Help needed - Drobo/Mac/Lost Files

[oogabooga]

Okay, so I need some computer help. I've got a Drobo, formatted HFS+, that I was using to store a lot of my goodies (2.8TB worth). The Drobo was usually connected to my HTPC running Windows XP - I used MacDrive to access the Drobo. Occasionally I would swtich the Drobo to my Mac to transfer files directly.

I recently noticed that some of my files weren't working on the PC - I would play videos in VLC and nothing would happen, etc. When I connected the Drobo to my Mac, they would play. Now, I've discovered that some files "work" when Drobo is connected to the PC but not the Mac, others work when connected to the Mac but not to the PC, and some files don't work in either mode.

I've tried Disk Utility, Disk Warrior, and calling Drobo for support - nothing has worked yet. I'm near my wits' end, and the only option left is to find some more hard drives and verify each file on the PC and the Mac and transfer over what I can - a process that would probably take me an entire weekend. Can anyone think of anything that I haven't tried yet?

[manaox2]

Intensely checking that data would take a weekend anyway I would think. I have used a nice program called HDD Regenerator to check and regenerate any bad sectors it found to recover bad disks before. Maybe check for fragmentation?

[Currawong]

Tried Data Rescue III?

What exactly happened when you tried DiskWarrior?

I used MacDrive to access the Drobo.

For future reference, never ever do this.

I'd fairly recommend pulling all the data off, re-formatting and starting again. Their is no other solution that will be reliable.

[oogabooga]

Thanks Manaox and CW. I'll give both those programs a try. Diskwarrior didn't do much of anything - it found a couple errors in the directory and rebuilt it, but that was about it. The whole process took five minutes or so.

I do think it's a directory and not a hardware problem, as the file pointers seem to be messed up. For example, when I double-click on one of my movie .ts files (HD transport stream), it opens, but the content being played is from some television episode also on the Drobo, in another folder.

Not touching MacDrive again... ever.

Sadly pulling/reformatting/restarting isn't an option (don't have the drive space) but you're right, it's the best solution. If those programs don't work I'll have to just hope for the best after rebuilding the directory, etc.

[tkam]

Why not get network attachment for the Drobo, then you can just use it as a regular NAS. Instead of screwing around w/ something like macdrive.