How to troubleshoot Event ID 9, Event ID 11, and Event ID 15 error messages?
Question
The Windows System Log shows the following error messages:
Event ID: 9
Source: drivername
Description: The device, \Device\ScsiPortx, did not respond within the timeout period.
Event ID: 11
Source: drivername
Description: The driver detected a controller error on Device\ScsiPortx.
Event ID: 15
Source: drivername
Description: The device, \Device\ScsiPortx, is not ready for access yet.
How can these errors be resolved?
This information applies to the following Operating System(s):
- Windows XP
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows 2000
Answer
In most of the cases that we have seen, these error messages are being posted due to problems with the device attached to the SCSI controller.
First please make sure that the latest driver and BIOS for the SCSI Controller is installed. Check the download area for the latest versions.
If the device attached is a 80-pin SCA Disk Drive, please see Answer ID 511.
If the device attached is a tape drive, tape library, or scanner change the following settings in the SCSISelect (BIOS) Utility:
Enter SCSISelect by pressing "Ctrl-A" during the boot sequence of the system.
On SCSI Controllers with 2 channels, select the appropriate channel.
Go to "Configure/View Host Adapter Settings".
If the SCSI Controller does not have the system boot device attached, disable the BIOS. On SCSI Controllers with 2 channels, the BIOS of the channel that does not have the boot device, can be disabled. To do this, go to "Advanced Configuration" and set "SCSI Controller Int 13 Support" to "Disabled". If you boot from a SCSI device attached with the SCSI controller, leave the SCSI Controller Int 13 Support" at "Enabled".
Under "Advanced Configuration" set "Domain Validation" to "Disabled". Press Esc to exit.
Go to "SCSI Device Configuration".
For the SCSI ID of the device in question, set "Initiate Wide Negotiation" to "No". This will automatically change the "Sync Transfer Rate" to 40MB/s, "Packetized" to "No", "QAS" to "No", and "BIOS Multiple LUN Support" to "No". BIOS Multiple LUN Support can be changed back to "Yes" if needed.
For the SCSI ID of the device in question, set "Enable Disconnection" to "No".
For the SCSI ID of the device in question, set "Send Start Unit Command" to "No".
Press Esc twice to exit, save the changes.
Press Esc again, exit the utility and reboot the system.
After it has been verified that the error messages in the Windows Event Log do not appear anymore, the BIOS settings can be changed back one by one and step by step.
In general, the hardware problems can be associated with poor cabling, incorrect termination or transfer rate settings, lazy or slow device responses, or a faulty device. See Microsoft Knowledgebase Article Q154690 for more information.
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