PC doesn't boot and I don't wanna loose my RAID data

[Nicle]

Hi people!

I have a bit of a problem here.

Starting from the start, last month I had a problem with my PC. On one of the random reboots I did, the PC "died" and I thought it was an energy problem. I bought a new PSU because I thought it burned out. When I tried to start the PC again, nothing happened... Then I had removed the mobo battery and reseted the BIOS. I have suffered with that: RAID 0 = LOST! And all the information.

Now I have the same problem again and it's not from the PSU. Last night my PC hibbernated and it doesn't boot again... I'm so frustrated because I don't wanna loose my RAID 0 information again. I already tried to eliminate the static electricity from the board, but still, doesn't boot up. What can or should I do to preserve the RAID without loosing the data?

I know that if I switch the battery from the mobo, the PC will boot normally, yet, loosing all my information!


I have a P5QC Asus mobo.

Thank you.

 

[Nicle]

Anyone?

 

[jitpublisher]

All you have to do is reenter the BIOS immediately upon reboot, reenable the raid controller, reboot and enter the raid BIOS, and simple set the array for RAID 0, select the drives you had, but don't build an new array. The controller should then find the drives are already set and assigned into an array, and you save the setting, exit and reboot, and all should be back to normal.
In other words, before you start messing around, as soon as the PC reboots, enter the BIOS and set everything for the RAID array you had back to exactly the settings you had before, without actually building a new array, and the array will be redected and established with no problems.

 

[Nicle]

All you have to do is reenter the BIOS immediately upon reboot, reenable the raid controller, reboot and enter the raid BIOS, and simple set the array for RAID 0, select the drives you had, but don't build an new array. The controller should then find the drives are already set and assigned into an array, and you save the setting, exit and reboot, and all should be back to normal.
In other words, before you start messing around, as soon as the PC reboots, enter the BIOS and set everything for the RAID array you had back to exactly the settings you had before, without actually building a new array, and the array will be redected and established with no problems.

Some fair questions...
Should I do that with the disks connected/plugged in or I disconnect them from the SATA plugs?
And... Is the RAID name important in this case? Or can I give other name rather than the one that was first given?
Thanks!

 

[jitpublisher]

Well, you have to have them connected, the RAID controller can't re-establish the array if they are not plugged in.
No, the name is not important, just assign the 2 drives their spots in the array under the RAID BIOS, and the controller will take it from there, unless you have messed with the drives too much. The information the controller needs is stored on the drives themselves, you just have to point the controller back to them.

 

[Nicle]

Well, I tried. I removed the battery from the mobo and reseted the BIOS... But no can do. After that the pc kept on rebooting like crazy. Over and over 'till I shut it down, and no image appeared not even from the BIOS. Not even a single word! I can't understand what's happening.
I think the mobo is f***ed up. Is there any mobo I can rely on? I thought Asus was good but now I don't think that way. Ohhhh...damn it! :s

 

[jitpublisher]

Well, ASUS is a good brand, but even the best have problems from time to time. Sounds like you may have had a power surge that toasted something. What is the rest of your hardware?

 

[Nicle]

Yeah, I believe Asus is a good brand, no questions about it, but two times in a row ? :s And this second time it doesn't respond to my call. The first time I could manage to fix it by removing the mobo battery, but not now. That's why I can't understand it.

I have regular hardware. I have a new 750W PSU, Ati HD Radeon 5xxx card, 4 HDD disks (1 only for the OS, one only for music and 2 with 1.5TB each for the RAID), 4GB of ram (2 dimms of 2GB 1066mhz Dual channel), and at last but not least an Intel Q9550 quad core duo processor with a zalman cooler. It's nothing from other world...

I'm thinking on buying a new mobo, but ... Still ... I will loose my RAID data because of the ICHR10 chip... It will be certainly different from the new I will buy.
I'm loosing my edge here!

 

[Nicle]

The mobo is without the battery right now. May the devil speak for himself. Bah!
I will test it again in a few minutes...

 

[Nicle]

Well... After I have rested the PC for a day without the battery, everything went up and running again. And surprisingly there was no necessity to rebuild the array at the BIOS. The RAID was configured and safe. I don't know how......! The only configuration I have made was at the BIOS, setting it to the old values I had before I reseted it.

I still don't know what happened, either what I did for it to become up and running again.

I ask for a sugestion about the mobo: should I change it for a new one?

The problem is solved. Thanks.