17 R1, won’t boot up, failed to write metadata, hard drives incompatible

Sounds like you have two drives in a RAID 0 (striped) array.  If either drive fails, the entire array is toast.

You can run a Dell diagnostic (F12 at powerup) to confirm, but if either drive has failed, replace them both - the other one likely won't be far behind.

Hi @macpower1 welcome to this user to user discussion forum. 

Please activate the preloaded Advanced Startup Options Menu that appears on trying fourth start up. 

There is also the complicated preloaded Windows Recovery Environment within the F12 Boot menu options, that requires using a Recovery Media. 

Hi - thanks for reply. I did the diagnostic via f12. It said everything was normal (albeit, I did not do the extended, 30 min, diagnostic - just the short one). So still unsure of what the problem is. But I appreciate your help

Hi, thank you for your help. I’m trying to get this to load, but it doesn’t seem to be loading. My system started over 10 times and this recovery option did not load. Also, when I hit “ctrl+I” I only see two options, to make my raid array not a raid array (delete them), and to exit. Should I post a picture? 

Run the extended diagnostic on both drives.  The quick test does not examine the media (disc surface).  And by all means, if you can get the system to boot up, but don't have a backup, make one while you still can.

Hi @macpower1  thank you for sharing update. 

The remove RAID 0 option is saying that one of the two drives is unrecoverable. The data is shared 50 50 across both drives, so when one fails the other drive cannot boot. 

Support for Alienware 17 Storage says use SATA HDD or SSD (or tray with one or two SATA M.2 SSD cards). There is no RAID 0 performance benefit if SSD installed. Swap in a single SSD preinstalled with Windows as your OS(C:) boot drive. Crucial System Advisor Tool says Alienware 17 will support SDD up to 2TB. 

I’m uploading screenshots of what I’m seeing on my end. Can you please confirm what you think the problem is? I should’ve done this from the start. Thank you again!

Hi @macpower1  thank you for sharing update complete with images. 

This is the 2013 original RAID configuration of 750GB Hard Disk Drive as OS(C:) boot drive, with 64GB mSATA full mini-card as caching drive. Back in 2013, Dell employed an innovative RAID configuration to dramatically improve read/write speed with SSD cache for the slow SATA HDD.  

mSATA being used as a cache drive is only available to Windows, and is only used to speed up performance of a relatively slow HDD. A cache SSD is not visible in Windows Explorer and user cannot write/store any files on it. 

The operating system cannot boot because the Windows NT core program now fails to acknowledge the 64GB eSATA cache drive and/or the HDD's onboard 16MB cache. The forced shut down triggered this configuration RAID fault. 

See Alienware 17 Top solutions Support for Alienware 17 | Documentation | Dell UK 

Removing the RAID configuration should allow attempted repair of the HDD, but it is very old and it is probably unrecoverable. If it can be recovered, clone (copy) to SSD which does not require a mSATA cache drive. 

Hi, thank you for your response. I think you’re absolutely right.

However, before I read your post last night I was tinkering with the settings and decided to try to boot the computer in “safe mode.” I think this was a bad idea, because now my computer only loads the Alienware splash screen, and just stays frozen. It’s also a different style of splash screen from my previous, default, one. I try to press F2 or F12 when I see the splash screen, but as soon as I do, the “loading bar” fills all the way up and stays frozen nonetheless. I tried rebooting but it’s the same story. Frozen.

Is there any way I can get out of this “safe boot mode” that I accidentally went into? 

thank you very much as always

Hi @macpower1 thank you for sharing update. 

If it doesn't say Safe Mode in the four corners of your screen, then you are not in Safe Mode and screen resolution either got reset or your video drivers cannot cope. 

You need to break this unwanted cyclic behaviour, please disconnect the 2.5-inch drive (do not remove drive). Remember to disconnect all power before hardware is removed/installed.

BIOS and POST should then work, and at splash screen, the F2 BIOS menu and F12 Boot menu should work as expected. If not already undertaken, please take photographs of BIOS menu pages for future reference. (If going to share these images, remember to redact/remove your private system Service Tag and Express Service Code.) 

What is your recovery plan? For example: Install 1TB SATA Solid-State Drive OS(C:) boot drive, with existing 750GB Hard Disk Drive as Data drive and hopefully no lost of any personal files? 

If the same Windows installed on new OS(C:) boot drive, Windows online licence should automatically renew by Microsoft licence database. 

Thank you for reply. So to summarize, I should disconnect the current solid state drive and then try to boot the computer? I never did that before but I will try to find a tutorial to do so.

Do you recommend that I buy another SSD, install windows on it, and then use that instead of my current, non-working SSD?

If so, do you have a recommendation on which SSD to buy for my model, and how I can go about installing Windows 10 on a new SSD? I never did that before either.

thank you again! 

Hi @macpower1  thank you for sharing update. 

The earlier images say 750GB SATA Hard Disk Drive is installed as your OS(C:) boot drive. Have you now installed a SATA Solid-State Drive as your OS(C:) boot drive? 

When HDD is disconnected, boot into the windows operating system is not possible. Pre-boot BIOS and POST should work, and at splash screen, the F2 BIOS menu and F12 Boot menu should work. 

Yes, advocate best option is install 1TB SATA Solid-State Drive OS(C:) boot drive, with existing 750GB SATA Hard Disk Drive as Data drive and hopefully no loss of any personal files? The new SATA can be a box, or other options, or an open tray with up to two SATA M.2 drives. 

The easy option is to get new SATA SSD with windows preinstalled.

Dual-Slot M.2 Drive to SATA Adapter for 2.5-inch Drive Bay

Hi @macpower1 for tutorial, consult Support for Alienware 17 R2 which provides Procedure to disconnect the HDD: "Using the pull tab, disconnect the hard-drive cable from the system board."

When removing/installing parts remember to remove ac adapter, disconnect the battery cable from the system board and then press power button to remove any remaining residual (flea) power. 

Hi Crimsom, thank you again for your instrumental help. Forgive me for my noobness. 

Can I just buy a new M.2 NVMe drive (pre-installed with Windows, of course), and replace my current, corrupted SSD? Or do I need an adapter of some sort. I'm just confused as to what exact type of drive to get.

Assuming that I can in fact use a M.2 NVMe drive, do you recommend that I get this particular drive? It's the Samsung (MZ-V8V250B/AM) 980 SSD 250GB - M.2 NVMe Interface Internal Solid State Drive with V-NAND Technology.

Here's a link to the Amazon page about it: 

https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-MZ-V8V1T0B-AM-980-SSD/dp/B08V7P3SKS?ref_=Oct_otopr_d_1292116011&pd_rd_w=y1HKq&pf_rd_p=a304ecd4-a57b-4669-aaa3-36ed2882b274&pf_rd_r=359V1KXVZ3D6K137G2YK&pd_rd_r=fd6991a8-68f6-474e-89ef-ed1c43df810c&pd_rd_wg=hdrDv&pd_rd_i=B08V83JZH4&th=1

Thank you as always

Thank you. Ok, got it.

In that case, which SATA hard drive (that is, whichever hard drive that's compatible and can replace my current bootable one) should I get? 

I just need someone to point me toward the right one to purchase, and then I can handle taking out the old one and replacing it myself. Do I just look up SATA 2.5 inch on Amazon and buy whichever one? 

Thank you!