RAID just failed

[MarkOne]

if the option ctrl +I don't apear, it's because your raid bios don't see the disk, I will pass a diag on this disk, look to me that you have a defective disk.

[gingerbee]

or it could just be the boot sector is gone had that happen and if so all the data is now just a bunch of zero's and one's that don't mean anything. if that's the case check to make sure both drives are working and start over. ( all your data is gone )raid0 you have to back up your data.

[miggs78]

Yea I got my lesson, I really did backup 99% of data, I don't think I have anything more on the disk except for some music, movies..

I'll try a diagnostic on it, prolly use some WD DOS tool, will let ya guys know if it works..

[miggs78]

Update: It looks like Mark is right, one drive does seem like its defective.. I tried installing Win 7 on single drives yesterday (since I already lost my data, wasn't much point in getting the RAID back), so one of the drives, the setup just wouldn't install windows on, tried deleting and recreating, a format doesn't work either.. so I managed to install windows 7 on the second 640gb, boots to windows, installed the safeguard tools from WD..

So in Safeguard, while running an extended test, one of the drives right away gave a Write Sector Error, tells me to check the cables, that's the first sign of a defective hdd, the other one I left for an extended test, it finished 60% without an error, so I'll check after I return from work.. The only thing I need to check is which drive got an error (labels and drive letters were in separate areas, so matching isn't possible)..

Thanks guys..

[MarkOne]

you can try to low format the drive with the WD tools, pay attention " low format" is not format. it can be done with the tool only

[miggs78]

I'm not at home Mark, but the option I remember was writing zeros, is it the same thing ?

Question for ya Mark, RAID 1 is slower than RAID 0 for sure, but is RAID 1 faster than a single drive, I was just thinking of RAID 1 this time.. can you do RAID 1 on 2 hdds or you need 4?

Thanks for the help Mark, I appreciate it :)

[MarkOne]

in your case reading will be probably the same, since you have only 1 on board controller , but the writing will be slower than 1 disk, and yes you can do raid 1 with 2 disk, it will not be raid 1 with 4 disks , all true I think some some controler can do it .

raid 1 can be faster ( up to twice) than 1 disk for reading if you use 2 independent controller , ( the 2 controllers will be able to access different part of the disk at same time )

[Lima]

Originally Posted by MarkOne

you can try to low format the drive with the WD tools, pay attention " low format" is not format. it can be done with the tool only

Is that when it writes 0's to the whole drive?