RAID 1 (mirror) degraded Help!

SATA port 0 would be drive 0 and SATA port 1 is drive 1. Make sure that drive 1 has power and all the cables are properly connected and not loose. Try unplugging both the power and SATA cables from the drive and plug them back in. Unplug and plug the SATA cable on the motherboard for drive 1. Run a chkdsk /f on the drive, assuming you can see it in Windows. Run the Dell Diagnostics (F12) on that drive, assuming it is seen, and see what passes and what fails. If any of the read or write tests fail, then it would appear the drive is bad and needs to be replaced.

I had a degraded RAID 1 on my drive 0 (SATA port 0) and after running the diagnostics (all passed), I set the drive back to normal via the Intel Matrix Storage Manager in Windows and ran a Verification and Repair which found 14 errors and repaired them. I haven't had a problem since.

Good Luck.

Thanks, keithg2, for your quick repsonse.  Just tried to do what you suggested, and the drive is still not there.  So, unless there are any other suggestions, I just I need to replace the drive.  So, how can I identify the manufacturer (I have read that I must match the drive to the existing one).  All I know is that it is 250g.  And any suggestions on where to purchase a new one would also be appreciated.   

You really don't need to match the manufacturer, just the drive capacity (250GB). I have a Samsung 250 and Seagate 250 in a RAID 1. So just find another 250GB SATA II drive for your replacement. I've had very good luck with Seagate.

Try Newegg.com. I"ve had very good luck with them and have received my parts in 2 days after ordering.

Thaks again keithg2 for all your help and advice. Just order the hard drive from Newegg (that direct link made so easy!). I just used them when I replaced the piece of garbage HL-DT-ST GWA4164B that came with the computer which never worked correctly burning DVDs. And, as I am remembering, I don't think the hard drive ever worked properly either.  Sure makes me think hard and fast about ever buying Dell again...

So, in your humble opinion, has Dell gone down hill with component choices?

Anyway, I will let you know how the new hd installation works out...if I am correct, I should just have to plug it in and then use the Intel Matrix Storage Manager to configure it?

Please....now I have gotten the new hard drive, what are the next steps?  I don't want to plug it in (which I actually know how to do) and then worry that I will lose any data on the hard drive that does works...can someone walk me through step by step?   

Replace the drive that failed.   The drive should re-build automatically.    Check the status using the Intel Stroage Manager.   I assume you have a system with an Intel Processor.   The AMD process may be different.

If you got 2 new drives, just replace one of the drives and wait for it to rebuild.   After it been rebuild replace the otehr.   This assumes you still have a working system.   Check the status using Intel Storage Manager.

I just pulled this info from System information under storage...does it help any?

 I should show two 250 gb drives?

Description Disk drive
Manufacturer (Standard disk drives)
Model ARRAY
Bytes/Sector 512
Media Loaded Yes
Media Type Fixed hard disk media
Partitions 4
SCSI Bus 0
SCSI Logical Unit 0
SCSI Port 1
SCSI Target ID 0
Sectors/Track 63
Size 232.82 GB (249,990,935,040 bytes)
Total Cylinders 30,393
Total Sectors 488,263,545
Total Tracks 7,750,215
Tracks/Cylinder 255
Partition Disk #0, Partition #0
Partition Size 47.03 MB (49,319,424 bytes)
Partition Starting Offset 32,256 bytes
Partition Disk #0, Partition #1
Partition Size 171.44 GB (184,081,766,400 bytes)
Partition Starting Offset 49,351,680 bytes
Partition Disk #0, Partition #2
Partition Size 57.35 GB (61,582,671,360 bytes)
Partition Starting Offset 184,139,343,360 bytes
Partition Disk #0, Partition #3
Partition Size 3.98 GB (4,268,920,320 bytes)
Partition Starting Offset 245,722,014,720 bytes

Drive C:
Description Local Fixed Disk
Compressed No
File System NTFS
Size 171.44 GB (184,081,764,352 bytes)
Free Space 89.04 GB (95,609,503,744 bytes)
Volume Name 
Volume Serial Number A8F28F71
 
Drive D:
Description Local Fixed Disk
Compressed No
File System NTFS
Size 57.35 GB (61,582,667,776 bytes)
Free Space 18.17 GB (19,509,174,272 bytes)
Volume Name Backup
Volume Serial Number 80162ECE
 
Drive E:
Description CD-ROM Disc
 
Drive F:
Description CD-ROM Disc

Thanks TomXPS for replying.  Just plugged the new HD in, restarted computer (thank goodness no problems there!)  and I don't see it anywhere...shouldn't there had been a New Hardware Found message...under Intel Storage Manager, it still shows under RAID that the Hard Drive 1 missing...what else do I do now?

BTW, the old hard drive was very warm when I took it out...

Well there is an option to Resync the HD.   Forget the procedure but you may have to remove the defective drive and then add the new HD.  Should show the serial # etc to assist you.

Make sure your in the Adavanced options of the Intel Storage Manager.

OK, I found the drive.  I needed to F2 and then the SATA 1 was not turned on.  So, now I see it under Non-RAID hardware drives with the # ST 32S0310S. and it confirms in system information.

So, what's nect?  I'm guessing is back to Intel Matrix Storage Console and then to Actions>and then either Create RAID volume or Create RAID Volume from existing hard drive????

And, if this is correct, how long a process once it starts? 

Boy, I feel like (correction, I guess I am!) such a rookie...

The migration to RAID 1 will take about 1 hour, or that is what it took on my XPS 410 with 320 GB Drives.   Yes you should be able to create the RAID array using the Matrix controller.   

Thanks TomXPS, but I'm still confused.  There are 2 choices when I use the Matrix controller under Actions.  One would be "Create RAID volume".  The other is "Create RAID volume from existing hard drive."

I have no back-up for the drive that has been working all along and I don't want to do something stupid.  I need to be sure that my choice doesn't affect that drive. 

So, I guess I am highlighting the new drive and then Action> but which choice then?????  "Create RAID Volume" or "Create RAID volume from existing hard drive"?

You want to do the Create RAID Volume from Existing Drive.   You might want to check to see which drive your booting off I would assume SATA port 0, this would be the drive you want to migrate from.   Then it may ask what drive you want to add that will be a different SATA port, I am guessing 3 or 2.   And then choose RAID 1, I assume you want the protection of RAID 1.  

TomXPS, thank you so much!  It finally worked!  I needed to hit Control-I at boot to enter the user interface, and then select Rebuild.  It paired the new drive with the old one, and then I exited and the RAID rebuilt automatically and correctly after Windows started.  Here is the report: (Please keep reading after for more questions)

System Information

Kit Installed: 5.1.0.1022
Kit Install History: 5.1.0.1022
Shell Version: 5.1.0.1022
String Load Library: 5.1.0.1022
WMI Interface Library: 5.1.0.1022

OS Name: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
System Name: BOB
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.         
System Model: 0YC523
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 3.00GHz
BIOS Version/Date: Dell Inc.                 A00, 09/01/2005

Language: ENU

Intel(R) RAID Technology

Intel RAID Controller: Intel(R) 82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller
 
RAID Option ROM Version: 5.0.0.1032
Driver Version: 5.1.0.1022
RAID Plug-In Version: 5.1.0.1022
Language Resource Version of the RAID Plug-In: 5.1.0.1022
Create Volume Wizard Version: 5.1.0.1022
Language Resource Version of the Create Volume Wizard: 5.1.0.1022
Create Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard Version: 5.1.0.1022
Language Resource Version of the Create Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard: 5.1.0.1022
Modify Volume Wizard Version: 5.1.0.1022
Language Resource Version of the Modify Volume Wizard: 5.1.0.1022
Delete Volume Wizard Version: 5.1.0.1022
Language Resource Version of the Delete Volume Wizard: 5.1.0.1022
RAID ISM Library Version: 5.1.0.1022
Device IO Library Version: 5.1.0.1022
Event Monitor User Notification Tool Version: 5.1.0.1022
Language Resource Version of the Event Monitor User Notification Tool: 5.1.0.1022
Event Monitor Version: 5.1.0.1022
 
Array 0
Status: No active migration(s)
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 465.7 GB
Free Space: 0 GB
Number of Hard Drives: 2
Hard Drive Member 1: WDC WD2500JS-75NCB1
Hard Drive Member 2: ST3250310AS
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: ARRAY
 
Volume 0
Status: Normal
System Volume: Yes
RAID Level: RAID 1 (mirroring)
Size: 232.8 GB
Number of Hard Drives: 2
Hard Drive Member 1: WDC WD2500JS-75NCB1
Hard Drive Member 2: ST3250310AS
Parent Array: Array 0
 
Hard Drive 0
Usage: Array member
Status: Normal
Device Port: 0
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 2
Model: WDC WD2500JS-75NCB1
Serial Number: WD-WCANK1416463
Firmware: 10.02E01
Native Command Queuing Support: Yes
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 232.8 GB
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: ARRAY
Parent Array: Array 0
 
Hard Drive 1
Usage: Array member
Status: Normal
Device Port: 1
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 1
Model: ST3250310AS
Serial Number: 6RY3HNNM
Firmware: 3.AAC
Native Command Queuing Support: Yes
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 232.9 GB
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: ARRAY
Parent Array: Array 0

Now, how does it all work from here?  Also, I have Norton Ghost 10 on my system.  Up to now, it has written back-up data to D Drive, which I guess is part of Hard Drive 0 along with C Drive.  I guess what I am asking is how do I ensure I have all my files and data backed-up properly and how do I and where do I properly setup and store restore points along the way?    How should Ghost be configured?  Anything else I need to do with the Intel Matrix Storage Console?  Here is what System info says about my system:

Drive C:
Description Local Fixed Disk
Compressed No
File System NTFS
Size 171.44 GB (184,081,764,352 bytes)
Free Space 89.01 GB (95,573,528,576 bytes)
Volume Name 
Volume Serial Number A8F28F71
 
Drive D:
Description Local Fixed Disk
Compressed No
File System NTFS
Size 57.35 GB (61,582,667,776 bytes)
Free Space 18.17 GB (19,509,129,216 bytes)
Volume Name Backup
Volume Serial Number 80162ECE
 
Drive E:
Description CD-ROM Disc
 
Drive F:
Description CD-ROM Disc

I have no restore disks from Dell, nor a floppy drive...how do I set-up my system so I am totally protected in case of any emergency.  Also, at last try (before fixing the RAID) Windows Restore was not working...

I would contact customer support for Dell and ask for the CD's that should of came with your system.  You should have one for the OS, another for drivers, and another for applications.  Guess you should have a Ghost CD assuming it came with your system.

Have not used Ghost for a while but when I had it I liked it setup to go to external USB Disk Drive.   The ond Ghost version 9 or 8 was pretty good where you could have like 60 days of backup and go back and restore any file in that period.   It would automatically delete the file over 60 days at the begining of the Month.   I got Ghost 10 but have not got it installed yet, had an issue with it when I first tried to install it. 

Window Restore is done by pressing F8 at start up should get an option to restore.  Also can boot off the OS CD and get an option to do it.  It worked great on my system.  The manual that came with my system mentioned CTL F11 which did not work, that was for XP.

As checking the health of your RAID use the Intel Matrix Console and use option to get RAID report..  Also RAID 1 is not a replacemnet for backup so that is why you have the Ghost for.

Good luck.