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  Asked: Mar 15 2008   4:49 PM GMT
  Asked by: Nickc1976

RAID Problems


Microsoft Windows, Hardware, Hard drives, Vista, RAID

Hi,

I have just built a system using a Gigabyte GA-73VM-S2 Motherboard using nVidia SATA Raid. I attached 2 500Gb Samsung SATA2 drives, downloaded the SATA Raid drivers for Vista from nVidia and created a Mirrored Raid array with them, then installed Windows Vista Business.

The install appeared to go OK, I was downloading Windows updates when the machine froze. I had to reboot the PC twice before it came back on again, when it did, an error message popped up in the system tray along the lines of "SATA Raid write error disk 0.2". This error flashed up a few times, so using the nVidia Raid software installed from the motherboard cd, I attempted to rebuild the array. This completed without any problems, but then the PC froze again.

This time, during bootup, it stopped on "Detecting Array", not discovering the array and not booting any further than this. Previously at this point, a "Healthy" array had been detected, then I was given the option to press F10 for the Raid options. I then powered the PC off, then on again, and when it reached the "Detecting Array" stage, the array flashed red showing the 2 disks as a degraded array.

I then deleted the array, then re-created it and re-installed Vista. At the first point that Vista rebooted, the boot up stopped and froze, displaying "Detecting Array" but getting no further.

Can anyone help with this? I have installed Raid arrays previously using XP and Server 2003 without any problems - they have always just worked before. My initial thoughts are a faulty disk.

Thanks

Nick

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Last Answered: Mar 15 2008  6:20 PM GMT  by Mrdenny




If the RAID controller keeps saying that the array is bad than it's either a bad RAID controller (in this case motherboard) or bad disks.

Try installing without the RAID array just with two standalone disks. If this doesn't give you any problems then it's probably the RAID controller on the board. If it does then it's probably a bad disk or disks.
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Pressler2904  |   Mar 17 2008  5:09PM GMT

You can check the integrity of your HDD’s with one of two utilities available from Samsung: SHDIAG or HUTIL (depending upon which model HDD you are using). Run the diag program on each drive separately after formatting the drive(s).

Also, check the cables and connections

To my experience (not with nVidia silicon, however), a bad RAID controller, if it even recognizes the the drive(s), will not usually create an :new” array.

 

Nickc1976  |   Mar 18 2008  10:03AM GMT

I downloaded HUtil from Samsung’s website and ran it on both disks. Straight away it found multiple errors on one of the disks. I took it back to my supplier, who tested it, and also found errors, and replaced it for me.

I have now re-created the array using my replacement disk, re-installed Windows and everything appears to be working fine.

Thanks for your help.

Nick

 

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