Windows 2003 not showing RAID 5 total hard drive space
I recently upgrade the hard drive space in a Dell Power Edge 2600 Server. It has a PERC 4/DI controller and is running Windows 2003 Standard Server Service Pack 2. About a year ago, I installed a new SCSI drive (146 Gb) and made a RAID 0 volume for additional data space. I recently installed 3 other SCSI drives (146 each, exactly the same as first drive) and reconstructed the RAID 0 to RAID 5. The server successfully reconstructed the RAID and Initialized it. When I boot into the controller BIOS, or access it through the Dell RAID Array Manager, I can see the RAID 5 volume and all drives are online. However, when I look at it in Windows Explorer, it still shows the total volume to be 146 Gb (just like it did when it was RAID 0). I'm at a stand still and would like to know if anyone could give me a little assistance in getting Windows to show me the same total volume as the RAID controller (the RAID controller shows 400 Gb).
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BillBondo
Just a guess. Set up the raid array thru the bios and let it be handled that way?
If you didn't install Windows 2003 with the Dell utility that prompts you through the whole process Windows 2003 will not see it unless you manually pass it the drivers for the RAID controller at install. That's the only reason. Right when it goes from POST to the blue screen where it starts installing drivers it says, "Press F6 to install 3rd party RAID" and if you don't or if you don't have the right driver you'll never see the RAID and instead of it being 400 it will only show the size of the disk at position 0.
Davorin is on the right track ... what do you see in Disk Management for that disk? A screenshot would help.
Also, is this a Basic or Dynamic disk?
Also, is this a Basic or Dynamic disk?
ASKER
Davorin, you got it. It is showing unallocated space for the remainder of the drive. I will get that taken care of. I really do appreciate this. Hopefully one day I can return the favor.
You are welcome.