Strange RAID driver activity since installing Vista

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ron O'Brien
  • Start date Start date
R

Ron O'Brien

I Installed Windows Vista Premium on my PC which has a PATA drive as the
main C:\ drive. I also have two smaller SATA drives configured as RAID1 to
which I back-up my documents to.

Since installing Vista everytime I boot my PC, before the Windows splash
screen a (DOS-like) page opens which contains RAID configuration details,
and tells me that my RAID1 drives need to be duplicated. The first time this
happened I hit eneter to allow this but now this screen appears everytime I
start up and if I select just boot, everything still works, I can access the
drive oK.

Can anyone explain this, or maybe point me to a news group better able to
answer it

Thanks

Ron
 
Ron O'Brien said:
I Installed Windows Vista Premium on my PC which has a PATA drive as the
main C:\ drive. I also have two smaller SATA drives configured as RAID1 to
which I back-up my documents to.

Since installing Vista everytime I boot my PC, before the Windows splash
screen a (DOS-like) page opens which contains RAID configuration details,
and tells me that my RAID1 drives need to be duplicated. The first time
this happened I hit eneter to allow this but now this screen appears
everytime I start up and if I select just boot, everything still works, I
can access the drive oK.

Can anyone explain this, or maybe point me to a news group better able to
answer it

Thanks

Ron
Click to expand...

1. the "(DOS-like) page" is the RAID controller BIOS
2. the explanation of the error message and possible resolution of the
problem will be found:
A. either in the RAID controller documentation
B. or on the support site maintained by the manufacturer of the
RAID controller
Steve
 
1. the "(DOS-like) page" is the RAID controller BIOS
2. the explanation of the error message and possible resolution of the
problem will be found:
A. either in the RAID controller documentation
B. or on the support site maintained by the manufacturer of the
RAID controller
Steve
Click to expand...

In an ideal world yes!!!
 
AS you are possibly aware, RAID 1 spec describes a "mirror". The controller,
implemented in software in this case, has written the same content to two
drives. Now, it is performing its proper function of alerting you that the
content of one drive has come to differ from the other. Thus it is reporting
an error. Again, the content should be the same. Also, the array is doing
its job since the array reaming 'up', *videlicet* in service, despite the
error.

At this point, the action indicated is to enter the RAID utility and
initiate the procedure to correct/normalize the drives and then verify the
content. How to do that should be in the manual that came with the
motherboard or system or on the motherboard maker's web site. If you
installed an after-market RAID controller, there usually is a manual with it
or in its maker's site.

Hope this helped.

Tom
MSMVP 1998-2007
 
Hi Tom,

Thanks for that, yes, I assumed that the direction was to match the data on
the disks, how they came to differ beats me, but the option offered is only
to either continue to boot (i.e. ignore the problem) or Duplicate the
drives - which I have done, but still the error keeps appearing.

If I go into control panel disk management windows reports that both drives
are in a healthy state.

Ron
 
Ron O'Brien said:
Hi Tom,

Thanks for that, yes, I assumed that the direction was to match the data
on the disks, how they came to differ beats me, but the option offered is
only to either continue to boot (i.e. ignore the problem) or Duplicate the
drives - which I have done, but still the error keeps appearing.

If I go into control panel disk management windows reports that both
drives are in a healthy state.

Ron
Click to expand...

If Disk Management sees both drives, then you have *not* created a
functioning RAID array.
When you have a *funtioning* RAID array, the RAID controller tells
Windows that there is a *single* hard disk, and a *single* hard disk
is all that Windows sees and reports.
Steve
 
Og said:
If Disk Management sees both drives, then you have *not* created a
functioning RAID array.
When you have a *funtioning* RAID array, the RAID controller tells
Windows that there is a *single* hard disk, and a *single* hard disk
is all that Windows sees and reports.
Steve
Click to expand...
Which suggests that the RAID drivers were not correctly installed when I
installed Vista - great!
Thanks all


Ron
 
Ron O'Brien said:
Which suggests that the RAID drivers were not correctly installed when I
installed Vista - great!
Thanks all


Ron
Click to expand...

Your conclusion is *Wrong* --
You have to create the RAID array from *within* the RAID controller's
BIOS -- well before *any* Operating System (Windows or any other)
ever starts the boot process.
Steve
 
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