2nd Hard Drive (RAID 0) not in My Computer - Lost my RAID Controller Drivers

I have an ABIT AT7-MAX2 (VIA KT400-8235) computer with AMD Athlon XP 2.08Ghz running IE7 SP3. I just did a clean install a couple days ago. I only now noticed that my 2nd Hard Drive does not appear (like it used to) when I look at My Computer. However, if I use the Search feature it will search in both my C: Drive and also my E: Drive (the E: Drive is the 2nd HD). Other than using the Search feature - I have no access to the E Drive. (I use the E: Drive for my pictures.) I did not change any BIOS settings when I did the clean install. The two HDs were (and still are) setup as RAID 0. So, I'm confused why the 2nd drive isn't seen on my OS. Is the reason because I [somehow] lost my RAID Controller drivers when doing the clean install? Or is there something I must do in XP to add the E Drive so I can see, and use it, on my PC?

As far as the missing drivers - when I look at the Device Manager there are two YELLOW question marks (?) under "Other Devices". These two line items are both RAID Controllers. Looking at the Details, these two (2) RAID Controllers (under Other Devices) are missing their drivers. I'm hoping this is easy to fix...

Is this why I can't see the E: Drive on my PC? Does anyone have any idea what drivers I need for them? I assume the drivers be on the ABIT CD, right? Should I try the ABIT CD and hope it's easy to download the drivers I need?

Here is what one of the RAID Controllers' ID says: PCI\VEN_1106&DEV_3059&SUBSYS_1400147B&REV_50\3&61AAA01&0&8D
The other RAID Controller ID number is similar.

I want to know two things:

1- Is the lack of RAID Controller drivers causing me not to be able to see, and use, my 2nd HD (E Drive) when using my PC? Or is there something I must do (on XP) to add the E Drive so I can see and use it?

2- Obviously I need to add the missing drivers for the two RAID Controllers. (I assume they were lost somehow when I did the clean install.) After adding the drivers (for the RAID Controllers) will that automatically show the 2nd Drive on my PC (like it used to be)?

Thanks for any help.

 

http://www.abit.com.tw/page/en/down...pTITLE_ON_SCREEN=AT7-MAX2&pSOCKET_TYPE=Socket A

 

Maybe I don't have RAID0. I did not build the PC. I do have two identical HDs, so just assumed it was setup as RAID0. Maybe a clue for you to help me (and determine how it was setup) is that before I did the clean install I could see the two drives (C & E) on my PC. Also maybe helpful to you is - when I used the Search feature in XP both the C and E drives were on the same drop-down line. (I believe I may have had a drop-down line that said just "E", but when I Searched it automatically looked in both drives... Does that help?

When doing the clean install I remember seeing the partition and I recall there was a small amount of space partitioned, but I didn't think I needed to do anything. I also remember seeing the F6 prompt, but moved on past that. Was the F6 prompt where I need to add drivers for the RAID Controllers?

I guess I'm looking for the best means to get my E drive usable again - either like it was before the clean install or in some other fashion...without having to do a clean install again. I've re-installed all my stuff back and really don't want to go through all that again.

What do you suggest I do?

 

Do I use the AT7-MAX2 HPT374A driver or the AT7-MAX2/XP HPT374A driver? Or should I try to use my ABIT CD to install the missing drivers?

 

Computer Management says I have ONLY one Hard Drive (C) showing, instead of two like it used to be before the clean install. Layout is Partition. Type is Basic. Healthy. Capacity is: 57.26G Free Space is: 43.59BHowever, before the clean install I could see both HDs (C & E).

I know for a fact I have two identical physical HDs (Maxtor 6Y060L0). The more I think about it (I know nothing about RAID) - it is not setup as RAID0.

 

Right ok koot

What it looks like you`ve done is installed on to one drive not a raid array because you did`nt use the f6 at pre boot to load raid drivers and still installed win xp (assuming IE7 SP3 ment winxp sp3) so click to startmenu then control panel then administrative tools then computer management then look down the list for disk management and click on it.

There should be two disks, Have a close look at the partitions on those disks they`ll be labled what you got?

 

Opps sorry koots I would try the cd that came with the mobo before anything else I didn`t think you had it.

 

It`s set up as raid1 (mirrored) or it`s not set up as a raid array. Both disks are 60g so if they were in raid0 then the partition would be 140g.

 

I definitely know there are two identical drives. They are Maxtor 6Y060L0.

I also know for a fact that the two drives' capacity are not added together, e.g. two 60G HDs equal 120G. They were definitely setup to be separate drives, e.g. C= 60G and E= 60G. Prior to the clean install the two drives were shown as separate drives (C & E). For example, prior to the clean install I used to be able to open My Computer and look at Properties and see two (2) Hard Drives - both C & E. Now I can only see one (1), just C.
-----------
Also, I just looked at my Mozy backup under Restore for now and also prior to the clean install.

This is how it looks now:
+Drive (C)

This is how it looked before I did the clean install:
+Drive (C)
+Drive (E)
------------
Computer Management says I have ONLY one Hard Drive (C) showing, instead of two like it used to be before the clean install. Layout is Partition. Type is Basic. Healthy. Capacity is: 57.26G Free Space is: 43.59B However, before the clean install I could see both HDs (C & E).

I know for a fact I have two identical physical HDs (Maxtor 6Y060L0). The more I think about it (I know nothing about RAID) - it is (or was) never setup as RAID0. I think I was wrong to think it was (or is). Heck, maybe it was never setup as RAID anything! All I know is that I used to see two (2) separate Hard Drives.

 

I don't know what to do first. I assume I first need to add the missing RAID Controller drivers. If so, I'm not sure how I should do it. Should I try to download the drivers (if I can) from the ABIT CD into my PC and try to get the system to install the missing drivers? Or, do I need to add the drivers with the BIOS, using the ABIT CD?

I just don't want to mess up my clean install trying to add the missing device drivers in the wrong way that may mess up my clean install....or get into something in the BIOS pertaining to partitioning or the F6 prompt that may cause me to lose my clean install.

 

Here is what the YELLOWed-out RAID Controllers are, according to the Device Manager:

PCI\VEN-1103&DEV_0008&SUBSYS_00011103&REV_07\3&61AAA01&0&98
Location: PCI Slot 8 (PCI buss 0, device 19, function 0)
The driver for this device is not installed (Code 28)

PCI\VEN_1106&DEV_3059&SUBSYS_1400147B&REV_50\3&61AAA01&0&8D
Location: PCI Slot 8 (PCI buss 0, device 19, function 1)
The driver for this device is not installed (Code 28)

Note that PCI\VEN_1106 has a "Function" of 1, whereas the PCI\VEN_1103 has a "Function" of 0 - if that makes any difference or any sense.

 

BTW, I forgot to mention that that (prior to the clean install) the way my HDs were setup did not duplicate files in both drives, e.g. for security. Also, they did not add the memory of both drives together, e.g. 60G + 60G = 120G. (So, I assume the two drives were not setup in a RAID connection - dunno...) My OS was (and is now) on C and my photos were (and I assume still are) the only thing on drive E. I used to be able to access info on either Drive C or on Drive E from my PC. Now I can only "see" Drive C. (However, in the Search feature my PC searches Drive C and [somehow] searches Drive E also, the latter of which is rather confusing to me how it can search E when it doesn't show on my PC. Maybe that helps explain beter how the two drives were setup.

 

Well, all I had to do was add the drivers from my ABIT CD and restart and BINGO - I have my E Drive back where it was. :-D

Case solved...and closed.

 

Good show koot

sorry bout the 140g bit ment 120g

Your right it`s not set up as raid though if the mobo supports raid you could almost double the performance by running a raid0 array but you`d have to go through the whole setup again with the preinstall raid drivers on floppy and use the f6 method when promted but, Glad you worked it out in the end and gained a bit of know how in the process.:wave

 

Where I made my mistake was not knowing that at the F6 prompt was where I should have added the drivers for the RAID. If I had added the drivers at F6 I would not have had my problem. Since I failed to load the drivers off the MB/BIOS CD at the proper time I guess I should be glad that I was [even] able to make things work...with the exception of my little problem. I'm just glad it was an easy fix.

Thanks for your help! Yes, I did learn some things. I still don't know much about RAID, but I now know how important it is to have drivers.