[Ham-Computers] Recognizing SATA drives from failed RAID array

[Mike D.]

Asus A8V Deluxe Motherboard
Windows XP Pro

I had two Seagate 250 GB SATA hard drives on the Promise controller in RAID
1 (mirroring). There was also a Maxtor 300 GB SATA drive on the VIA
controller for data storage. The system booted from the RAID array.

There was a critical RAID array failure. I deleted the RAID array in BIOS
and tried to boot from one of the Seagate drives. Neither drive allowed me
to boot. I tried to repair the Windows XP OS and that didn't work. I
installed a new 1 tb Seagate SATA drive on the Promise controller as a
single (non-raid) drive. I am able to access the Maxtor drive on the VIA
controller, but have not been able to get any data off of either of the
former RAID drives.

Whenever I connect a former RAID array drive to any controller (Promise or
VIA), the system won't boot or boots very slowly. I disconnected the Maxtor
300 GB drive from the VIA controller (known good and working) and
individually plugged in the former RAID drives and still nothing. If I get
it to boot, the VIA SATA controller software indicates the former RAID array
drive as failed. 

If I disconnect the working single Maxtor 300 GB drive from the VIA
controller and hot swap either of the two former RAID drives, the controller
software recognizes a drive is plugged in, but indicates< "Device status:
failed."

In BIOS, Advanced, OnChip SATA BOOTROM is disabled. Onboard Promise
controller is enabled and Operating Mode is Onboard IDE Operat.

I want to bring the data from the former RAID drives to the new 1 TB boot
drive. I would appreciate your suggestions. Thank you.

73 de Mike, N9BOR
A-1, FISTS, JARL A-1, SMC
http://www.n9bor.us
http://www.k9ya.org

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