» Contact HP


hp.com home


Troubleshooting

 

How do I?

Expand all | Collapse all
 
» Product specifications  
» Regulatory statements
» Software license agreement
» Warranty
Print this page
Content starts here
 Select a topic

Note: If your problem is not listed, consult the HP support web site at www.hp.com/support.

Your network cannot find the HP Media Vault

Check all cords, cables and outlets

  1. Make sure all devices on your network are correctly installed and the cables are connected to the proper ports.
  2. Check the voltage switch on the back of the media vault to ensure that it is set correctly.
  3. Make sure you press in the power button until you feel the button “click.” Failure to press in the button far enough can cause the media vault to automatically power itself off after starting.
  4. Make sure your router has power.
  5. Restart your router (or unplug and plug it back in).
  6. Restart all the devices on your network, including your computers and the media vault.
  7. If you’re using your own Ethernet cable, try using the Ethernet cable that came with the media vault.

Check the LED lights on the front of the HP Media Vault

  • The OK LED light OK icon should be green.
  • The Link LED Link icon should be green.
  • The Warning LED should be off (no color).

If the Link LED is not green and/or the Warning LED is yellow Yellow warning icon or red Red warning icon, ensure that you have gone through steps 1-7 above. If you are still experiencing problems, use the following guidelines to help you troubleshoot the problem.

Ensure that your router is correctly configured for DHCP

Your HP Media Vault comes automatically set to use a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server to dynamically assign IP addresses. Your router usually comes with a built in DHCP server.

  • Ensure that your router has the DHCP server correctly enabled. Check the documentation that came with your router for instructions on proper DHCP server configuration.

Ensure your network is set up properly for TCP/IP

  1. Click Start, Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Network Connections.
  3. Right-click Local Area Connection (LAN) if your PC is connected via Ethernet cable to your network or right-click Wireless Network Connection if you are using a wireless network.
  4. Click Properties. In the dialog box that opens, check to ensure that TCP/IP is listed and selected.
    • If TCP/IP is not listed, click Install, Protocol, Add. In the dialog box that appears, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
    • If TCP/IP is listed and checked, highlight it and click Properties, then select Obtain IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically.
  5. Check all the computers on your network to ensure that Obtain IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically are selected. (All computers should be set identically.)

Ensure your network has the correct NetBIOS set up

  1. Click Start, Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Network connections.
  3. Double-click your default network connection. (For example, Local Area Connection for wired networks and Wireless for wireless connections.)
  4. Click Properties.
  5. Highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
  6. Click Properties.
  7. Click Advanced.
  8. Click the WINS tab.
  9. NetBIOS settings are found at the bottom of the dialog box. Make sure that the NetBIOS setting is NOT set to Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.

Ensure that you have connected the HP Media Vault to the correct network adapter

  • Do you have multiple network adapters connected to different physical networks? If so, enable the network adapter on the network that you have attached the media vault, and disable the other network adapters. On laptops you can typically turn off the wireless network radio to disable that adapter.

 

You receive firewall blocking messages

If you update Windows XP to the most recent software and service packs, it is likely that you've installed the Windows Firewall. You might also have another firewall program installed on your PC. Firewalls block certain types of communications between various network devices. This helps protect your data from hackers, viruses, spyware, and Trojan-horse software.

The media vault comes with software applications that must communicate over the network, but sometimes these programs are blocked, by default, by a firewall. When this happens, security alerts pop up on your screen. Security alert dialog boxes usually have a list of possible options. For example, the dialog box might ask you the following three questions:

  1. Click Keep Blocking.
  2. Click Unblock.
  3. Defer the choice and be reminded later.

If you see a security alert dialog for an HP Media Vault application or an NTI backup application, you should unblock the communication to permit the application to run. You are safe to unblock the communications because you are not enabling any connection or communication with the Internet, only between the media vault and its software applications.

The following list comprises the software applications that need to communicate with the media vault:

  • HPMVTray.exe – HP Media Vault System Tray utility
  • NASSelector.exe – HP Media Vault Browse utility
  • NASDriveMapper.exe – HP Media Vault Drive Mapping utility
  • Cddib32.exe – NTI DriveBackup!
  • Shadow.exe – NTI Shadow
  • HPEZBKUP.exe – HP Easy Backup

If any software is reinstalled, moved to a new disk location, or if the application is deleted from the exception list using the Security Center control panel, communications between that software and the media vault may once again be blocked by the firewall.

 

You're unable to stream media to your entertainment center

  1. Make sure that your HP Media Vault is powered up and working before you power up your Digital Media Adapter (DMA).
  2. Check to make sure that your DMA supports the DLNA/UPnP protocols, which are the protocols supported by the media vault. Some DMAs use proprietary protocols that do not operate with the media vault’s media server. For a list of compatible DMAs, consult the HP support web site at www.hp.com/support.
  3. Ensure that your DMA is using the latest firmware revision. Consult your DMA documentation for more information on updating its firmware.
  4. The media vault’s media server supports the playback of the following file types:
  5. Video: .mpg | .wmv | .mp4 | .avi | .asf | .mov | .vob | .mpe | .ts | .dvr-ms | .m2v | .mpeg | .m2p | .divx | .xvidv.dat | .m1v | .m4v
  6. Music: .mp3 | .ogg | .wav | .lpcm | .pcm | .wma | .mp2 | .ac3 | .m4a | .aac | .mpa | .mp1 | .aif
  7. Photo: .jpg | .jpeg | .png | .tif | .tiff | .bmp | .gif
  8. Note: Some DMAs have playback restrictions for certain types of multimedia files. Check your DMA documentation for supported and unsupported file types.
  9. New multimedia files can take a considerable amount of time to show up on your DMA. The streaming process requires the media vault’s media server to scan through new multimedia files to gather information, such as artist names, song titles, video names, and so on. This process often takes a long time—especially if there are a large number of files. Once the scanning process completes, you will see the files on your DMA.
  10. Reset the media streaming database. For more information, see Reset media streaming.

 

You prefer to set static IP Addresses

If you have a router with a DHCP server properly configured, the DHCP server automatically (dynamically) assigns an IP address to the media vault. When you install the media vault, it waits for your router to automatically assign it an IP address. If the router fails to assign an IP address, the media vault automatically uses the following IP address and subnet mask:

  • Auto IP address: 169.254.xxx.xxx
  • Subnet mask: 255.255.0.0

You may prefer to assign static IP addresses. To assign the media vault a static IP address:

  1. Turn on the DHCP server in your router. Consult your router documentation for more information.
  2. Ensure that the IP addresses assigned by your router are within the same subnet as your other network devices.
  3. Restart your router and the media vault.
  4. Double-click the HP Media Vault icon on your desktop.
  5. Click Customize your HP Media Vault’s settings.
  6. If the Welcome screen appears, click Configure Device.
  7. Click the Network Settings tab.
  8. Click the Manually Configure IP Settings option.
  9. In the IP Address box, enter a unique IP address.
  10. Click Accept.
  11. In the Subnet Mask box, enter the subnet.
  12. Reconfigure your router back to its original settings.
  13. Restart your media vault.

 

Restoring a mirrored volume

A mirrored volume is a volume that protects sensitive data by keeping two copies of your data on separated physical hard disks. This insures that if a hard disk failure occurs, all the data on the volume is still intact and the volume is still available for reading and writing. But your data will no longer be protected by a redundant copy.

When one half of a mirrored volume is missing from the device, or has failed, you should restore the missing or failed disk as soon as possible.

Removing a mirror

Removing a mirror does not destroy the entire volume, but only one of the redundant copies.

To remove a mirrored volume that you no longer want or need, see Remove a Mirror.

Mirror rebuilding when one of the disks has been removed, then reconnected

If one disk containing a volume mirror is disconnected, mirroring is interrupted. Reconnecting the same disk causes the mirror to completely rebuild. Once that same disk is reconnected to the media vault, a mirrored volume will automatically begin rebuilding. You do not need to take any action to force the rebuild to occur. However, please be aware that while this rebuilding operation is taking place, your data is not protected with a redundant copy. Also be aware that the mirror rebuild may take many hours.

Mirror restoration when a disk (other than the SYSTEM disk) has failed

When a disk (other than the SYSTEM disk) for a mirrored volume fails, the media vault will raise a system tray alert that warns you of the loss of data redundancy. To restore the device to the same level of protection, you must remove the failed hard disk and replace it with a new, working disk. However, the device will not presume that the new disk was attached to recreate the missing half. To re-establish a mirror, you must first remove the mirror from the hard disk that failed (see Remove a Mirror). Ensure that you do not remove the "good" half of the mirrored volume. Only remove the mirror from the failed disk.

You must now go through the process of creating a new mirror using the new hard disk. (See Create a Mirror.)

 

Troubleshoot a printer attached to the HP Media Vault

Problems with installing a printer to media vault —Printer driver not listed

This troubleshooting solution describes what to do if you are trying to configure a network printer and your printer is not listed in the Windows Add a Printer dialog box, as described in the instructions for Installing a printer.

If your printer is not listed in the Add a Printer dialog box, visit the HP Customer Care Support Web site at www.hp.com/support. The HP Media Vault support section includes a comprehensive list of the printers that have been tested with the media vault. This list is constantly being updated.

If your printer has been found to support networking, you can locate its printer driver in the following ways:

  • From your computer's system files.
  • From the installation disc that came with your printer.
  • From the printer manufacturer's support web site.

Installing a printer driver from your computer's system files:

These instructions continue from Step 2: Configure the printer driver in Install a printer.

  1. In the Add Printer Wizard dialog box, click Have Disk....
  2. In the Install From Disk dialog box, click Browse....
  3. Locate the .inf file for your printer. For example: C: printer_manufacturer\drivers\your_printer.inf.
  4. Select the appropriate.inf file, and then click Open.
  5. Note: If you select the wrong file, a message box appears saying that the specified location does not contain information about your hardware.
  6. In the Install From Disk dialog box, click OK.
  7. Your printer should be listed in the Printer pane of the Add Printer dialog box. Click Next.
  8. To complete the installation, follow the instructions in the dialog boxes that appear.

Installing a printer driver from the printer installation disc:

These instructions continue from step 2: Configure the printer driver in Install a printer.

  1. If the Add Printer Wizard is open, close it.
  2. Insert the printer disc into your computer's CD/DVD drive.
  3. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen to install the printer software.
  4. After the printer software is installed, go to Install a printer for instructions on attaching your printer to the media vault.

Installing a printer driver from the support area of your printer manufacturer:

These instructions continue from step 2: Configure the printer driver in Install a printer.

  1. If the Add Printer Wizard is open, close it.
  2. Open a web browser and navigate to your printer manufacturer's support web site. For example http://www.hp.com/support.
  3. Find the driver for the model of your printer and operating system, such as Windows XP.
  4. Follow the instructions that the printer manufacture provides. Depending on the manufacturer, you can install the printer software directly from the support site or download an installation file.
  5. After the printer software is installed, go to Install a printer for instructions on attaching your printer to the media vault.

 

Troubleshoot User's Guide

What are the minimum browser requirement needed by the online User's Guide?

For best results, use the latest version of browser with JavaScript enabled. See instructions below:

The navigation menu does not appear in the browser window

JavaScript is not enabled in your web browser.

To enable JavaScript in Internet Explorer 6.0:

Internet Explorer 6.0 or later is required for this product.

  1. Go to Tools, Internet Options.
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. Click Default Level. This sets the level to Medium and enables javascript.
  4. To enable only javascript:
    1. Click Custom Level.
    2. In the Security Settings window scroll down until you get to the section called Scripting (near the bottom).
    3. In the category Active scripting, select Enable.
    4. In the Security Settings window, click OK.
  5. In the Internet Options window, click OK.

To enable Javascript in Firefox:

  • Go to Tools, Options, and then select Enable Javascript.

To enable Javascript in Netscape:

These instructions apply to Netscape 8.1.

  1. Go to Tools, Options.
  2. In the Options window, click Site Controls.
  3. In the Master Settings pane, click I trust this Site.
  4. Click OK.

To enable JavaScript in Safari:

These instructions apply to Safari 1.2.

  1. Go to Safari, Preferences.
  2. Click the Security icon.
  3. In the Web Content pane, click the Enable JavaScript checkbox.
  4. Close the window.

The menu appears garbled after resizing the text

Refresh the screen.

» Back to top
Feedback about this guide