Windows XP pro not seeing SATA drives

[Geminiwb]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this one, but here goes.

This is a fresh build and install of XP Pro. I installed XP on a SATA drive (new) and have two more drives (RAID 1 taken from old system) all hooked to the mobo. I can see all drives in both the BIOS and in the device manager. The device manager says the two are working properly, but "not initialized." The drives don't have drive letters and are not visalbe in windows explorer or my RAID controller utility.

Here are the system stats:

asus p5n32-sli se deluxe
intel core 2 duo e6600
corsair 2gb ddr2 pc6400
bfg 7600 gt
western digital 250gb
2 seagate 160 gb (from old system, data {hopefully} still on them)
fresh install of Win XP Pro

So, reall question is; what have I missed to make these two drives visable to make a RAID group??

Thanks you in advance!

-WB

[tomkear2006]

You will need to install the RAID drivers for that motherboard and enable NvRAID in the BIOS.

Have you already done so?

[Geminiwb]

I have installed the drivers and the utility (it is in the start menu and runs at startup). Not sure about the BIOS option, I'll check on that. But if the option is disabled wouldn't the OS see the drives and allow them to be used as regular drives?

[tomkear2006]

I have installed the drivers and the utility (it is in the start menu and runs at startup). Not sure about the BIOS option, I'll check on that. But if the option is disabled wouldn't the OS see the drives and allow them to be used as regular drives?

Possibly, but are they brand new, never used before, drives? If so then they won't work until they have been formatted anyway.

[Geminiwb]

No, these are used drives with data on them. I pulled them out of my old system and put them in this new build. They have been formated NTFS, and have about 100gb of data on them, or at least I hope they do!

[tomkear2006]

No, these are used drives with data on them. I pulled them out of my old system and put them in this new build. They have been formated NTFS, and have about 100gb of data on them, or at least I hope they do!

So they were in a RAID setup in the past?

[Geminiwb]

Yes.

[tomkear2006]

That makes me a little more nervous...I would hate to advise you and have you loose some of that valuable data.

I have spoken to a work college who has said that "If you are using a different RAID controller to the original machine that the discs came from, then they may not work".

[Geminiwb]

I had them on a pci controller, but would rather not use it in the new build. Here is a thought; could I put a drive on the contoller (or drives), copy the data to the 250 gb drive. then take the pci controller out, but the drives back on the mobo sata controller then format and make new RAID drive? that seems like a mess waiting to happen! Can that be done and is there another way??

[tomkear2006]

It sounds feasable to me but I'm not talking from experience.

Does anyone else know where to do with this one?

[Geminiwb]

Thanks for your time and input Tomkear! I'll do some rearranging and post the out comes tonight afer I get home from work.

[Statica]

The only way it would work is if the RAID controllers are the same .. same firmware .. same everything. Thats the only way you can transfer your drives onto a new RAID controller. If not, you have to be sure that your new controller can read the metadata of the old one. (It doesnt sound like it can). Your best bet might be to move the PCI controller onto your new computer .. backup your files elsewhere .. then move your hard drives onto your mobo's controller and rebuild the arrays.

[Geminiwb]

Got it, Statica. I'll do just that when I get back home from work. Thank you for your input!

[Geminiwb]

OK, set up the old system and am copying files now.

One question still remains. Ones I get all the data copied, how do I format the drives to build a new raid array on the new system? Do I do that with the old controller (eg - some option on the old system to deleat the array?) or can I just take them to the new system and and plug them into the mobo and use the new controller to re-initialize and make a new array taht way??

Thanks for your time and effort!
-WB

[macko72]

Yes you can delete or format all volumes in your old system exept system volume or you can do it in new system!!!

[Statica]

OK, set up the old system and am copying files now.

One question still remains. Ones I get all the data copied, how do I format the drives to build a new raid array on the new system? Do I do that with the old controller (eg - some option on the old system to deleat the array?) or can I just take them to the new system and and plug them into the mobo and use the new controller to re-initialize and make a new array taht way??

Thanks for your time and effort!
-WB


On your new controller!