Ugh!!! Raid Array went **POOF**

[ScissorClaw]

Okay, I seem to have a problem here. I was doing some overclocking last night and apparently pushed my rig a bit too far. It locked up and the screen went blank. Upon rebooting, it got to the "detecting raid array" portion and hung for a second or two longer than usual, than it said in onlt the way a computer can say "NO RAID ARRAY DEFINED, PRESS F1 TO CREATE AN ARRAY". I guess I lost everything on the two drives. I did do a complete image backup a week or two ago, but have since downloaded a ton of stuff, not to mention alot of games have been put on there. This is the first time this happened to me.
just wanted to know if recreating the array is essentialy the same as formatting. Will I lose all my data (if I haven't already) when I recreate the array?

Gigabyte 8PE667 Ultra
2xWD 40 GB 8MB Buffer Hard Drives in a RAID 0 Array
P4 2.4b

 

[Sheriff]

Yes the Data will be gone by recreating so chalk this 1 up for lessoned learned to back-up more often.

 

[Markfw]

Yup, bye bye to everything you haven't backed up (sorry) This has happened to me twice, and I learned the hard way not to plug/unplug even a fan while the power is on, that is how I lost my data (but I had it backed up). After you re-create the raid you will still have to create partitions(s) and format (them). If you are installing XP, just boot, create the array, then press F6 at the appropriate time to load the raid drivers, and continue to install.

Good luck

 

[techfuzz]

Try resetting the CMOS before you you do anything drastic to the drives. I've had my raid array disappear too when overclocking and resetting the CMOS and rebooting fixed it and it was able to find it again.

techfuzz

 

[sharkeeper]

Gigabyte 8PE667 Ultra
2xWD 40 GB 8MB Buffer Hard Drives in a RAID 0 Array

These drives are on the Promise PDC-2076 controller?

CRITICAL! Do you remember what stripe size you created? This probably is a non issue because you are most likely running a standard BIOS which would have the MB133 Fastrak "Lite" BIOS for PDC-2076.

You should be able to create a new striped array and fly with that.

Since there is no initialisation required on these controllers, data should be intact. If it still says missing operating system or os load error you will need to edit the partition table using a hex editor. The data should be intact!

-DAK-

 

[ScissorClaw]

I tried working woth the CMOs and making sure everything was back to normal. However, whenever I boot, the BIOS is not seing either of the drives on IDE 3&4. Even if I go in and force it to detect, nothing. It's like they don't exist. But, if I move the cables up to IDE 1&2, they re-appear. I'm wondering if I did something drastic to my motherboard. Like maybe possible fubaring IDE 3&4. Is that even possible? It seeme like the drives are okay since they do show up on the other 2 ports. What am I going to Do at this point?
I was hoping to use Shuttleteams idea, but it won't even respond to CTRL-F4 to get into the array utility. UGH!!!!!

 

[sharkeeper]

Can you POST and see if the PDC-2076 gets an IRQ? If it's not listed in the vendor table or listed with no IRQ (NA), clear your CMOS following procedures outlined in the manual.

Something is seriously wrong if the drives aren't detected on those ports. (Yellow shroud on Gigabyte I believe)

WDC drives are jumpered as Cable Select as default. Are yours? Also, make sure the drives are connected to the end of the cable making them both masters.

-DAK-

 

[ScissorClaw]

Yeah, it is listed in the vendor table. As for the jumpers, they are in the same position they were working in before. None of that changed. It just won't see the drives on those channels. I'm starting to get pissed. Now I can't even find my freaking Windows XP disk!!! This is turning into one hell of a night.!!!!!!!

 

[techfuzz]

Subliminal message: Clear Your CMOS

techfuzz

 

[ScissorClaw]

oohhhmmmm...ohhhmmmmmm....message received loud and clear..will clear cmos when I get home. Sorry I must have missed your earlier post...thanks TF

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

So for Raid 0 problems you would just reccomend keeping backups? If that is the case, I think I'll just forget trying to go Raid 1 later and instead just so Norton Ghost to backup to a hard drive every other night when I'm not awake... Any reasons not to do this?

 

[ScissorClaw]

Well, after this debacle, I'm gonna set up Raid 0+1 on my rig. I'll use the onboard raid for the performance, and if I can, set up some software raid to mirror the first array. If I can't get that to work, I'll definetly use norton to ghost over to the third Hard Drive I am going to put in there first thing tonight. I really want this up and running. I just ordered a kick ass maze 3 water cooling system with all the bells and whistles two days ago, and I paid good money to get it here by today, and now I don't even have a rig to use it on. I really hope that techFuzz's clearing cmeos idea work. Upon reflection, I thought I tried that, but I may not have. Seems like one of the basic tenets of overclocking is to clear the cmos when something doesn't work. I'll feel really dumb if I forgot to try that. Oh well, c'est la vie. Alot bigger problems in the world to worry about. like me getting married in a month. Now THERE'S something to fret about!!!!

 

[AtomicDude512]

**POOF!** Sorry, I am feeling useless right now...

 

[Woodie]

RAID0 = NO RAID, as in no backup, no redundancy, as in 1 HD goes belly-up and you're SOL, but boy "it's so much faster".
RAID1 = Much better.

Can't help you w/ recovery, I don't use IDE raid since I have all SCSI. Good luck rebuilding everything. I do feel your pain, I have to rebuild my workstation because of a RAID controller "upgrade". What a PITA.

 

[ScissorClaw]

Yeah, I guess calling RAID 0 a true RAID array is kinda not too accurate. What does it stand for?..Redundant Rrray of Inexpensive Disks I think. It is definetly NOT very redundant. Maybe they should have called it SAID..Superfast Array of Inexpensive Disks. Hey Woodie, I though I read somewhere that once your array is created, it can be moved from controller to controller without any furthur configuration or modification. Perhaps I am wrong or am misunderstanding what you were talking about. All I know is that I would kill for a SCSI Array. I read on a site about a Cheetah drive with an 8MB cache and 15000 RPM that I would surmise would be a killer setup in a Raid Array. Ahhh, to dream.
BTW, my Lucite-Topped Maze 3 watercooling kit just arrived here at work and damn am I psyched!!! I got the z-chip block as well as the Gforce4 block. This thing looks AWESOME!!! One little problem, the jerks forgot to put in the bay-reservoir I had ordered with the kit. Oh and no instructions with it. This is my first watercooling kit, so something would have been nice. Now that I have, I wondering if I should get a pelt to hook up with it. I'll probably wait to see how far I can overclock with this baby first. Allright, I'll stop babbling now. later.

 

[Woodie]

I'm switching to a different type of controller, so the array will die. I knew it would, but I was having trouble finding the configuration tool for the newer controller, and I was in a big hurry to get my new machine running, so I set it up on an older controller. (yes, I have three or four scsi raid controllers).

g/l w/ the water setup...I've thought about it, but couldn't get by the hassle factor.

 

[ScissorClaw]

Yeah, I have a feeling it is going to be a major hassle. Unfortunately, I presently have 5 80x20mm fans on the front, side, and rear (+1 on the Power supply). I also have a Tornado 80mmx30mm on my swiftech MCX-5000. Together, it sounds like I have a jet engine idling in my computer den. My fiancee has made it clear to me that it is WAY to loud. I have to admit, I sometimes have trouble sleeping when I have all the fans cranked when it is folding overnight. So, I talked her into shelling out 1/2 the 300 clams to buy the stuff. Damn I'm Good! So, I'm Happy and more importantly, she's happy (= more sex!). So I'll deal with the hassle.

 

[bsr]

the disadvantages of raid......

 

[ultimatebob]

Does the RAID controller on that motherboard allow you to pull the RAID configuration from the drives? I've used that trick to recover the RAID configuration from an old Mylex SCSI RAID controller, which forgot it's RAID configuration due to a dead battery.

 

[ScissorClaw]

Hmmm, could you be a little more specific? I have no idea how to even start to pull that kind of info. Please explain a little more. Maybe if the CMOS reset doesn't work, that's the next step.


" http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=23498 "

PS Can someone help me with getting my dang sig to work. The above is the address for my rig. but when I paste it into my sig on my profile page I get what you see at the bottom of the page. What exactly do I have to do to get it to look like everyone else's where you just click on " MY Rig" or whatever, and it takes you to you Rig page? Thanks in advance folks

 

[techfuzz]

Originally posted by: ScissorClaw
Yeah, I have a feeling it is going to be a major hassle. Unfortunately, I presently have 5 80x20mm fans on the front, side, and rear (+1 on the Power supply). I also have a Tornado 80mmx30mm on my swiftech MCX-5000. Together, it sounds like I have a jet engine idling in my computer den. My fiancee has made it clear to me that it is WAY to loud. I have to admit, I sometimes have trouble sleeping when I have all the fans cranked when it is folding overnight. So, I talked her into shelling out 1/2 the 300 clams to buy the stuff. Damn I'm Good! So, I'm Happy and more importantly, she's happy (= more sex!). So I'll deal with the hassle.

Hahahah, strangely enough my girlfriend who doesn't like computers one bit actually says she can fall asleep easier with the sound of all the fans in my computers. Something about it being a lot of white-noise and she's used to it now. I do agree, when I haven't had them on before I've wondered why it was so quiet inside my place!

Good luck with the water cooling project!

techfuzz

 

[techfuzz]

Originally posted by: ScissorClaw
PS Can someone help me with getting my dang sig to work. The above is the address for my rig. but when I paste it into my sig on my profile page I get what you see at the bottom of the page. What exactly do I have to do to get it to look like everyone else's where you just click on " MY Rig" or whatever, and it takes you to you Rig page? Thanks in advance folks

You have to use the same tag's as you do here in the forums. To create a link to your profile, use [ L = Text ] http:// [ /L ] (w/o spaces). PM me if you need some more help!

techfuzz

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: ScissorClaw
Hmmm, could you be a little more specific? I have no idea how to even start to pull that kind of info. Please explain a little more. Maybe if the CMOS reset doesn't work, that's the next step.


" <a href="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=23498">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=23498</A> "

PS Can someone help me with getting my dang sig to work. The above is the address for my rig. but when I paste it into my sig on my profile page I get what you see at the bottom of the page. What exactly do I have to do to get it to look like everyone else's where you just click on " MY Rig" or whatever, and it takes you to you Rig page? Thanks in advance folks

Not really, because I don't have much experience with IDE RAID. The option would probably be buried in the "advanced settings" of your RAID controllers firmware, if it even supported that option. I know that both Mylex and IBM ServRAID controllers can do it, but neither one of those boards are cheap.

 

[ScissorClaw]

Okay, oaky. Resetting the CMOS did no good. As far as I can tell, there is no drive that is able to be recognized on IDE 3&4. I tried everything from My opticals to 3 other hard drives I KNOW are working because they came out of working computers. I even tried a 20 GB IBM drive I had laying around that was fairly new. I even formatted the hing on another computer and ran a scandisk on it. No Dice. I think it safe to say that I have really screwed up the board.
So now I am presented with two options. Get a new MOBO, which I would rather not do, or get an IDE RAID card. I have seen some really good ones for under $100. I have alot of research to do. If anybody has any card suggestions, I would appreciate anyone sharing the knowledge. Thanks to EVERYONE that tried to help out on this one. I REALLY apreciate it.

Jerry


PS Thanks techfuzz on the sig prob. I'm all good to go.