Re: Changing Harddrives whilst PC includes a RAID Array

Jim,

This is a relatively new PC (6 months old) so your right, I probably haven't
experienced all the [disk/boot] issues which are particular to it.

My primary concern is to get a full backup of my data. To do this, due to
the size (80Gb), I need to get the second harddrive config'ed successfully
without any Windows re-install.

I have reformatted the IDE drive, to remove any issue with the old Windows
install on it. (I can't remember if it was formatted with a system-option;
how do I tell?) It still blue screens and auto-restarts.

I turned auto-restart off in my SATA-based Windows install; and know I can
see the Blue Screen error:

*** Begin***
A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage
to your computer.

If this is the first time you've seen this Stop error screen, restart your
computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check for viruses on your computer. Remove any newly installed hard drives
or hard drive controllers. Check your hard drive to make sure it is properly
configured and terminated. Run CHKDSK /F to check for hard drive corruption,
and then restart your computer.

Technical information:

*** STOP: 0x0000007B (0xF79F7528, 0xC0000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)
*** End***

I then ran IBM's disk fitness against the IDE drive (with only the IDE
attached by cables); this was successful (in both Quick Check and long-check
option).

I tried another IBM IDE HDD and it errors with the exact same codes when
connected with my SATA array.

In all test cases, except where only the IDE HDD is attached, the SATA array
is the first boot device and the IDE the second.

What puzzles me is that the IDE HDD used to be attached and visible and
allow SATA-based Windows to boot successfully (The IDE HDD was added
(physically) after the SATA-based HDD Windows was installed). This tends
to indicate to me that it is a hardware issue; combined with the disk test
and the other IDE also tested .... but not the particular IDE HDD.

I am now trying cabling options (although I have it set as the master on a
80' cable by itself on the black-end of the cable, nothing on the
middle-grey end and the blue attached to the m/b as it should be). I'll try
it on the IDE seperate IDE cable that the DVD burner is (and has always
been) working on).

D.

"Jim" <null@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:7bhaf.16178$i%.11098@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> It's always difficult in a case like this to be positive about what
> happened. A lot of details here regarding boot sequence, what was
> attached
> prior and after OS installation, mobo idiosyncrasies, etc. That said, it
> sounds like you may have a case where the mobo drive assignments (C:, D:,
> etc.) are different when certain hardware components are attached.
>
> For example, I have several USB external HD enclosures. If I leave them
> running when I reboot my Abit AI7 mobo, then the "system" sees the
> external
> enclosure as the bootable drive, despite the fact I've told the BIOS it
> isn't. No matter what I do, if that USB external enclosure is running,
> the
> system INSISTS on trying to boot it. So w/ every reboot, I have to make
> sure the enclosures are shutdown.
>
> The same thing could be occurring w/ your IDE channels. Your BIOS and/or
> Windows may be insisting that if anything is attached to the IDE
> channels,
> it must be the bootable item. Of course, we know it isn't. I suspect the
> reason it gets to the XP logo and craps out is because it's NOT the new
> install, but the OLD install that's trying to boot. The old install
> doesn't
> match the new hardware, and well..., all kinds of problems can creep up
> now.
> The fact you added the IDE drive AFTER XP was installed may have
> exacerbated
> the problem too.
>
> I have several suggestions, perhaps none of them ideal. You could install
> XP on the RAID partition again, but this time make sure the IDE drive is
> attached and running at the time. XP will install the boot files on the
> IDE
> drive, of course, but the OS will be running off the RAID/SATA drives
> (probably as D:).
>
> Another option, if you want to force the RAID/SATA drive to be C: is,
> install a boot manager on the PATA/IDE drive first (e.g., BootIt NG).
> Only
> requires a small 8-16mb partition. Now install XP on the RAID/SATA drive.
> When the system boots, it will boot the PATA/IDE drive, *but* that will
> only
> boot the boot manager! From there, your boot manager can boot XP (as C:).
> This is what I've done on my system. I *always* use a small PATA drive
> for
> my boot manager, which in turn boot various OS's from my RAID0 (stripped)
> array (in my case, PATA/IDE too). I then use the remaining space on the
> PATA/IDE drive for additional partitions or storing image copies of
> partitions on the other drives, so it doesn't go to waste.
>
> Bottomline is, I know this varies a bit from vendor to vendor, but there
> can
> be problems in controlling boot order when mixing interfaces, despite
> whether the BIOS settings might lead you to believe otherwise. Many
> mobo's
> insist on a particular sequence that *may* not jive with your intentions.
> And that's what I suspect has happened in your case. To circumvent the
> problem, I've simply made it a habit to maintain a small PATA/IDE drive
> for
> my boot manager, then have the boot manager boot the various OS's I have
> installed. Sometimes you have to know when to NOT fight the system :)
>
> HTH
>
> Jim
>
>
> "D" <nomail@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:4368a201$0$44196$c30e37c6@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>> I've got a Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI motherboard.
>>
>> It has two RAID controller chips, of which I use one to controller a RAID
> 1
>> array of two Seagate ST3160827AS SATA 7200.8 160GB drives.
>>
>> The O/S is Win XP SP2.
>>
>> All was working fine, even after adding my old IDE harddrive from my old
> PC
>> (continuing with the boot disk being the RAID 1 array).
>>
>> However, I wanted to wipe my old IDE drive to allow it to be used for
>> backups... Before wiping it, I decided to make it the boot drive to
>> bring
>> my old install of XP up to allow me to run the transfer wizards to ensure
> I
>> had all the settings and data I might need from the old HDD. (The old
>> install of windows complained about hardware, given the install had
> occurred
>> on my old PC, as expected. I was still able to run Transfer Wizard
>> succesfully).
>>
>> The problem arose when I switched in BIOS to make the RAID array the boot
>> disk. On boot, just before Windows XP shows it's logo, it would blue
>> screen. The blue screen would flash by before I could read it and the
>> system rebooted automaticaly. This occurred continuously. This was
> stopped
>> by uncabling the old IDE drive, which allowed Win XP to start, but then I
>> kept getting dirty bits on two of the partitions of the RAID drives
>> (which
>> after many repetative checkdisks, finally stopped).
>>
>> All seems to be working well again; but I've lost faith in being able to
>> recong drives at will. I have re-configed drives in my PC for many years
>> and never had this problem; although this is the first time I've done it
>> whilst having a RAID array.
>>
>>
>> I still want to be able to attach another HDD (with the RAID array
>> remaing
>> the boot drive) to allow backups of my significant volume of data (too
> much
>> for DVD burn even - 50Gb), but am now wary of changing my config. I now
>> know I can change Windows System option to not reboot automatically on
>> crashing; to allow me to see the blue screen details, but am wary of
> cabling
>> the IDE drive back in to further troubleshoot in case I lose all my data.
>>
>> - Why would changing the boot sequence and booting from an old windows
>> install affect the RAID parition integrity and reverting the setup back?
>> - Before cabling the IDE HDD back in, should I perform some action or add
> it
>> with specific considerations?
>> - Should I uncable the two SATA drives in the array, cable the IDE drive
> in
>> and then run a harddisk test from a bootable CD?
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>> D.
>>
>>
>
>


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