SATA RAID Array and Windows reload

[Guest]

I have a system as folows:

Asus A7N8XE Deluxe with embedded Silicon Image 3112 Raid Controller
1 Off 120 GB Drive C:
2 Off SATA drives configured as mirrored RAID
LG DVD-RAM drive

The system has worked fine for 18n months, but I recently had a problem with
the DVD-RAM drive, when it was returning "old" doisk contents on inserting a
new CD-ROM, making loading of a new program impossible. I also couldn't write
to CD, so I made backups of all my favourites, internet downloads eetc onto
the RAID array.

I therefore decided to re-install Windows XP Home and SP2. The isntallation
disk that came with the motherboard did not give good instructions about
setting up and initialising the array within Windows XP, but eventually I
realised I had to ce reate a floppy disk for use during the Windows
installation.

I reloaded Windows from the XP CD-ROM, pressed F6 when requested, and leter
during teh install, the computer asked me to select the appropriate RAD array
driver for the SiI3122 controller. I did this and the installation proceeded
OK with no reported problems.

However, on booting the newly installed XP, and installing the supplementary
drivers need for the NForce chipset, all apears normal, but the RAID array is
not visible in My Computer. Curiously, the drive is visible in BIOS, is
visible using the XP drive management tools, and is visible using the
proprietary RAID management software. The drive management tool shows the
correct drive name, as used in the previously successful Windows
installation, it shows the drive correctly as a single partition, and the
correct amount of used an unused space.

I've consulted the Asus and SiI web-sites but had no luck. I'm thinking
there must be a registry problem. Can anyone suggest a fix please?

 

[DL]

Thats not the explanation you gave in your other post to .help_and_support
so which is correct?

 

[Guest]

Sorry, DL, thanks for the earlier suggesttion but I couldn't find the
original post. Since I last contacted you I've reloaded Windows, and
generated a SiI 3112 drive controller driver disk, which I installed using F6
during Windows installation. The Asus web-site had suggested to another
individual that Windows XP Service pack 1 was also needed. I have an early XP
installation disk, so since SP1 is no longer available, I then loaded SP2.

Another respondent had suggested using Disk Management to check if the disk
was installed. It now shows up there correctly, as th initial post in this
thread shows. The only place where the drive does not show is in "My Computer"

 

[Guest]

1st,you must remove all drives except the RAID set and cdrom during
installation.
Also,does youre RAID configuration boot utility show the set on start-up,it
must
if its configured.Also,in F6 press s specify,select drivers,press s
again,select drivers
you should then see the text:drivers being installed Then after 2nd run
press enter
key,procceed to xp installation.Also,you dont install any windows drivers
in DOS,
youre installing nvidia drivers cant be right those get installed after xp
opens.Also,
you saved settings on youre RAID set,how are you installing xp-repair!!!You
should
do a clean install,format the RAID set.

 

[Guest]

I'm not trying to load Windows onto my RAID array, I'm merely trying to get
back to the situation I had before, with the C: drive for programs and the
RAID array for data.

I do not want to format the RAID array since it contains a lot of data!

I did install the nVidia drivers from Windows after installation.

The RAID array is recognised by BIOS during POST, and I did use F6 to select
and install the SiI RAID Controller driver for Windows XP as part of the XP
installation routine. In Device Manager the RAID controller is listed as
working perfectly, and the RAID array is listed as a drive under "Drives" and
is shown as working correctly.

I used Administrative Tools->Computer Management->Disk Management, and the
array is shown as present, but without a drive letter allocated. The drive is
referred as "Main Data Drive", the name given to it by me in the previous,
working, XP installation.

 

[Guest]

I sugest this only if you have a fair amount of experiance with windows disk
management utility diskpart, otherwise it could do more harm than good from
the command line type diskpart and that will take you to the disk managers
enviroment via commandline where all the advanced D.M. "disk manager"
features are located
Also with the recovery console there are more features which might be of
assistance to you such as map , fix M.B.R. And other functions not available
in the basic Winxp Interface I have included a useful link to resources for
you if nothing else heres more knowledge best of luck The
"FarMan"
http://www.theeldergeek.com/recovery_console.htm

 

[DL]

Assuming C: is winxp drive and this is shown in Disk Management, are you
able to assign a drive letter, in DM, to the raid?

 

[Guest]

C: is the XP drive. No, the option to assigna drive letter to the RAID is
greyed out when I "right-mouse-click". The disk is shown as a bsic drive,
healthy and active.

 

[Guest]

Afs "Farleyman" suggested I used Diskpart to correct the problem. The comman
to clean had two options, either clean the configuration settings or erase
the partition. With no other option I used this command and it wipe the
partition, without any ability to merely delete the configuration data.

There was a lot of data on the drive, but I have backups for >95%, it's just
going to be tedious.