Need help recovering RAID 0 Array after a reformat

[Dotay]

I just reformatted my computer (ASUS a78nx-e Deluxe with an onboard Silicon Image Sil 3112A SATA RAID Controller) that had 4 HD's in it. The first drive (40GB) C: has/had my Windows XP installation on it. My second drive (120GB) D: is just a storage drive. The third and fourth drives are 80GB SATA drives that were setup as a RAID 0 (non redundant) array. When I reformatted I only formatted the C: drive since I didn't want to lose data on either my D: or my RAID array.

Basically what I think I need to do is load up the drivers for my SATA RAID controller but I'm not exactly sure how to do it. I downloaded the new RAID drivers from Asus but the directions they give aren't very easy to follow and I'm afraid that I might goof something up and lose my data. Can anyone let me know the best way to load up the RAID drivers on a functioning XP install so I can retrieve a previous RAID array? Thanks.

--Dotay

 

[evilharp]

I had that board, and I never had luck with the Asus driver package (30gbs as I recall).

If you hit windows update, there should be an MS driver for the sil chipset that will give you the raid you are looking for. These should install automatically.

 

[brxndxn]

Dude.. so you have XP installed already on the 40gb drive, left you 2x80gb raid 0 intact? Just install the drivers normally. Go to the Asus website for that specific motherboard and download the raid drivers. Install like any other driver in xp.. boom, easy..


If that doesn't work, then chances are xp has the array as hidden. (Though, definitely make sure the driver is installed before you do this.) Go to control pannel, administrative tools, computer management, disk management.. and see if your raid 0 array is listed there. If it isn't, then it is NOT a driver issue; it is a hardware issue. If the array is listed, then try right-clicking it and seeing if you can set it as 'non-hidden' or assign it a drive letter.

There's a couple other things you can try. If you still have problems after installing the driver, lemme know. I have that same exact motherboard.

If the array is not listed in device manager or disk management, then PM me and I can attempt to walk you through getting it to show without you losing your data.

 

[Dotay]

OK, I went into the Disk Management tool last night and the array wasn't showing there. This is how I had originally anticipated having to reactivate the array but it didn't show up. Within the same tool (computer management) in the Device Manager it is showing the RAID controller with a ? beside it so I'm pretty sure that once I can figure out how to get the drivers installed properly it will work fine. I'm just being slightly cautious and want to do it properly because I don't want to lose all of that data. I took a picture of the RAID config utility and a screen shot of what the device manager shows as well as the disk management screen.

http://dotay.com/pics/raid1.jpg
http://dotay.com/pics/management.jpg
http://dotay.com/pics/raidprob.jpg

Thanks for the help thus far. I'm at work right now and this is an issue on my home computer. I'll try the suggestion of the windows update driver that evilharp suggested when I get home.

EDIT: I also wanted to add that I did go to ASUS's website and download the new drivers but their process for getting the array to show up involved unplugging the drives and having windows auto detect them that way. I'd really like to try another way first because this seems like a good way for me to lose all the data that I have on those drives...I'm probably just being paranoid but I figured I'd see if anyone here actually knew a different way other than this.

 

[Dotay]

Thanks evilharp that worked perfectly. Downloaded it from windows update and it auto installed and presto...the drives appeared.

 

[evilharp]

Originally posted by: Dotay
Thanks evilharp that worked perfectly. Downloaded it from windows update and it auto installed and presto...the drives appeared.

You're welcome. MS may be a pain, but their vanilla WHQL drivers can work wonders.