Windows stopped recognising SATA drives - need help or sympathy.
I have been running this system for some years. After some hiccups with my Windows 2000 IDE system drive, I decided to run from an existing 2000 system already on the second IDE 2000 on the machine. However, although the BIOS reports them, the SATA drives (a mirrored set) are not seen by windows.
I tried rebuilding a replacement Windows 2000 system from scratch. I also went back to the original problem system drive. Neither of those helped
I have a spare, rarely-used system with the same motherboard, and have tried swapping all the drives into it. I have tried running with the XP system disc from the second system. I tested with a third SATA drive to replace the original two. The problem remains
For the record the motherboards are Optronix OP-K9A200G-MLF. It uses an ATI RS480 chipset. SATA functionality is via a Silicon Image controller. Each CPUi an AMD Athlon 64.
I tried rebuilding a replacement Windows 2000 system from scratch. I also went back to the original problem system drive. Neither of those helped
I have a spare, rarely-used system with the same motherboard, and have tried swapping all the drives into it. I have tried running with the XP system disc from the second system. I tested with a third SATA drive to replace the original two. The problem remains
For the record the motherboards are Optronix OP-K9A200G-MLF. It uses an ATI RS480 chipset. SATA functionality is via a Silicon Image controller. Each CPUi an AMD Athlon 64.
rindi
You have to install the RAID controller's driver for the array to get recognized.
I "think" your motherboards sata controller is a Sata-150 ..............
which means if you are now trying to use a sata-II hard drive aka sata-300
For more description on your motherboard model refer :
http://www.planetamd64.com/lofiversion/index.php?t11647.html
................. you may have to install the speed limit jumper to force the sata-150 speed
check your hard drive manual which can be viewed at the hard drive manuf's website
Try installing the proper drivers for your SATA HDD
which means if you are now trying to use a sata-II hard drive aka sata-300
For more description on your motherboard model refer :
http://www.planetamd64.com/lofiversion/index.php?t11647.html
................. you may have to install the speed limit jumper to force the sata-150 speed
check your hard drive manual which can be viewed at the hard drive manuf's website
Try installing the proper drivers for your SATA HDD
ASKER
Thank you.
I have three controllers listed under SCSI and RAID in the Device Manager:
ATI 4379 Serial ATA Controller
ATI 437A Serial ATA Controller
ATI 437A Serial ATA Controller
The drivers for all three are SI31112r.sys.
The first two are reported as working. The last has the exclamation mark (!) in the yellow circle. In its properties, the 'Device status' says 'This device cannot start (Code 10)', but its location is give as 'on USB printing support', so I'm not sure that is a problem.
I'll see if I can find a later version of the driver.
I have three controllers listed under SCSI and RAID in the Device Manager:
ATI 4379 Serial ATA Controller
ATI 437A Serial ATA Controller
ATI 437A Serial ATA Controller
The drivers for all three are SI31112r.sys.
The first two are reported as working. The last has the exclamation mark (!) in the yellow circle. In its properties, the 'Device status' says 'This device cannot start (Code 10)', but its location is give as 'on USB printing support', so I'm not sure that is a problem.
I'll see if I can find a later version of the driver.
So, you have a RAID 1 (or did have on the other box)
did you turn on RAID in the bios? (It won't Identify them as a raid set unless you have the switch turned on in the bios for RAID)
The good news, is that if they are RAID1 (Mirrored, you don't need them to identify as a raid set to boot from them.)
If, However you are talking RAID0, a different problem exists and you may need to reconstruct them to recover your partition/Data with software.
so, to be clear, what is the situation Raid 0 Or Raid1?
did you turn on RAID in the bios? (It won't Identify them as a raid set unless you have the switch turned on in the bios for RAID)
The good news, is that if they are RAID1 (Mirrored, you don't need them to identify as a raid set to boot from them.)
If, However you are talking RAID0, a different problem exists and you may need to reconstruct them to recover your partition/Data with software.
so, to be clear, what is the situation Raid 0 Or Raid1?
ASKER
I don't understand the difference between Raid 0 and Raid 1.
The MB has two controllers each with the provision of a Raid 'channel', and each comprising two devices. Each of the two 'channels' can become a Raid Mirror set.
The usage seems to recorded in the drives themselves. Whichever environment they are run up in, they are reported to be in the 'Rebuild' status, and that the rebuild will continue after initialisation.
A solitary drive, not in that status, is still not seen by Windows
The MB has two controllers each with the provision of a Raid 'channel', and each comprising two devices. Each of the two 'channels' can become a Raid Mirror set.
The usage seems to recorded in the drives themselves. Whichever environment they are run up in, they are reported to be in the 'Rebuild' status, and that the rebuild will continue after initialisation.
A solitary drive, not in that status, is still not seen by Windows
If it is raid 1 then either drive will have the same data on it,
If it's raid 0, you won't be able to identify the drive unless you can mount it with both drives in the system.
Raid 0 is for speed, but doubles your chances of a drive failure, (If either drive dies, you lose everything)
Raid 1 is for reducing the chances of losing data and it cuts your risk in half of a total failure (You have to lose both drives at once to lose your data.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID
Mirroring is RAID1.
If you turn off RAID, attach just 1 drive, can you see it in windows?
(Or Linux? (Try knoppix))
Hope this helps,
Chuck House
Core Data Recovery
If it's raid 0, you won't be able to identify the drive unless you can mount it with both drives in the system.
Raid 0 is for speed, but doubles your chances of a drive failure, (If either drive dies, you lose everything)
Raid 1 is for reducing the chances of losing data and it cuts your risk in half of a total failure (You have to lose both drives at once to lose your data.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID
Mirroring is RAID1.
If you turn off RAID, attach just 1 drive, can you see it in windows?
(Or Linux? (Try knoppix))
Hope this helps,
Chuck House
Core Data Recovery
ASKER
A solitary unmirrored drive is still not seen by Windows.
So, you may have a RAID 0 instead of a RAID 1, is it possible you chose striped instead of mirrored when you originally setup the raid?
ASKER
I haven't even considerd that approach.
My problem is that I have a pair of drives with (presumably) identical data, and I want to get access to that data.
My problem is that I have a pair of drives with (presumably) identical data, and I want to get access to that data.
Check out raid recovery software at http://www.runtime.org.
You can evaluate the problem for free with their tools.
Get data back will allow you to scan the drive for identifiable files,
Raid Reconstructor will allow you to mount both drives, and de-stripe the data to a file,
Then with get data back you can recover all your files from the destriped array.
(Get data back will let you look at what files It can find on that drive, start there.)
If it does not find any files, you were running a striped array set (raid 0) and you will need to destripe before recovering your data.
Give a shout if you need more detailed instructions.
Chuck House
Core Data Recovery
You can evaluate the problem for free with their tools.
Get data back will allow you to scan the drive for identifiable files,
Raid Reconstructor will allow you to mount both drives, and de-stripe the data to a file,
Then with get data back you can recover all your files from the destriped array.
(Get data back will let you look at what files It can find on that drive, start there.)
If it does not find any files, you were running a striped array set (raid 0) and you will need to destripe before recovering your data.
Give a shout if you need more detailed instructions.
Chuck House
Core Data Recovery
ASKER
Thank you, but I do not believe that the data itself is compromised. I just need a way to access my drives.
I'm telling you how to access your drives, you most likely have a raid 0 with a damaged member.
(Just a guess from your symptoms.)
(Just a guess from your symptoms.)
ASKER
Thank you. I get the same problem with a third drive when plugged in on its own.
I'd Punt, Do the recovery I recommended above, save the data.
Then I'd mount the new 2 drives, Create a raid 0 for duplicity, then I'd format and install windows,
restore your data and install your programs.
I know it's a long rough road, but I'd hate to see you damage your data by playing with it.
Rule number one in my book, is if you don't have a backup, get the data back, back it up, then play around and see if you can get this to work with that.
Don't risk your data.
Not worth the lost sleep.
Chuck House
Core Data Recovery.
Then I'd mount the new 2 drives, Create a raid 0 for duplicity, then I'd format and install windows,
restore your data and install your programs.
I know it's a long rough road, but I'd hate to see you damage your data by playing with it.
Rule number one in my book, is if you don't have a backup, get the data back, back it up, then play around and see if you can get this to work with that.
Don't risk your data.
Not worth the lost sleep.
Chuck House
Core Data Recovery.
ASKER
Thank you.
I do have the means to recover most of the data from DVDs and backup files.
However I can't restore the date anywhere, because my main data discs are SATA - mirrored for added security.
I have tried the trial version of the recovery software recommended, but it cannot see the SATA drives either. That is probably because it must rely on Windows for access to the drives.
I do have the means to recover most of the data from DVDs and backup files.
However I can't restore the date anywhere, because my main data discs are SATA - mirrored for added security.
I have tried the trial version of the recovery software recommended, but it cannot see the SATA drives either. That is probably because it must rely on Windows for access to the drives.
In order to do raid recovery, you must mount the drives (Not on the raid controller) separately, then inside the program you have to select both drives (usually 0x82 & 0x83) and destripe them to a single file or another hard disk.
Once destriped, you can run getdataback. (You would have to buy the raid recover tool.
Once destriped, you can run getdataback. (You would have to buy the raid recover tool.
ASKER
Thanks, The drives are mirrored, not striped, so I guess that I should be able to get the data from either of them, if only I could see them in windows. However I will try them one-at-a-time, in case one has a fault that upsets the controller.
Have you tried mounting them NOT on the RAID card?
There could be a hardware problem with your RAID.
There could be a hardware problem with your RAID.
Card. Raid Card.
ASKER
They are SATA drives and the SATA controller will support mirrored RAID sets. I must connect SATA drives to the SATA controller, but they don't have to be in a RAID set.
If connect only one of the mirrored pair, the BIOS reports that the set is in critical status. If I connect a non-RAID SATA drive, the BIOS merely reports that is has found the drive. I infer from those facts that the BIOS can read the drives in order to find their status. The problem is simply that Windows cannot see them.
It still could be a hardware error, but I have the same problem with two motherboards, so it would have to be a concidence. I hadn't used SATA drives on the second motherboard with SATA for some months.
I have considered a date-sensitive bug and set the dates on each motherboard back a year. Also the Kaspersky virus software does not report anything relevant.
If connect only one of the mirrored pair, the BIOS reports that the set is in critical status. If I connect a non-RAID SATA drive, the BIOS merely reports that is has found the drive. I infer from those facts that the BIOS can read the drives in order to find their status. The problem is simply that Windows cannot see them.
It still could be a hardware error, but I have the same problem with two motherboards, so it would have to be a concidence. I hadn't used SATA drives on the second motherboard with SATA for some months.
I have considered a date-sensitive bug and set the dates on each motherboard back a year. Also the Kaspersky virus software does not report anything relevant.
I understand, What I meant was, connect your drive to the onboard SATA when you are trying to "See the data from windows,
Right now you don't have a valid RAID.
For recovering your data, you should connect them directly, not to the raid card.
Alot of the time, you will see a raid card will identify drive status but, logically cannot link them together into a logical unit when the card fails.
Don't depend on the "bios" seeing them as good indicators of card health.
So, if you need to retrieve data with getdataback, hook them up to a controller other than the RAID card to do so. That's all.
Right now you don't have a valid RAID.
For recovering your data, you should connect them directly, not to the raid card.
Alot of the time, you will see a raid card will identify drive status but, logically cannot link them together into a logical unit when the card fails.
Don't depend on the "bios" seeing them as good indicators of card health.
So, if you need to retrieve data with getdataback, hook them up to a controller other than the RAID card to do so. That's all.
ASKER
I don't understand what you mean by 'directly'. The only place to connect each drive is to one of four SATA sockets on each motherboard. There are two pairs of sockets, one for each of two controllers. If there are two drives plugged into the same controller, they can be set up us a RAID mirror pair.
If I plug a drive in that has not been set up as part of a mirror set, it is still not seen in Windows.
FYI, this is not the only problem that developed at the same time. I cannot get two graphics adapters to work at the same time
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/24356755/Multiple-monitors-stopped-working.html
If I plug a drive in that has not been set up as part of a mirror set, it is still not seen in Windows.
FYI, this is not the only problem that developed at the same time. I cannot get two graphics adapters to work at the same time
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/24356755/Multiple-monitors-stopped-working.html
does one of the drives show up in a different system, or usb attached?
ASKER
Each of the three drives is reported by the BIOS in the same way on each of the two systems. There is no USB involved.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
Thank you. My closing comment seems to have disappeared, so here it is again.
I have purchased another motherboard (ASUS A8N SLI Premium). It has two types of SATA controller, RAID and Non-RAID. I was able to achieve a mirrored set, though it didn't seem to recognise my drives as such and wiped then instead of rebuilding the set. Luckily I had saved the data from one of them to an IDE drive.
However when I got my other difficulty, which was with multiple displays solved, the RAID pair disappeared. I solved this by unplugging a molex connector for some sort of option from the motherboard.
I am wondering if my problems are all caused by inadequately sized (350W) power supplies, so I will try with something bigger. If I learn anything more I will post here.
I have purchased another motherboard (ASUS A8N SLI Premium). It has two types of SATA controller, RAID and Non-RAID. I was able to achieve a mirrored set, though it didn't seem to recognise my drives as such and wiped then instead of rebuilding the set. Luckily I had saved the data from one of them to an IDE drive.
However when I got my other difficulty, which was with multiple displays solved, the RAID pair disappeared. I solved this by unplugging a molex connector for some sort of option from the motherboard.
I am wondering if my problems are all caused by inadequately sized (350W) power supplies, so I will try with something bigger. If I learn anything more I will post here.