Robert in CA wrote:
I should be OK now with my backups and Mrimgs etc. Although since I put
the 2TB #4 in the 8500 it means I only have the #3 hd as a spare and the 1TB .
The 780 has a 2TB hd plus (2) spares #1 and #2.

However, I should be able to create clones now without the activation problem
is that correct? The problem is will the external connect to create a clone?

That can wait till later though,... I don't want to start causing problems after we
spent so much time on getting everything fixed. Maybe if I have to use #3 I'll
create more then. I may buy more HD's just in case though.

Robert

I think your universe has reached a state of quasi-stability,
requiring that you "knock on wood".

The backspace key will have to wait I guess, until one of
your applications admits it's been naughty...

The thing with the activation problem, comes with no guarantees.
The test cases indicate the outcome is a coin flip. Could
go one way, or the other. But at least you know how to fix it now.

I would consider your current stock of 1TB and 2TB materials,
to be "boot disks". If something from the pool fails, you move
to the next one. It might take some time, before you burn through
all of them. Perhaps your next disk can be a larger capacity one,
but be warned, that the larger the disk is, the longer maintenance
takes on it. Like if you need to clean off a disk to make room
for something, that can take all day to finish on a big drive.

I have a number of disks that are "retired", but they have not
stopped spinning. Your current supply of disks should last for
a while, based on the failure statistics of mine. The last disk
that just "died" on me, was a 40GB Maxtor IDE (I actually had more
than one of those fail).

Paul