Raid controller killed my HDDs

[Michael Url]

Hello!

I've a big problem with my HDDs and a IDE Raid Controller (Silicon Image
SiI 0680). On the RAID Controller I've installed a HDD and a DVD-ROM

Yesterday the controller killed the first HDD (i guess) and I because I
want to be sure which part of my system is broken I installed another
HDD, and this one doesn't work any more neither?!?
The DVD-Rom works perfectly!

The BIOS doesn't recognise the HDDs and the HDD-LED is always on?!?

Are my HDDs lost?
Please can anybody help me?


Thanks
Miles

 

[CJT]

Hello!

I've a big problem with my HDDs and a IDE Raid Controller (Silicon Image
SiI 0680). On the RAID Controller I've installed a HDD and a DVD-ROM

Yesterday the controller killed the first HDD (i guess) and I because I
want to be sure which part of my system is broken I installed another
HDD, and this one doesn't work any more neither?!?
The DVD-Rom works perfectly!

The BIOS doesn't recognise the HDDs and the HDD-LED is always on?!?

Are my HDDs lost?
Please can anybody help me?


Thanks
Miles

I don't understand how a controller card could kill HDDs, unless it
has some unusual electrical fault. Are you sure they're properly
cooled?

 

[Shep©]

Hello!

I've a big problem with my HDDs and a IDE Raid Controller (Silicon Image
SiI 0680). On the RAID Controller I've installed a HDD and a DVD-ROM

Yesterday the controller killed the first HDD (i guess) and I because I
want to be sure which part of my system is broken I installed another
HDD, and this one doesn't work any more neither?!?
The DVD-Rom works perfectly!

The BIOS doesn't recognise the HDDs and the HDD-LED is always on?!?

Are my HDDs lost?
Please can anybody help me?


Thanks
Miles

I tried one of them.They are shit.Wrong BIOS architecture.
Don't know if you can recover :/

Ich versuche und erinnere mich, an was ich tat, um meinen Antrieb zu
speichern



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[kony]

Hello!

I've a big problem with my HDDs and a IDE Raid Controller (Silicon Image
SiI 0680). On the RAID Controller I've installed a HDD and a DVD-ROM

Yesterday the controller killed the first HDD (i guess) and I because I
want to be sure which part of my system is broken I installed another
HDD, and this one doesn't work any more neither?!?
The DVD-Rom works perfectly!

The BIOS doesn't recognise the HDDs and the HDD-LED is always on?!?

Are my HDDs lost?
Please can anybody help me?

First, does the SI Manager Application (or whatever it's
called) (if you're running Windows), reveal anything?

Have you ran the HDD manufacturer's diagnostics?
When you installed another drive, it not working either,
does it mean you also tried these drives on another
controller?

Are you placing the DVD and HDD on opposing channels? If
so, try the HDD on the other channel, with DVD removed,
and/or try the DVD on other channel.

Or, just toss the card, they're only worth about $15. FWIW,
i have a couple SI 0680 cards and never had a problem,
though they do seem slightly slower than competitors
offerings.

 

[Eric Gisin]

More likely something else broke - one IDE channel, its cable, the power.

 

[Michael Url]

I don't understand how a controller card could kill HDDs, unless it
has some unusual electrical fault. Are you sure they're properly
cooled?

Yes, the system is cooled properly (3 fans,...) And it was working about
1 year without a problem!
The 2nd IDE Controller (where the DVD is connected) is working fine?!?
I don't want to try the 1st Connector, because I've already lost 2
drives! Maybe it has an electrical fault? But how can i test it?

 

[Michael Url]

First, does the SI Manager Application (or whatever it's
called) (if you're running Windows), reveal anything?

no it doesn't recogize any drive at boot, the controller is searching
for the drive (about 20sec) then it doesn't find one and continue with
booting!
(neither the 'normal' onboard controller)

Have you ran the HDD manufacturer's diagnostics?

yes, i tried it! The DFT is also searching for the drive, but it doesn't
find it!

When you installed another drive, it not working either,
does it mean you also tried these drives on another
controller?

the other drive was an another controller, the I want to be sure what
part of them is faulty, und plugged it on the SiS Controller --> killed
it too :-(

Are you placing the DVD and HDD on opposing channels? If
so, try the HDD on the other channel, with DVD removed,
and/or try the DVD on other channel.

Yes they are on different channels! I don't want to loose also the
DVD-drive?!

Or, just toss the card, they're only worth about $15. FWIW,
i have a couple SI 0680 cards and never had a problem,
though they do seem slightly slower than competitors
offerings.

It was working for half a year without any problem, only since I've
installed a drive of my friend, then disaster started
And the problem is not the card, the problem are the HDDs, are they
really dead?

Any solution?

Thanks
Miles

 

[Michael Url]

More likely something else broke - one IDE channel, its cable, the power.

no, I change the cable, tried another IDE channel, nothing, the other 2
drives and the DVD are still working!

 

[CJT]

Yes, the system is cooled properly (3 fans,...) And it was working about
1 year without a problem!
The 2nd IDE Controller (where the DVD is connected) is working fine?!?
I don't want to try the 1st Connector, because I've already lost 2
drives! Maybe it has an electrical fault? But how can i test it?

A multimeter could tell you if there is excess voltage on any pin.

However, it might make more sense just to replace it.

 

[JS]

no, I change the cable, tried another IDE channel, nothing, the other
2 drives and the DVD are still working!

Try a suspect drive on a known good interface.

 

[Michael Url]

A multimeter could tell you if there is excess voltage on any pin.

However, it might make more sense just to replace it.

The problem isn't the controller (I don't need it any more)
The question is: "How can I save my HDDs?"

 

[Michael Url]

Try a suspect drive on a known good interface.

I've already done this, but the BIOS and also DFT, Linux,... don't
recognise it!

 

[kony]

The problem isn't the controller (I don't need it any more)
The question is: "How can I save my HDDs?"

Connect each HDD, alone as master, to motherboard IDE
controller. Run the manufacturer's diagnostics. That's all
you can do, unless you want to try putting them in the
freezer, but no specific failure mode has been mentioned, so
freezer is not necessarily going to do any good.

I'd still wonder about other factors like the power supply,
doesn't seem too likely that the controller did kill them
all by itself, even thoug it "seems" that way.

 

[someone]

Hello!

I've a big problem with my HDDs and a IDE Raid Controller (Silicon Image
SiI 0680). On the RAID Controller I've installed a HDD and a DVD-ROM

Yesterday the controller killed the first HDD (i guess) and I because I
want to be sure which part of my system is broken I installed another
HDD, and this one doesn't work any more neither?!?
The DVD-Rom works perfectly!

Symptoms? Noisy? Have you tried the hdd's on a different desktop? Error
msgs?

 

[Keith Willcocks]

Symptoms? Noisy? Have you tried the hdd's on a different desktop? Error
msgs?

Just a thought. Right at the beginning the poster said the HDD LED stayed
on. Is the ribbon cable connected correctly (pin 1 to the red stripe at
each end) because twisting it can have this effect, assuming that this set
up uses a ribbon cable in the first place.

Keith Willcocks
(remove .nospam from address to reply)

 

[Jure Sah]

The BIOS doesn't recognise the HDDs and the HDD-LED is always on?!?

Please can anybody help me?

Well considering the light is always on, you might consider turning the
IDE cable around.