RAID cluster size problem

[monsterzero]

OK, to make a long story short my friend managed to mess up my RAID and I have discovered after numerous installs the last day or so that if I format the array with a 16k cluster size (using XP on a backup rack drive) I get a disk read error after the first boot when reinstalling Windows BUT I get no such error if I use the default 4k cluster size. I have done nothing different or changed anything since last time except go back to stock settings for the reinstall. And yes, I surfaced tested both drives and they are fine.

 

Any ideas as to why all of sudden the array refuses 16k but not the default? The drives are on SATA 1 and 2, I can try them on SATA 3 and 4 if anyone thinks it'll make a different.

[RyderOCZ]

What cluster size are you choosing when you set up the raid controller in the bios? You should try and match them. See if that helps

[uwackme]

Its a bug in SP2, if you slipstream a SP1 disk, use that then upgrade to SP2 after install, it will work with any cluster size. But a SP2 install disk will croak on anything other than 4K cluster.

[cpuz]

agreed w/ uwackme.

[monsterzero]

I've read that before about the SP2 install but how come it worked for me when I set this up the first time? Just luck?

[red930]

Try this:

 

http://www.lvcoyote.com/sata.htm

[monsterzero]

Back, just wanted to say thanks for tips, etc, but for the moment it just won't work. I even used partition programs to change cluster size after installation and I still get the disk read error. I'm sticking with default 4k for now when I get the energy to do all this again.

 

Also, whatever happened that night has gone beyond that problem, I'm getting crashes in programs I never had before. So I'm gonna have to test mem, etc as well.

[robo989]

THIS IS AN EVIL PROBLEM THAT WILL...

 

**NEVER**

 

BE SOLVED

 

I've spent at least 200 hours trying to change the clucter size on a system with SP2 installed from 4k to something sensible like 16k and it will never work

 

"Disk read error"

"press ctrl+alt+delete to restart"

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Not again

 

(how things went in my mind)

 

And you know what its the same old crap in x64 as well!!!!

 

I just got 4 Hitachi 250GB SATA II drives for raid0 and can't change the damn cluster size...its ridiculous that this happens, I doubt its a bug, more likely some security measure in windows that cocks it all up.

[cpuz]

ok, this is what i did from memory:

 

hooked up spare ide with winxp to format 2 raptors w/ specific cluster size. (if you don't know how to do this, ask)

 

once formatted:

 

Setup raid and installed winxp WITHOUT sp2 slipstreamed. (Note if i used a slipstream w/ sp2, i would error out like you are saying).

 

press f6 to install raid drivers etc...

 

once winxp loads, install sp2.

 

you should be all set.

[robo989]

Hi cpuz, I kinda got that sussed a while back, install sp1 xp change cluster size with partition magic 8, then install sp2 worked fine, installing sp2 then using pm8 messed up...

 

The thing is I'm using x64 now and that does the same old "disk read error" thing like sp2 did, and since there is no prior version...

 

kinda stuck, any ideas...

 

thanx

[pumbertot]

the moral of the storey is dont use SP2, so many problems it causes. why bother.

[MavDFI]

I've always used 16k cluster size but since I've had an nF4 I'm thinking I might just use default 4k to avoid this issue.

 

So my question is, how much "real world" performance difference have ppl noticed when using 16k cluster size versus 4k on the DFI nF4 with say, Raptors in RAID0?

 

Thanks