MSI 655 - Raid became inaccessible

[sdollins]

I just put together my new system today - MSI 655 Max motherboard - installed two identical new 80GB Seagate serial HDDs - everything started up just great - got the Raid 0 set up, installed WinXP and was busily installing software and devices (sound card, USB mouse, etc) when at one of the reboots I got the message "No array is defined". I had probably rebooted a dozen times without incident prior to this.

When I go in to set the array back up - whether I try to use auto-setup or to redefine the array - when I go to save I get the message "Error occurred when modifying array" - and the only option from there is to hit any key to reboot and go back into the same loop.

Both drives show up on the menu to define the array - they show as being "free" and not assigned to an array. When I try to reassign them to an array and save I get the same error message. Basically any modification I try to make to the array or resetting in fails to save and reboots.

I have tried resetting my CMOS, clearing ESCD in BIOS, reconnecting all the SATA cables, removing all the peripherals I had added (sound card, etc) with no luck at all.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated - thanks.

 

[nwfsnake]

Version 1.1 of the bios(an update) says it fixes this.... Do you have 1.1 or 1.0?

 

[sdollins]

The board came with the version 1.1 bios already on it.

I am assuming that being unable to define or modify the array is a motherboard problem rather than a hard drive problem - is this correct?

 

[eclectro]

I do not know the details of the Raid chips on his board, but some Raids will not let you use a CDROM plugged in (even as slave). Does your manual mention this??

If anybody can throw light on this, I would appreciate it too.

I would like to buy this board, but I would like to find a b0 stepping.

BTW, what stepping is your board? Does it have a "Ready for HT sticker" ?

 

[theofilos]

I just bought the same motherboard. What memory do you use?

 

[sdollins]

I was able to install Windows XP from the CDRW drive onto the Raid during the hour or so it was working before the system started being unable to recognize the hard drive, so at least for a while it did work together with the CD drive. I'll try leaving out the CDRW and just keeping the DVD connected then again with both disconnected.

I bought the board assuming it was HT enabled only to find that like the majority of people mine does not support hyperthreading

I am using Corsair TwinXMS 3200 memory - two 512 MB - I have read that some others have had difficulty getting this memory to work - could that affect the ability for the BIOS to find the Raid? This is the first step in the boot up process after the memory check - maybe it's more of a memory issue than a motherboard/raid controller issue. Unfortunately I don't have any other memory around to test this out.

 

[Undesirable]

Hi,

I also have the MSI 655 MAX FISR.

Has anyone found a solution for this problem yet? I have not been able to do ANYTHING with my loverly Seagate SATA V Hard Drives. Not even install windows on them. I just get "Error occurred when modifying array.." whenever I try to set up Raid 0 (striping) in the Promise FastTrak Bios.
Also, if I try to make a Mirrored RAID array (Raid 1), it seems to just hang, although I can hear the drives being accessed. I waited about four hours before rebooting out of impatience. Surely it doesn't take over four hours to synchronise a mirrored RAID setup?

By the way I also have BIOS revision 1.1, which came already installed on the motherboard.

I've tried disabling all CD and DVD ROM Drives, as well as disabling ATA and the Floppy Drive, all without success.

I was hunting round for ages looking for the B0 revision of the 655 MAX. Frustratingly, when it arrived, my motherboard turned out to not be hyper-threading enabled. Even more annoyingly, the distributor I bought it from SPECIFICALLY STATED that it WAS HT ENABLED. Take a look for yourself:

http://www.tekheads.co.uk/site/product.do?productId=601514


It clearly stipulates: "HT-Ready Model" and "Note: 655 Max can support HT CPU with 655 B0 Chipset. You can identify by "HT ready" sticker on SB and colour BOX. "

The board they shipped me had no "HT ready" sticker on the box. Nor is there an option to enable it in the bios. When I phoned them about it, they just said "Sorry sir, but we thought our supplier had given us the correct models of the motherboard, when in fact they had not." Great excuse!

I KNEW I would end up getting duped!

Why MSI even RELEASED a NON-HT-ENABLED motherboard is completely beyond me.

 

[Undesirable]

Much needed <bump>.

 

[Slava]

Read the manual, there is HT that can be enabled. It's not called HT but something else.

 

[Undesirable]

Well i've tried just about every option in my BIOS, and Sisoft Sandra still reports HT as 'disabled'. So what the hell IS it called?

The 1.1 Bios says that there is also a Fast Writes option added to the bios, but i can't find that either.

Any ideas about the RAID problem?

 

[Undesirable]

Bah - Any solutions?

<bump>

 

[DIDCRYWOLF]

I have the exact same setup AND problems. HOw did you end up fixing it... All I read is RMA ASAP and replace away from MSI!


DCW

 

[Roots]

All that I can add is that I have had absolutely no problems with my 655 (which IS HT ready ) Maybe just mess around with things in the BIOS menu? I modified a lot of options before I even tried installing XP or anything. Oh, and I got my board from Newegg