, and play around to jog my memory.

@guitarflex 

I opened your support file, which was the state of your system when you had the problem. You were complaining about the 18.4, in THAT condition. What I did not realize was you were complaining about seeing it, but not in the main window, where I expected it, but in the "new volume" dialog box. I was able to try to create a "new" volume, and saw the 18.4 on your configuration. and, the 4 disks were "fully partitioned.

So you can replicate this easily. Just select your 4 drives, select "New Volume" and just look in that dialog box. You will see two disks with 134MB available and 2 with "18.4" no units, just as you complained.

Don't actually "create" the volume, just cancel. But that is your bug. and there is a proper explanation for it. You will never see that 18.4 on a newly initialized disk, with no volume on it. That is why I never saw it. 

I consider this "case closed". If you want to settle your mind, try opening the new volume dialog box and you will see it again.

@softraid-support Thanks for this clarification. It makes me feel really badly to see the word complaining so many times, like I screwed up or something. I hope you always know how grateful I remain for your help last year.

@guitarflex 
Its all good. You had a problem and I did not know what was going on, but finally understood it.  ;-)

@softraid-support Thanks (as you can probably tell I don't log on every day now). I DO intend to renew my SoftRAID license which I need to look at the expiration date on again but is sometime this Feb. 2026. Last time I didn't renew (I think from 5 to 6) I waited too long (several months) and forfeited the renewal price so it was a new purchase price later on to get back in. What do I need to do in order to avoid that happening this time? Does it need to be renewed before the current license expires, or is there a week or two window afterwards? (It may actually be on autopay but in certain cases I try to time purchases to when statements cut/reset on charge cards).