Raid 0 failure

If you change to RAID 1 the mirror image so be constructed automatically if the controller and HDDs are both good.  Seems like that is an appropriate first step.  Reboot as needed to get the mirror image process started and wait for it to finish.  Reboot and read the messages.  If all is well, use it as normal until you get a channel failure message.  Otherwise you should run chkdsk to see if you get indications that the drive is failing.  What operating system are you running?

Hi, thank you for your comments.

I am running Windows XP Pro SP3

I run chkdsk and all is well.

If I change to RAID 1 I will lose all the data in the disks, won't I?

If I won't your idea is great.

If I would lose the data I would prefer first, to identify the fault.

Based on the fact tha the drives seem to be working well, once the system gets started, it seems that the problem is with the controller. Would you agree?

Thanks,

Antonio

Hi Antonio

I forgot to ask what Storage Console software you are using.  Is it Intel Matrix Storage Console? and what version?  Also, what size are the current HDD and how many hard disk ports the storage software says are available and how many HDD can be connected to the system? 

I am faced with a similarly complex problem since I need to upgrade my two disk SATA RAID 1 system using two 320GB HDD to a two 750GB SATA HDD configuration.  Nothing is easy about either your process or mine.

I am convinced the absolutely essential first step for both of us is to back up everything to a large external HDD.

Depending how you go about that, once that is accomplished you should have all programs and data on a single external backup drive.  Obviously, you would want to use backup software that merges all the strips on your two RAID 0 drives onto the single external drive.

Currently, your two RAID 0 drives are addressed as drive C:, right?

The backup to the external drive, let's assume drive d:, would then put a copy of all of drive c: onto drive d:, the external HDD, although it could be another drive letter since your optical drive(s) may currently be drive(s) d:, e:, or some such.

Ideally, the external drive would be configured as a bootable drive before the backup is accomplished.

Then when the backup has been accomplished go into the BIOS setup and set the boot options to be first c:, then d:, then the optical drive(s0.

Do you have a CD or DVD with XP on it?

Currently, your drive connected to port 0 of the RAID controller is a bootable drive, right?

If so, after doing the backup, you can disconnect the HDD from port 1 and attempt to boot from the single drive connected to port 0 and it will probably fail to boot from that disk because of the missing data that is on the disconnected HDD that was connected to port 1.  But if the BIOS setup was configured so that it would attempt to boot from the external HDD, then it should boot from the external HDD.

Otherwise, if you have the CD or DVD in your optical drive it should boot from the optical drive into the Windows XP setup.

So, you will either be booted from the external drive which has everything on it, or you will be booted into Windows setup from the optical drive.

If you are booted from the external hard disk, drive d: then you can format drive c: and configure it as a bootable drive, then backup drive d: onto drive c: which should then be bootable and ready to go for creating a RAID 1 configuration.

If you are booted from the optical drive, I would shut down, disconnect the external drive, for safety's sake, and reboot from the optical drive, format drive c: and configure it as a bootable drive and install windows on drive c:

Then shut down, reconnect the external HDD and reboot.

Then backup drive d: to drive c: and reboot to see if it boots from drive c:

If it does, then run the Storage Console and make sure the system is not set for RAID operation, then you shut down, disconnect the external HDD and take the CD or DVD out of the optical drive.

Connect the second HDD to the port 1 connection and boot to see if it boots correctly and recognizes the second drive.

If it does, then run the Storage Management console and configure for RAID 1 and reboot so it will create the mirror image on the HDD connected to port 1.

So then you should have the absolutely greatest possible situation for convenience for your mother and for absolute safety.  A RAID 1 mirored HDD configuration that will perform nearly as well as the RAID 0 configuration did and will probably be more than adequate for her unless she is a hard core, die hard gamer and a backup on the external HDD.

However, in all of that you may find that the RAID controller is bad and that will answer the other issue you are currently faced with and you will have to replace the controller, which wil not be a big deal because you will already have the required full backup on the external HDD.

Ultimately, you will then have the option of RAID 0 or RAID 1 with a full backup on the external drive which should be updated periodically and never again will your mother be faced with loss of programs or data and a messy recovery and life will be forever wonderful until the motherboard fails... LOL or some such.

And by the way, the RAID configuration with a full backup on an external HDD is the only real sane way for both you and I to go on our machines.

I have two RAID 1 configured machines for my wife and I and do not have the external HDD backup on either one.  One of her HDD failed and it was a piece of cake to replace the failed drive and rebuild the mirror.  I absolutely loved it and she only cared that it didn't take very long to get it done so she could get on with her computer life.

If it had been a RAID 0 configuration with no external HDD backup it would have been a disaster.

I really dislike recovering from disasters because... it is normally an arrrrrgh situation.  :o)

Dave