# Matrix RAID problem - offline member disks



## Dan333

Hello... I have a Matrix RAID configuration with the Intel Matrix Storage Controller. There are two identical hard drives with a RAID1 and a RAID0... Today I turned on the computer and I can't boot because the raid bios doesn't see the raid configuration... It says.. Raid none defined. And it sees both hard drives... but in red as "Offline member". 

If I enter in the bios CTRL+I. I have these options:

1: Create RAID Volume
(it says there is no space to create a raid...) But also in the manual I see that if you create a raid it says that all data will be lost. 

2: Delete RAID Volume
all data will be lost.. no option

3: Reset disks to non-RAID
all raid structure will be lost. If I do this and then create raid again? is the data lost? I don't want to do anything until sure..
4: Exit

What can I do? I think the hard drives are ok. They are spinning and detected in the bios. Can I plug the hard drives in another motherboard and the raid configuration will be maintained? Or is this stored in the motherboard raid bios? Also... I don't remember how many gb was on raid1 and how many on raid0... 

Thank you for your advice.


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## Dan333

I'm reading the difference between delete raid and reset raid... here but doesn't help... there should have to be an option to rebuild raid or recover raid metadata information !

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/10609/ENG/readme.txt

1. Delete RAID Volume
2. Reset Disk to Non-RAID
Differences between the options are noted below. Users are 
advised to select the option judiciously.

12.1 Reset Disk to Non-RAID

This option is used to reset the metadata on the disk which 
participates in more than one RAID volume in single operation.
It should be used if 'Delete RAID Volume' option fails for any 
reason and to reset a disk that has been marked as Spare and 
offline member. When a disk in the RAID volume is reset to 
non-RAID, RAID metadata is erased. However, partition table and 
file system related data still exists, which may be invalid. This 
might cause Windows installer to misinterpret the information 
available on the 'reset disk' at the time of installation. This 
could result in unexpected behavior in OS installation.

12.2 Delete RAID Volume

When a RAID volume is deleted, RAID metadata on the participating 
disks is erased and sector zero is cleared, that is partition 
table and file system related data are reset. Windows installer 
will not see any invalid data at the time of OS installation. This
is the recommended method for reconfiguring the RAID volume and 
installing OS on it.


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## star69let

I have formated my first drive to nothing but forgot about my 2nd wich had xp64 on it when my system was built for windows vista ultimate and then I put xp Blk on it so I know what your thinking I am not so bright..??? 

So.. what I am trying to do is get rid of all these Multipule Personality disorder's......!!!! So I am trying to go back and erase and formate all drives.. I selected all drive and made them non raid but when the os disk my original vista ultimate my other drive still had not been formated so it gave me a choice to do so.. So I selected format..

Now I am at the trying to intall the os and is is stuck in erxpanding files and has been on 0% FOREVER!??????

HELP....??? MY SYSTEM IS NOT THE ONE I AM ON NOW IT IS A GATEWAY BAFX530 

I JUST WANT TO RETURN IT TO THE ORIGINAL STATE WHEN I FIRST BUILT IT??

I HATE BILL GATES THIS IS THE SECOND SYSTEM AND OS THE FIRST WAS THE MILL ME SERIES AND NOW VISTA BOTH SUCK AND HE OWES ME TWO SYSTEMS AND TWO OS!!!!!!!

HELP ME I AM STUCK BAD??

Thank you SO MUCH!!


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## raptor_pa

Not too clear what your configuration is are the fdrives in a raid config or to independent drives. Download the hard drive manufacturer's utilities and verify both drives are physically intact. Then zero wipe the drives with killdisk or d-ban to start with a clean drive. I's not hardly fair to blame MS for system issues when you are running a pirated and hacked version of the OS i.e. XP Black. Verify, zero wipe, make sure your controller configs are correct and try again.


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## star69let

*:wave:I am sorry for any miss understanding,,?? I did not mean to blame the MS for I did not know it was not a real OS copy an IT Tech did it for me and I would have never changed my OS in the first place had not Vista Been a Piece of ****.. 

I mean my printer went on the floor no previous software was compatible and frankly Vista is Junk!! Not to mention I built my Computer for extreme gaming and video and sound so I spend a lot of $$$ and this was when Vista was fresh to the market.. I just think they should take responsibility that is all.. I was just trying to get an OS that worked like it should in the first place but shame on me for not realizing that vista was based off if the milli me series.. BAD GIRL

In any case thank you all for your time and help I had to assign all the hard drives to raid 0 the way it came from the Gateway and guess what it loaded.. YEAH.!  YOu guy's are the greatest I am going to get her online now and do a scan and all update's from Billl and from Gateway..


The one thing I was wondering that and need additonal help with was the fact that I did a full back up to my external but it was in the xp Blk OS so will it load correctly on vista by itself or is there additional concerns here..???


Best Regards,

P.S. THANK YOU VERY MUCH..


MISS *STARLET*ray:*


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## Dij

I've just had this very problem and this is how I got out of it.

In the BIOS (Ctrl+I) I chose 'Reset Disks to non-RAID' and selected one of the two Offline Members (I have a 2 member RAID 0 array). I got a warning that this would 'delete all data on the drive' but went ahead.

This gave me a pop-up offering to re-add the 'degraded' disk I had just removed to the array. Behind the pop-up, I could see that the other drive in the array was online. So I said yes. The system booted (hurrah!). It ran slowly, but starting the Intel Rapid Storage Technology utility, I could see it rebuilding the array copying data from one member to the other.

Speculation as to cause. At some point, the metadata on the drives diverges. At reboot, it doesn't know which drive is good. This procedure resolves the dilemma. It is up to you to pick the disk to remove - pick wrong, and you're transported through time back to the state when the disks began to diverge. If you're lucky (I was) you remember which disk was not being updated from popup warnings while you last ran yor OS.


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## ItzMe2134

I have simular problem with RAID-1 reporting Offline members (both) in a mirrored configutration (Volume:0) 

BIOS Options are: 
1. Create new RAID Volume 
2. Delete existing RAID Volume 
3. Reset disk to non-RAID 
4. Exit 

After disconnecting (regardless which one) one of the harddrives, BIOS reports one member disk available, the other one missing (status: degraded). 
Strange thing is this is a valid status!

Putting the interface in IDE modus, in stead off RAID, results in a booting system having two identical drives (both drives with all data present).

Seems BIOS has lost/corrupted it's RAID table, or something? :4-dontkno
Using the BIOS menu options Warns for data loss! 

Anyone idea's :1angel: how to get back my RAID-1 table without loosing my data? ray: 

Hardware: 
Mobo: MSI P45 NEO3-FR (PCB v1.0, BIOS version 1A, latest) 
HDD: 2x Samsung HD 501 SJ (2x 500GB / SATA-2) 
CPU: E8400, RAM: 2GB, Running OS: MS XP Pro, SP3 (up-to-date) 

Thnx in advance!


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## Jay_JWLH

I'm only interested in making a response to the original poster, since at least two people here seem to have tried to create cases which should be put into their own threads.

What you will need to do is somehow manage to rebuild the array. It isn't free, but there is a software solution called RAID Reconstructor that can most likely do a good job. I'm sure if you looked over the internet, you may be able to find other RAID repair tools. I do not bare in mind the non-standard RAID that Matrix RAID uses, so support may have to come more from Intel.

Anyway, unplug the one of the drive data cables, and restart the computer. Then the other way around. The entire point is to get the controller to recognize the drive again, and hopefully get things going back to how they were. In a nutshell, Offline Member means that it is having trouble accessing the drive.


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## ItzMe2134

Hi Jay,

RAID Reconstructor is meant for use with RAID 5 or 0
I'm using Intel RAID 1. 

I also tried unplugging one drive, and then the other.
Putting them beck resulted in a 2nd invalid Volume0:1 :4-dontkno

Oh well... Thnx anyway.


PS: Thought i put same kind of probs in the same thread.
especially since last reply was over a year ago...


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## Jay_JWLH

I do hate when people bring up incredibly old threads. I rarely even notice. I expect this thread to become closed...
But if you make your own thread and I see it, I would be glad to help with that.


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## ItzMe2134

whatever we do it's no gud...
If make new thread, people will say this thread allready excists... 
i goto the source: Intel!


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