RAID 1 resize - Volume creation failed

You have reached the part where you have rebuilt the array using one of the larger hard drives.  The next step has you boot to the Intel Option ROM in the computer and use that setup screen to break the array.  Once you have done that, do you have any trouble booting to the single hard drive?

What I would have done, once the array was rebuilt using one of the larger drives plus one of the original drives, would have been to break the array (for a Dell reaching this setup screen is CTRL-i during the RAID status screen after you start the computer) and then shut the computer down using the power button so that the computer would not re-boot with both drives installed.  I would then have removed the original drive from the system, plugged the new drive into port 0, and booted the computer once with the new drive being the only drive installed in the computer.  At that point you can use the partitioning software to expand the partition to occupy the complete drive, and boot once more to make sure that Windows records the appropriate parameters into the boot sectors of the drive.

Once you have one of the large drives booting properly, at that point start the Intel Matrix Storage Manager and use the option to build a RAID volume from the existing drive.

EDIT:  Forgot to note that since you have already got the array running as a 160 GB array on both 500 GB drives, you will need to break the array and disconnect one of the drives before you can continue.  It would be nice if you could just expand your array the way it sits, but partitioning software works on the MBR and not on the RAID parameters.  To expand the space you need a drive that is a non-member bootable drive so that the partitioning software will work properly.

I have rerun the Intel instructions verbatim and ran into the same issue "Volume creation failed" when trying to "Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive"

I then tried your modified suggestion above but still got the same error "Volume creation failed"

Everything seems to work ok up until the point of creating the raid from exisiting drive.

Anyone know if the Intel Matrix Storage Console has verbose logging that can give me a better indication as to why the volume creation fails?

Any other ideas on how I can resize my new 500GB SATA drives?

The problem might be with the version of the matrix storage manager you're running.  The only other thing I can think of is that once you have the stand-alone drive up and running you might try formatting the second drive before you try to create the volume.  Since you started out with a RAID I am assuming that your SATA controller is already set to RAID On.

EDIT:  This is probably silly, but are you selecting RAID 1 after you click the option to create RAID from existing disk?  I believe the E510 only supports RAID 1, but the matrix storage manager doesn't know that.

I tried formatting the second drive per your suggestion but still got the same error when i tried to create the volume.

The BIOS is set to RAID On for the SATA controller.

RAID 1 is the only option available to me during the create volume from existing hard drive wizard

No question is too silly, im probably making a silly mistake somewhere, just need to find it :)

I searched Intel's downloads page and found a newer version of the Intel Matrix Storage Console but havent installed yet. How do i know it will still be compatible with the RAID controller on my machine? Do i need to update drivers as well? Do you know anything about their newer RAID controller software Intel offers? (cant remember the name now and dont have the page in front of me)

thanks for all the help

The version of the matrix storage manager that you have already should handle this task just fine, assuming that you are using the latest version for the E510.  Just in case you are not, that file is found here: Intel Matrix Storage Manager for E510. 

About the last question I can think to ask is if you are making sure that you are selecting the correct disk from which to make the array.  If you are selecting the second drive as the source, however, I would think the storage manager would return an error before it even tried to make the array.

I have version 7.8.1013 installed and the dell link is to version 7.8.1012. Think this would make a difference?

Selecting the 'Non-RAID Hard Drives' in the tree, shows the details of each drive. The drive I have been using as the source is marked as the system hard drive on port 0. The other is not.

Think I will try to contact Intel tonight regarding this issue. Anyone have experience trying to get technical support from Intel?

I would not think that a version having that small an increment would be a lot different, but it is possible that your newer version is expecting something that doesn't exist on your machine.

I'm truly sorry I couldn't suggest anything that would help.  I wish you the best of luck.

I did a couple of things to see if we can get more help.  First, I've left a message for the more experienced members of the forum to see if they have a suggestion I've missed.  Second, went to the Intel page for the Matrix Storage Manager and found that the last version of that program that supports the ICH7 hub (the part of the E510 that talks to the drives) is 7.8.  I would think that your version would still fall in that category since the enhancement affects only the last set of numbers in the version you report.

Grasping at straws I also wondered if the port to which you are connecting the second drive is enabled.  I tend to forget checking this since most of the later model machines have an Auto setting and automatically detect anything attached.  It might still be worth going to system setup, however, and if your port is set to off, either turn it On or to Auto (whichever is available).

ed3nlt;

I've been getting advice and continuing to think about this problem, and determined there is one more thing you could try if you are still willing.

Use a disk cloning program to expand your 160 GB drive into the 500 GB partition.  To do this, first break your 160 GB array using the CTRL-i keys to reach the Intel option ROM setup screen and choosing the option to reset your drives to Non-RAID.  Remove one of the hard drives and boot the remaining 160 GB on port 0 to make sure you have a bootable single drive.

Once you have one of the 160 GB drives booting on its own, install one of the 500 GB drives.  Use a program such as Acronis True Image to clone the 160 GB drive to the 500 GB drive, selecting the option to expand the 160 GB partition into the 500 GB partition.  Once you have done that, shut the computer down, remove the 160 GB drive and plug the 500 GB drive into port 0, and boot it to be sure you have a working 500 GB bootable drive.  Once you have done that, install the second 500 GB drive and try once more to migrate to a RAID 1.

It is important that once you finish the clone, you must not allow the computer to boot before you remove the second drive.  The way Windows assigns drive letters can result in the new drive being assigned a new drive letter other than "C:" if the original drive is allowed to boot with the clone still in the system.  When I perform this operation I usually boot from the Acronis CD so that Windows doesn't boot at all.

Thanks for all the help.

FYI, I contacted Intel and they recommended I upgrade to the latest version of their Intel Rapid Storage Technology software instead of the Matrix Storage Manager.

I tried updating software but am still receiving the same error as before.

I am going to try your last suggestion today, hopefully the clone and resize will work.

Just to be safe, I am going to format both of the 500GB disks before proceeding.

Do you know, do i need to buy the Acronis true image to get the bootable cd or is that option available with the trial software?

Ill check back in later tonight with the results.

Now that is indeed interesting.  Intel's own web page states that the last version of the Matrix Storage Manager to support the hub contained in the E510 was 7.8.  Just as a check, if you are still getting the error after all this work, try uninstalling the storage driver you have thus far used and using the version from the Dell page I referenced in my earlier post.  It seems ridiculous, I know, but the problems you have been having thus far make no sense whatever.  My only rational is that Dell is supposed to have checked the software versions on the E510 support page for proper operation with the hardware, and it wouldn't be the first time we've run across something that wouldn't work due to a peculiarity in the Dell hardware.

As long as you are making all this effort, however, there is another thing you can try.  I'm going to suggest using Acronis as I've been using version 11 and it seems to work.  Get the RAID running again on the 160 GB drives and install Acronis.  Install a third hard drive on the machine and use Acronis to make a full image (not a clone) of the RAID.  Uninstall the pair of 160 GB drives, install the new 500 GB drives in their place.  Boot the machine and use CTRL-i to create a RAID 1.  Once you have that you should be able to boot from the Acronis disk and restore the image from the third drive to the RAID.

EDIT:  The Intel storage manager reference I used is here:  Intel Matrix Storage for Older Hubs.

As for trying to do things like this with the trial software, I'm afraid I don't know.  Seagate and Western Digital have versions of Acronis that are free to users of their drives but I've never looked at them to see if these versions will support the full capability of a purchased version of Acronis.

Unfortunately, I have tried all suggestions multiple times and could not get anything to work.

The compromise solution i decided on was to repair the 160GB drive to the 500 GB drives, then create a new second volume that consumes the remaining drive space. This gives me a 160GB C: drive and 340 GB E: drive.

Not ideal but better than only being able to use 160 out of the 500 capacity.

Thank you very much for all of your help.

I'm very sorry we couldn't find an acceptable solution to your problem.  It would seem to me that my last suggestion, that of using the Intel ROM to create the RAID and dumping the image of the original RAID to it, should certainly have worked.  Of course I don't understand why the Matrix Storage Manager couldn't migrate to a RAID either.

I'm happy your computer is functional, however, and I wish you the best.

Jack

I made the back up image of the original 160GB drive to a usb external drive.

Then made a new RAID of the two 500GB disks.

Then when I launched acronis (oem version provided by seagate) to try to put the image on the raid, it would not proceed as it did not recognize the disks as seagate brand. Rather than spend money on acronis without knowing whether this method would actually work, i gave up. Would still love to be able to have all 500GB on one volume.

Of course; since Acronis would see the array rather than the drives themselves it would not be able to identify them.  If it doesn't work, however, I'm in trouble the next time I need to dump the image to my array.