Can anyone help in replacing a HD in a Raid array?

theskindiver

Boot the system, press CTRL+I [ i ] when indicated to enter the RAID BIOS setup, select Delete Raid Volume and set the drives to a non-RAID configuration.

As you have RAID 0, you will loose all data on both drives and need to reinstall windows.

Before reinstalling XP and you are planning on not using RAID, go into your system setup (F2) and set the SATA Operation to RAID Autodetect/ATA.

This basically disables RAID so you can install XP without the SATA RAID drivers.

You don't need to install the Intel Matrix Storage Manager application, because RAID is disabled and there is no need.

Followed by reinstalling XP.

Go HERE for Dell's restallation instructions.

Bev.

This was the first place I looked and I've tried this but there are no Delete Raid Volume options. I've been up and down the menu tree and there's nothing Raid related. There are no toggles or anything I can find. That's why this has become so maddening...

In following your instructions, you say Ctrl+I when indicated, but it's never indicated and when I try to hit it at the DELL screen opening I get nothing. It then says to hit F1 to continue or F2 for setup. I hit F2 and get to what I assume is BIOS. Under the Drives menu tree there is an option called SATA OPERATION. There are four fields at the top, RAID AUTODETECT AHCI, RAID AUTODETECT ATA, RAID ON and COMBINATION. There is no "RAID OFF" or "DELETE RAID" option. The screen says THE FACTORY DEFAULT SETTING IS RAID AUTODETECT AHCI, but I can't see a way to change that. I've tried all four of the fields, as in not having RAID ON lit up, but I'm still back in the same boat...no booting...

When I turn back on, I get:

RAID VOLUMES

ID:0. NAME: ARRAY, LEVEL: RAID0(STRIPE) STRIP: 128K SIZE:290.OGB STATUS: FAILED BOOTABLE: NO

Any ideas or suggestions much, MUCH appreciated...

As shesagordie mentioned, you have to reboot and press CTRL + I to enter the Intel RAID ROM Utility to delete your RAID array. This is discussed on page 24 of your owner's manual.

You might want to download and review your system manual <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

also. In the BIOS, there is a setting called "Drive Controller". If you set it to RAID Autodetect/ATA, that will turn RAID "off" which you'll want to do before you reinstall your OS, drivers, apps and restore your data.

theskindiver

Scroll down to drives, press Enter or + to expand the drive menu, then down to "SATA Operation", press Enter.

Change the SATA operation mode to "RAID Autodetect/ATA" press ESC to save and exit the BIOS.

Use the up/down 'Arrow' keys, to make the changes.

'RAID OFF' or 'DELETE RAID' options are not in the system setup.

 'Delete RAID Volume' is in the Intel RAID Option ROM Utility [ push CTRL+i when prompted when booting the PC, read page 25 of the 8400 Owners Manual ]

 Bev.

You should see text for pressing "CTRL +I" keys when you see your RAID array information at boot time. If you don't, then at that spot where you see your RAID array information hit "CTRL and I" together once or twice and see if that will get you in. For example, what you posted earlier (below) when you see this press CTRL and I together.

RAID VOLUMES
ID:0. NAME: ARRAY, LEVEL: RAID0(STRIPE) STRIP: 128K SIZE:290.OGB STATUS: FAILED BOOTABLE: NO

I'm not sure what would happen if you did not delete your RAID 0 array BEFORE you set your SATA Operation to RAID Autodetect/ATA in the BIOS.

Many thanks for your help and responses. I really apprecitate it. For some reason my Ctrl+I is just not accessing the RAID utility. I hit it over and over, right when it starts and it just doesnt' seem to register. Often I get "keyboard error" followed by an unresponsive keyboard and I know that's not right. The keyboard is fine. I will just keep on trying and hope that it's a timing thing...that's the only thing I can imagine at this point...

Hi, I would have thought if your RAID 0 volume had failed once you have set your Drive Controller setting to RAID Autodetect/ATA you should be able to install the new drive in SATA 0 and reinstall your OS, creating a non-RAID setup. You could install the other disk to SATA 1 and reformat during setup to create a second independent drive. Once a RAID 0 array has failed you cannot boot from it hence the inability to load OS. Bob

Hey Bob, I think you figured it out. Once I just switched the seating of the HD's, (which I guess meant putting the new drive as SATA 0?) it seems to be reading the new drive and booting with no problem. Awesome! I had to use a the system restore CD from my first Dell, so I am limping along with an ancient version of XP, but I'm up and running and that's major.

Many, many thanks to everyone who pitched in with suggestions, I really appreciate it.

theskindiver

Happy to hear that the problem has been resolved and thank you for the heads up.

Bev.