Nvidia RAID problem - hangs on "detecting array" Cant fix th

[sniper007]

I have a problem with RAID on my Ultra-D.

 

Originally, I had a problem whereby windows would NOT restart or shutdown and would hang. I fixed this issue by using the 6.86 nvidia forceware driver package as opposed to the 5.53 ? ones on DFi site. This fixed the issue for me. One thing I did notice with the 6.86s though, is that they did not install the Nvidia MAss Storage / raid software to tell of the status of RAID arrays etc. Anyway...

 

I have my system setup to run windows from my IDE main drive, and then a RAID 1 array off of two SATA drives. This is a new build, and as soon as I enabled RAID, everything worked fine, except that on start up intermittantly windows decided it needed to do a checkdisk to check the consistency of data on my RAID Volume. This soon started ot be everytime I started windows which ever way.

After a day or so of using the system to try to solve this problem of checking disks each time windows started, I decided to enter the nvidia RAID BIOS to rebuild my array from scracth. I hit rebuild on both drives and then exited, assuming that the system would rebuild, and all I get now on boot up is the usual nvidia RAID bios message but then get a "DETECTING ARRAY" and it just hangs.

I used to get a "HEALTHY ARRAY" message where my mirror'd array was detected fine.

 

It then sits on this message infinitely and also will not allow me to enter the BIOS.

 

If I unplug the sata drives and/or disable raid in BIOS the system boots fine and I can get into setup as well. The drives are detected fine in the BIOS and are both healthy and are found in windows when RAID is not enabled. But everytime I go to enable raid even on different sata ports, I get this same hanging problem on "DETECTING ARRAY".

 

I dont even care if I have lost the array and need to rebuild from scratch, but I cant do anything with raid enabled at the mo, and just get that same message, like the nvidia raid BIOS is corrupt.

 

I have also tried CMOS reset and load optimmised default.

 

I haven't tried re-flashing to another BIOS yet as I though the nvidia RAID bios was held in its on right on a different BIOS chip?

 

I have performed searches and have found this issue crop up a lot before, but in the past BIOS updates have fixed it on other MOBOs, and people have had th eproblem when they arent even running raid. I WANT to run raid but cant do anything with it. Also, I have everything at stock as have seen that this can sometimes be due to an overclock.

 

EDIT: Also got this message once during the madness: ""Warning! Now system in safe mode. Please resetting CPU frequency in the cmos setup"

But Im sure this was at a point when it was not overclocked. I have had this running stock most of the time occasionally running a VERY mild overclock. (i know it can do loads more)

 

Any ideas how I can get the raid bios to start working again and not hang on detecting array?

 

 

Regards

[sniper007]

Can anyone help me with this?

[Capt Proton]

Are you absolutely positive your memory is stable? I believe I have read on several occasions that Mav ASync Latency and Read Preamble can give this error if they are not set correctly. I know you said it was running properly previously, but, perhaps the settings got changed, or the memory is having problems. Perhaps a solid CMOS clear and resetting and testing the memory is in order.

[sniper007]

But I've tried a single DIMM in there and also tried different settings - 1t and 2t and has no affect. The memory passes mem test in dual channnel mode at 1t @ 220mhz and is superpi 32m stable. I have tried running it at stock and even lower settings and settings I know that work, and there is no difference. I really get the impression, that this is NOT a memory issue. It still has the same problem with complete CMOS resets and optimised defaults loaded.

[BeboSaab]

Have you considered upgrading to the 4/24/2006 BIOS?

 

It has a new version of the NVRAID software, might help.

[Capt Proton]

Chipset drivers have the Raid drivers, not the BIOS. Doesn't mean a BIOS update won't help, just don't want confusion.

[sniper007]

Sorry my signature although i updated it is currently on the 704-2bt BIOS Tony modded one. Hmm any other ideas? Im pretty stumped.

[JETSPD1477]

for what it's worth. BIOS updates do sometimes contain firmware updates for the raid "controller".

[sniper007]

Fixed this by doing the following:

 

Booted with one of the two drives in my mirror array attached to the mobo with raid enabled and instead of detecting array, got an error in array message. Was able to get into raid options by hitting F10 and deleted this disk from array. Fired up machine with other drive attached on its own and deleted that from array also. Then booted with both and was able to setup an array from scratch.

 

So it seems as though the array got completely corrupt. Possibly due to overclocking.

[red930]

Certain BIOS versions will have different versions of the nF4 RAID BIOS included.

[Capt Proton]

My mistake. I am obviously the one causing the confusion.