Raid Rom not recognizing HDD's

[trents]

I tried to install Windows on a SATA drive that had recently been used in a RAID 0 configuration and Windows couldn't see it when it even thought it showed up in post and in bios. I went back into bios and changed the SATA configuration from AHCI to RAID. I restarted and when the RAID initialization message showed in post I hit CTRL F to enter the RAID setup. From there I chose one of the menu items that allowed me to wipe the drive through a low level format which removes the RAID metadata. Then I rebooted and went back into bios and changed the SATA mode back to AHCI. This time Windows recognized the drive.

You can also remove RAID metadata with a live Linux CD using terminal commands: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1600014. If you are only using one of the two drives from the old RAID then leave out the command switch for the other one. This may be quicker if you already have a Linux live disc around as low level formatting is a slow process.

 

[Johan45]

Thanks for the tips Trents. Are you saying that killing the raid should wipe that area of the drive? I'm concerned it may not wipe it entirely, there's something strange on there.
Either way when I get the time I'll probably try one of the programs Bobert linked to me and just hope that works.

 

[trents]

No, not just killing the RAID but killing the RAID and then using the RAID utility to low-level reformat the disc. Just killing the RAID will not remove all the metadata. The RAID utility for my motherboard has an option to also wipe the disc. May take over an hour for it to complete. There are other third party utilities that will also do a low-level reformat. That's the key term: low-level reformat. Here's one, but I haven't personally tried it. But I do trust Major Geeks as a reliable download site that will not give you malware.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/hdd_low_level_format_tool.html

With a third party utility this can probably be done from within Windows if you temporarily connect the drive in question to another system. I could be wrong about this but I think a drive with old RAID metadata on it cannot be detected by Windows only in the case when it is being used as the main system drive.

Using a Linux live CD/DVD and terminal commands as I mentioned in post #21 would be quicker.

 

[bassnut]

The Asus board .... my CHV, CHVz and Sabertooth have the ability to format the drive while in the raid setup utility. I believe this is what trents is talking about.

 

[trents]

The Asus board .... my CHV, CHVz and Sabertooth have the ability to format the drive while in the raid setup utility. I believe this is what trents is talking about.

I guess I wasn't clear?

Yes, when I see the post message saying the RAID controller is being initialized, I can press CTRL F to get into the setup utility and perform the operation I am talking about. But you must have SATA configured for RAID in bios in order for the RAID setup option to show in post. So if you changed that to AHCI, change it back temporarily.

 

[trents]

I guess I should say that the option to wipe the drive is not one of the main menu items in the RAID utility setup screen and it's not called "low-level" format but that's what it is. The option is found at the bottom where the keyboard strokes information is found and it's called "erase drive" or something like that. I don't remember which one of the menu items it's found in.

 

[RGone]

Only I know this.
1. Breaking the raid array while the drives in the array are still attached to the raid controller they were used on has always removed the array settings from all drives that were in the array.

2. IF the array was not broken/dis-assembled on the controller that the array was attached to; then moving to 3rd party software to 'zero' or write all 1's to the drive or "nuke" the drive would remove the array spec data.

All I know for sure. RGone...ster.

 

[Johan45]

Thanks for all the tips guys, Since I suspect there is something other than RAID data written to a hidden part of the drive, I'm going to disassemble the raid and zero the whole thing to save time. If the "erase" doesn't get it I would have to do it twice essentially and don't want to take the time if 1 process "should" do the job.

 

[trents]

When you say "zero" the whole thing, what do you mean? That sounds like a complete, low-level format of the drives, what we have been talking about all along. Or, am I misunderstanding you?

 

[Johan45]

That's exactly what I mean Trents. So you're saying that th eRadi utility will do the same??

Have you gotten any apples?

 

[bassnut]

It's been a while since I have used the format utility but if my memory is correct, not always the case I'm afraid it just does a quick format of the drive. The last time I used it did not take that long to format a 2TB drive.

On the Asus CHV the utility is Labeled, Secure Erase you will find it in the View Drive Assignments.

 

[trents]

I would think the Ctrl+H keystroke would initiate more than a quick format. Otherwise, they wouldn't call it "Secure Erase" would they?

 

[EarthDog]

'Secure Erase' is a term used for SSD's these days, but it is essentially 'zeroing' out the drive.

 

[Johan45]

I'll give it a shot when I have the time and let you know if it fixes the "crack software" issue guys. What have I got to lose really. Just time.

 

[trents]

'Secure Erase' is a term used for SSD's these days, but it is essentially 'zeroing' out the drive.

So "zeroing out" the drive is more than just a quick format?

 

[RGone]

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termss/g/secure-erase.htm

Definition: Secure Erase is the name given to a set of commands available from the firmware on PATA and SATA based hard drives. The Secure Erase commands are used as a data sanitization method to completely overwrite all of the data on a hard drive.

Important: Some programs exist that have the words secure erase in their names or advertise that they securely erase data from a hard drive, but unless they specifically note that they use a hard drive's Secure Erase commands, they likely do not.

Now that a lot of users have SSDs, secure erase is the tool that brings back the speed that is lost over time with some SSDs. It takes different front ends to initiate secure erase depending on the controller on the SSD but again it is the controller that is actually doing the 'erase'.

SSDs must be set to high state or 1's as we know it for new data to be written to the SSD. HDDs can be a 1 or a 0 overall.

Having gotten an early OCZ SSD and doing all the research some time ago about 'erasing' a drive and that is ALL the drive, I often just forget that others may move at a different rate. Sorry. I have for sometime now used whatever front end it takes to initiate a real secure erase on the drive in question, then I know the drive is without MBR or raid array meta data.
RGone...ster.