Vista "Missing OS" . Is it dead hard drive?

Hi all

My basic problem is a "missing operating system" on my PC.

Sys specs
Rampage mboard. , i7 Intel CPU, 2 x 1gb GTX285 GPU's, (2 x WD Velociraptor 2.5 hard drives in RAID 0 configuration*).
*I have all my IMPORTANT data backed up but I did not Miiror or ghost my drives. No disaster, but I would if possible like to save myself the hassle of a full reinstall of all progs etc.

I have searched the forums and have followed various bits of advice and have taken the following actions, listed below.

1. BIOS

Bios recognises both SATA drives
SATA Configuration = Enhanced

Boot list
1. Floppy
2. SATA
3. CDROM


2. After booting from CDROM drive, Windows VISTA boots to install or repair.

Having chosen "Repair your computer" . a dialogue box searches for an operating system and finds none.

Click next anyway and go through the following.
Start-up repair (Does not work!)
System restore cannot find restore point
Win memory diagnostic not working

3. Start with "Command prompt" Get X:\Sources input

X:\Sources run “chkdsk" returns......
File type NFTS
Volume label=Boot
Read only
Windows has found no problems

X:\Sources.c:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe.....returns....
"The volume does not contain a recognised file system"

bootrec.exe/fixmbr
Completed successfully!

Bootrec.exe/fixboot
Element not found

Botrec.exe/rebuildbcd
0 Identified windows installations

4. Command prompt with Diskpart

diskpart... List disk

Disk 0 =140 gb free 0gb
Disk 1= 140gb Free 140gbselect disk

Detail disk 0
Volume 2 Ltr c Raw Partition 140gb Healthy

Detail disk 1
Disk ID=OOOOOOO
Type m=ATA
Bus= 0
Target=1
LUN ID=0
Read only=no
Boot disc = no
Pagefile disk= no
#Hibercnation file disk =[no
Crashdump disk= no
There are no volume


This looks as if one of my drives has gone south and I have lost my data.

I have externally mounted both drives and one is recognised and the other does not even register as a drive at all.

Can some experienced guru tell me if this is definitely a case of a lost /dead drive.

Also can I use the existing good drive by wiping it and using it in a RAID 5 config.?

I want o replace the dead WD drives w/ SSD drives.

Many thanks

Jay K

 

it might be your hdd or boot sector is corrupted you might try using a program called killdisk there is a free iso version you can download and burn to a cd http://how-to-erase-hard-drive.com/downloadfree.htm and see if it can detect your hdd and low level format it and from there you should be able to reinstall vista.
or you could open up your pc and check and make sure the power and data cables to your hdd haven't come loose.

 

Hi Hugh

Followed your advice and removed the hard drives, I then connected these using a SATA to USB cable to my laptop.

One drive is (a). recognized by windows (b). reads as healthy in windows disk management and passes the short test in Western Digital Data Lifeguard utility.

The other drive is (a) not recognized by windows, (b). is unallocated in windows disk management and failed the short test in Lifeguard but passed the extended test???

These drives appear to be mechanically and electrically functional so I assume it’s the software.

Yes! I know I can reformat the drives using your reccomendation of killdisk or the WD disk lifegauard utility which will write disks as 0. But then I have to set up RAID again and reinstall OS.

I am now determined to find out what went wrong. Was this a virus or is there some other controller system function that is on the glitch?

If you or anyone else knows what this is I would be very grateful for any help.

Jay k