can't boot system

[ivelimirovic]

Hi!

Yesterday I've encountered strange problem. After normal shutdown, I tried to boot up my system, and received "Insert boot disk" message, but only after a long time (5 min). Immediately, I've checked BIOS boot parameters, everything is OK.

Now, I have two operating systems on my machine, XP-SP2 installed on my 400GB RAID strip hard drive (which is the system I normally boot from), and 2003-SP1 Server installed on second SATA drive, both of which worked without any problems. When I tried to swich to boot device to 2003-SP1, I got exactly the same result.

I've booted from several boot cds, with following results:

- hirenBOOT - system boots after long waiting (5 min), Partition Magic couldn't start. NTFSDOS can read the RAID array, data on it seems OK, but it doesn't recognize the SATA drive. chkdsk reported no errors on RAID array

- WindowsPE - it does not recognize any drive

- Linux PE (don't remember which version it is) - recognized SATA drive (but not the RAID), everything seems to be OK

- I've also tried to boot up from windows install cds (both XP and 2003), but they don't seem to recognize drives. On 2003, I've managed to enter recovery console (same thing didn't work on XP) and tried FIXBOOT and FIXMBR, they reported no error, but this didn't fix the problem

- currently I'm making the BartPE with UBCD, which is supposed to have integrated support for RAID controller, I will try to read RAID array after I finish it.

Does anyone has suggestion what to do next?

My configuration:

Athlon 64 3000

1GB Kingston RAM

Asus KN8-E Deluxe

2x200GB Maxtor DiamondMAX RAID array (strip mode, SI controler)

250GB SATA Maxtor DiamondMAX

Radeon 9800pro

Pioneer DVDRW

XP-SP2 and 2003-SP1 Server

Also, I didn't made any changes to hardware and software recently, and the whole system is on the UPS, so I believe power surge isn't the problem...

Thank you in advance!

more info:

I put in another (PATA) drive, installed XP-SP2 on it, installed motherboard drivers (didn't bother with video and audio, used default). The new OS can see correctly the RAID array, I can access it, but when I try to copy data, the system stops responding at random intervals.

To put it more clearly:

- when copying one folder, the explorer stops responding after few seconds, so I have to kill it in task manager (copied files work correctly). when i delete copied files and try to do the same thing with the same folder again, explorer stops respondig, but on different file (it copies more or less files).

The amount of copied data is small (averages 100MB), so I'm unable to copy larger files.

The new OS is unable to see SATA drive, while the BIOS detects it. When put in another machine, SATA drive is recognized, it can be accessed, but it reports I/O errors when I try to copy data

Edited June 27, 2006 by ivelimirovic

[T D]

That happens in virtual pc or vmware where you haven't installed windows. Of course, it can happen on your physical disk. If there are i/o errors you might have to reformat.

Try going on another computer

Making a msdos startup disk

Copying chkdsk.exe (from system32 I think) onto it

Botoing from the floppy (on your pc)

Running chkdsk

And seeing what happens

[ivelimirovic]

That happens in virtual pc or vmware where you haven't installed windows. Of course, it can happen on your physical disk. If there are i/o errors you might have to reformat.

Try going on another computer

Making a msdos startup disk

Copying chkdsk.exe (from system32 I think) onto it

Botoing from the floppy (on your pc)

Running chkdsk

And seeing what happens

Tried that already... RAID array didn't report any errors from chkdsk, but had 3 errors in Partition Magic. SATA drive wasn't accessible in command prompt

I didn't want to make a mess, so I choosed not to fix them (for the first time, at least)

[pmshah]

I came across something similar a while ago. After setting up a new system I delivered it to the client. It was working flawlessly at the workshop. After opening the cabinet I noticed that the sata connectors had shifted/moved ever so slightly that would not be noticeable. When I pushed them home again the pc started functining properly. In future I am going to make sure that once I have connected the sata cables to the drives I tape them down with gaffer tape. These are the worst kind of connectors I have come across. All these big time overpaid engineers apparently are idiots when it comes to a simple thing like designing foolproof connectors. Same holds true for the power connector too.

[playsafe]

After opening the cabinet I noticed that the sata connectors had shifted/moved ever so slightly that would not be noticeable. When I pushed them home again the pc started functining properly.

Whenever I have encountered Disk I/O errors, it was solved by reconnecting or pressing the data cable connectors otherwise it always looked that physical damage to hard disk sectors has occured. In that case BIOS always show that hard disk. By using it as secondary in other system it showed the drive but did not opened it. U r lucky to still be able to open it.

Try copying some files at a time. The files which are on damaged sector will not copy. but secure the other files as early as possible.

Now to how can it happen on two Drives at same time using different technology (RAID and SATA in ur case). For me it has near zero probability unless computer was burnt together in fire or hit by a rocket. The probable cause may be it was electrical surge that somehow passed through UPS.

[LLXX]

Borrow another computer to put the hard drives in as secondaries, to see if you can read the data from them.

[HyperHacker]

Now to how can it happen on two Drives at same time using different technology (RAID and SATA in ur case). For me it has near zero probability unless computer was burnt together in fire or hit by a rocket. The probable cause may be it was electrical surge that somehow passed through UPS.

Or the controller and/or motherboard has a problem.

[playsafe]

Or the controller and/or motherboard has a problem.

I think ivelimirovic has checked SATA drive on some other system as well. Can't say whether he used the same Data cable or not, it may be Data cable for SATA as well.

[ivelimirovic]

Thank you all, I've replaced the HDD cables, and the drives started to work correctly again. Funny thing is that at least two cables became defective at the same time...

[aaly]

s*** happens

[playsafe]

Thank you all, I've replaced the HDD cables, and the drives started to work correctly again. Funny thing is that at least two cables became defective at the same time...

Nice to hear from u that it finally workd and u are saved from quite hassle. Surely it is quite coincidence that both different kind of cables went defective at same time. But there may be some common reason to them.