Connect disk to 8.1 system, make spare and zero it. Then you can move it to previous versions. There is no other known workaround.

From: toasters-bounces@teaparty.net [mailto:toasters-bounces@teaparty.net] On Behalf Of R M
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2014 2:51 PM
To: toasters@teaparty.net
Subject: DOT 8.1 disk in a DOT 7.3 filer

Gents,

My Google-fu is exhausted. I am trying to use disks from an 8.1.3 system in a 7.3.7 filer. I am aware of the disk label problem and I have tried the half-dozen step process (documented in several places) for re-labeling the drives. I'm not able to wipe the label from the drives due to the following:

*> label wipe 0a.17

Error: label wipe not permitted as the disk has a bad RAID version.

*>label makespare 0a.17

*********************************************************

Label editing is highly dangerous and should be attempted

ONLY by NetApp Customer Support Engineers.

Misuse can cause ALL data to be permanently lost.

*********************************************************

'Label save': Error while trying to save Label 1 on disk 0a.17: error 15.

I get this in both diag mode and when booted into maintenance mode. Any ideas?