"Load Optimized" Killed My RAID, Need Boot help

[2therock]

OK,

I have this wonderful new system running a RAID 1 Vista x64 and then I go into the BIOS and choose "Load Optimized" because it was running the Q6600 @ 2.13 GHz and the optimize put her to 2.4.

Little did I know loading the optimized Disabled the RAID setup.

So I do an F10 and yes and walk away. I come back to this grinding away of my PC configuring it's self to non raid, loading all kinds of hardware drivers in the form of ATA and such.

Lordy I'm no longer RAID. Now the fun begins as I go back and reload the RAID and now have a corrupted boot.

I make it back into Ctrl-I and fiddle around and get the RAID state to recognize it's self and become into a "Rebuild" Status.

Great!

Now I get two options at boot. I lost my memory but it's two duplicate lines saying something to the effect "Recovered Windows".
I am to choose the one I want.

If I choose the top one I get nothing but the prompt to boot from the DVD and repair. It fails. If I do nothing it times out and loops.

If I choose the lower one it boots fine.

I take it it's looking at both drives being RAID 1 and one of them had a bad boot file.

What do you guys think I can do to correct?

[MadDoGz]

Re: "Load Optimized" Killed My RAID, Need Boot help

Have u got Intel Matrix Storage Manager installed (included on your boards driver disk)?..

I've once had my RAID (0) array corrupted aswell after loading optimized defaults.
Since i have the Storage Manager installed it doesnt seem to corrupt anymore after loading optimised defaults.

[VorLonUK]

Re: "Load Optimized" Killed My RAID, Need Boot help

When you load up the optimised defaults, it does just that - sets everything to the boards default, which doesn't usually consider a Raid setup.

There is a sticky topic about this under the Bios Upgrade title on this forums front page. Obviously people who want to upgrade their bios, need to Loadup the optimised defaults as part of the process after the flash process has completed. However, once the Defaults have been loaded up, saved and the PC rebooted, It's Important that you re-enter the bios straight away and setup the specifics for your system, ie things like Raid!

The same applies for people like myself who use AHCI or have a seperate Sound card, as by default the bios assumes I have neither.

[2therock]

Re: "Load Optimized" Killed My RAID, Need Boot help

Thanks Guys,

I'm not seeing anything in the BIOS to fix it though.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: "Load Optimized" Killed My RAID, Need Boot help

Yes, it cannot be fixed now that you have let windows try to load. The only thing you can do is if you absolutely need something out of the disks you can try Raid Reconstructor, but you will need a third disk and PLENTY of time to wait.

Here is another few methods posted in this thread you may try as well, if you HAVE to get something off the array. Recovery of DATA Takes TONS of time, so if the quick methods (Listed further down) do not work for you and you dont have a day or two to wait then just start over >>>
Intel ICHxR RAID Data Recovery 101 - XtremeSystems Forums

You will have to delete the array and make a new one and install Vista again if you do not plan to try to salvage anything. And yes you will need to set the RAID options again in the BIOS

Everytime you flash and load optimized (Or anytime you load optimized or any default) you will have to always go reset your disk settings. Defaults are for a NON RAID setup

Sorry to hear this has happened to you, it can happen to the best of us so do not feel bad

[MadDoGz]

Re: "Load Optimized" Killed My RAID, Need Boot help

I also think there is no way to get the array back working with all the data intact.

I can really advice you to install the Intel Matrix Storage Manager after you'd set up your new array.
This DOES prevent your array from getting corrupted after you try to boot with RAID disabled in your bios.

Anyone else noticed this / can confirm?

[2therock]

Re: "Load Optimized" Killed My RAID, Need Boot help

Hi Guys, and Thanks For Chipping In,

All your replies are logical but I have stumbled onto to my problem like a drunken sailor.

OK, in a nut shell I got my RAID back and it rebuilt OK but I ended up at boot with a list of two boot options that required me to scroll down to the one that worked and hit enter like this,

Windows Vista (TM) Home Premium (Recovered)
Windows Vista (TM) Home Premium (Recovered)

I boot to the OS disk and do the repair and get to the same list but it shows one to be 0MB in size and on a non recognized local disk. The other shows a file size and the local disk C:/.

I post here and wait. While I wait I decide to run msconfig and see whats in the startup list and do some weeding. I notice the Boot tab and decide to look at it.
Holy Cow there they are! Both Os listed and the one running is tagged with a (current). Both have the tag (Recovered).

I highlight the current and choose to make it the default. I boot and both are still there but one is listed as default. I choose it and all is normal. I go back in and select the non-current and boldly choose to delete it.

Whew!

So it can be done! One running RAID can choose to load BIOS optimum settings forgetting to reset the RAID and recover!

The Steps:

1. Note what you have done and freak out.
2. Go back into BIOS and reselect RAID.
3. Make the CD/DVD drive the first boot device.
4. Boot.
5. Do a Ctrl -I and toggle through the RAID setup until it responds with marking a status as "Rebuild" then save and exit. I made no progress until I toggled through the raid setup. Strange but until I got it to tag I was in a loop.
6. Boot and wait for it to fail and hit any key to boot to the OS DVD.
7. Select the language and then repair and let her eat. It may show it cannot repair and it's not uncommon to have to boot to it and attempt repairs more than once. When you start seeing the message C:/windows/system32/winload.exe is missing or corrupt your done.
8. Boot and if you have a choice pick one to get into windows. In my case the list order was the same in the boot screen as the windows repair list. The one with a file size and valid location is your pick.
9. Once you get in run msconfig and make the current OS the default and delete the other.

DONE.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: "Load Optimized" Killed My RAID, Need Boot help

Nice to see you got it! I will add you may also use VistaBootPro or BCEdit to remove the second OS choices