OK, I'm at my wit's end with this one.
I have a customer that has brought in a computer that we built for them (spiffy gaming machine). He was running an ASUS A8N SLI Deluxe (nForce4 Sli chipset) on a RAID 0 (striped) with twin WD 250GB Sata hard disks.
The problem is this:
Due to an unrelated issue (crappy video drivers that have since been replaced), windows was shut down improperly, naturally, chkdsk came up when the computer booted and attempted to scan as it typically does. During the first phase (verifying files) the computer locks at 7%, then restarts a few seconds later. It is ALWAYS 7%. I can clear the dirty bit with no problem, and we have in the past when it was previously brought in for this same problem, but as soon as he needs to run a chkdsk or windows craps out (as it typically does), we'll be right back where we are now (as we have been four times now).
So far we have:
destroyed and rebuilt the raid array, with a format and reload
low leved formatted the drives using WD Data Lifeguard
COMPLETELY tested the drives using WD data Lifeguard, and Microscope
Replaced the drives
replaced the sata cables
replaced the mainboard
replaced the memory
replaced the video card
removed EVERYTHING non-vital to operation, with new memory and new sata cables
set the speed cap jumpers on the hard disks to cap speed at 150 mb/s
enabled spread-spectrum clocking on both drives
Spent 5 hours on the phone with ASUS, who sent us two replacement motherboards, both of which have exibited the same problem
Attempted to call Microsoft, only to have them demand money for support.
called western digital, who, so for, has not said anything useful
had several heart-to-hearts with google to find others who have had a similar problem.
ran out of ideas.
This customer is driving us absolutely insane. We have had his computer for about three months, now, and he calls us multiple times a day (I probably would, too). We can't just disable the raid controller, because he is adamant that he wants to keep his raid setup. We can't put any more money into this computer, because factoring lost labor time, we have lost hundreds on this deal. We stand behind our machines, but this one has us dumbfounded. ASUS claimed they tested the raid capability and its ability to run a checkdisk, however, it still doesn't work.
Any help with this would be immensly appreaciated.
--[adam]
