I have quite strange problems and I didn't find any reasonable explanation what can be root cause.
Situation:
Mobo: Asus Maximus 2 Formula (P45 + ICH10R) - BIOS Feb09
HDDs: pair of Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS - 1TB (32MB cache)
RAID config: matrix, cca 800GB mirror + 100GB stripe
OS: XP Pro SP2 32-bit (old OS from old HW), XP Pro SP3 32-bit (new, fresh installation) with all hotfiexs, .NET frameworks (1.0-3.5) with SPs and fixes.
Problems:
New machine built in Feb09.
I created volumes, and using OS from another HDD I copied data to mirror (encrypted by TrueCrypt 6.1 - latest in Feb09). Binary compare showed no problem at all.
Then I got few BSODs during boot caused by migration of old OS to new setup - data partition was not opened when BSOD. Mirror was successfully synchronized but I didn't compare data binary with original source.
Everything was ok (?).
Later I reinstalled OS to XPSP3 and realized that part of data is corrupted (detected using CRC files). By comparing with original data I found more files are corrupted.
Current usage pattern:
None, it's more like a lab comp, not my home PC I wanted, grr. Unfortunatelly I don't have serious time to work on it so I spent usually up to 3 evenings a week with it. From Feb ...
My first suspect was .NET 3.5 SP1 without compatibility packs installed (even later with all fixes situation doesn't changed). But later I found that more, new inconsistencies on RAID are detected as well as files corruption occured (but not RAID ones, mainly large files 1GB+ but small like 1MB are damaged too) even I didn't experience single BSOD and I didn't work with data.
Latest Intel drivers (8.8.0) didn't resolve problems, but occurence seems to be lower (no evidence, can be result of other changes).
Fresh XPs SP3 without .NETs shows the same.
AHCI - the same story, IDE compatibility mode as well. (disk content is binary the same in IDE mode).
Seems to me that:
1. mobo can be damaged
2. southbridge can be overheated and in such cases southbridge is not fully stable - running about 60'C.
3. Caviars are not OK under RAID - firmware?
4. TrueCrypt can be faulty (but I use it on severla other drives with no problem - bit no RAID)
5. SP3 can be the problem
Any hints, links to topics with similar issues etc.?
Now I am afraid to have data on mirror so I think about stop using RAID at all.
If you talk corruption, the first thing you do is test your memory. So go download memtest86 or any ubuntu burnable ISO and test your memory for a few passes.
------------------------------...man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but usually manages to pick himself up, walk over or around it, and carry on.
Reply to sub mesa
Yes, Memtest done as the first think. No problem found. In all other aspects machine is stable as rock. Even running cooling in silent mode, OC in the same time and gaming for hours was stable and with no problem.
Well, if you use Intel drivers for your RAID with 'write caching' on, it will use alot of memory address space, so the likelyhood of corruption if very real if your memory has got an issue.
How did you test the memory? Did you use a real bootable Memtest, or an in-Windows program?
------------------------------...man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but usually manages to pick himself up, walk over or around it, and carry on.
Reply to sub mesa