FreeBSD 7.0 - error: wrong disk geometry

Hello!
I have a question to FreeBSD experts...

I am trying to tune up ftp-server for local use in our organization. I have installed FreeBSD 7.0 on common PC (P4, Intel D865PERL), everything was OK. I've chosen two Seagate ST3500320AS as ftp-data carriers, I've had an idea to create RAID1 via gmirror.
But when I try to add one of these drives to the mirror, system shows me an error: "Can't store metadata on /dev/ad4s1: Operation not permitted", similar error appears when I try to create/change a slice using fdisk.
I found out that problem, most likely, is with disk geometry or with FreeBSD's representation of it... (I think that because sysinstall shows me alert every time I try to make some changes in HDD partition table). When I start fdisk via sisinstall, it tells me that my disk's geometry is 969021/16/63, but it is wrong and sysinstall recommends me this one: 60801/255/63 (and I have to say, that this geometry is announced by disk manufacturer)

Does anyone have any suggestion how to solve this issue?
 
hunter_lv said:
I am trying to tune up ftp-server for local use in our organization. I have installed FreeBSD 7.0 on common PC (P4, Intel D865PERL), everything was OK. I've chosen two Seagate ST3500320AS as ftp-data carriers, I've had an idea to create RAID1 via gmirror.
But when I try to add one of these drives to the mirror, system shows me an error: "Can't store metadata on /dev/ad4s1: Operation not permitted", similar error appears when I try to create/change a slice using fdisk.
Do # sysctl kern.geom.debugflags=17 and try again.

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/handbook/geom-mirror.html

I found out that problem, most likely, is with disk geometry or with FreeBSD's representation of it... (I think that because sysinstall shows me alert every time I try to make some changes in HDD partition table). When I start fdisk via sisinstall, it tells me that my disk's geometry is 969021/16/63, but it is wrong and sysinstall recommends me this one: 60801/255/63 (and I have to say, that this geometry is announced by disk manufacturer)
You can safely ignore it.
 
I have already tried to set this flag to 16, as described in sysinstall hint, but result was the same, system returned me an error: "Can't store metadata on /dev/ad4: Operation not permitted".
The same situation with value "17"... May be I should give some additional information?
 
Are you creating the mirror first? Is there anything on the "to be mirrored" disk?

Try setting up one disk first, once that's done enable mirroring.
 
As I understand, I have to create bsd-slice first... actually, I can't manage this disks at all, system all the time returns me such errors.
Disks are new (completely free).
 
[important offtopic]

This may have nothing to do with slicing and gmirror, but said that you recently got those drives, I felt necessary to give you a heads up.

I'm sorry to tell you this, but the hdd model you mentioned is famous with its firmare problems [1]. Check your firmware version with:

Code:
 atacontrol list
It should show you something like:
Code:
ad0 <ST3500320AS/SD1A> SATA revision 2.x

In the example above the firmware version is "SD1A". If it is different on your drives, then either contact your hardware support or flash the firmware [2] by yourself at your own risk.

[1] http://www.google.com/search?q=ST3500320AS+problem

[2] http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/crm/selfservice/search.jsp?DocId=207951
 
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