Intel RAID Chipset on X79-UP4 MoBo Lost Configuration

[Pwalex]

I have a couple of issues. The one from the title is the more complicated and problematic one, but there is another that is closely tied that I will start with.

Currently, I cannot seem to get the BIOS configuration to load. Splash screen comes up, but pressing Del. does nothing nor does F12 for boot config. I *can* access the Intel RAID bios as well as the secondary SATA chipset (Marvell) BIOS. I was guessing that resetting the CMOS would be the logical thing to try here, but I have concerns related to my main issue which is outlined below.

Due to some other system problems which have now been fixed, I made the mistake of tinkering with a few things in the BIOS that I think may have caused this issue. Namely, switching the Intel SATA chipset off of RAID mode briefly. Now, when I boot up, the RAID BIOS loading screen shows the raid as "not detected". The RAID itself is a RAID-5 with 4 identical drives. Windows still sees it as one volume with ~8 TB, but wants to format it. I am able to load the Intel RAID BIOS, where I can "create a raid" but I'm guessing doing this would wipe out the existing one.

So, in a nutshell, I need to get this RAID-5 back up and running with NO DATA LOSS, and I do not know what the next steps here would be. If I reset the CMOS, will I risk losing the RAID configuration entirely (noob question, perhaps, but this is my first time dealing with a RAID at all)? Would using the RAID BIOS to re-create it delete my existing volume (seems like a given to me)? Please help! I am out of ideas and the data on this raid is vital!

[dmdilks]

If you reset the bios yes you will lose the raid 5. Till you get back in the bios reset everything back to before you went in and played around.

It would be like you updated the bios and clear the cmos and set things to default setting. Then go back in set up everything again.

Once you have everything set back to when everything was running right. Then everything should be right again. 

Plus if you reset the bios you will have to set it default setting first before you can reset it to the setting you want or had.

If you do everything right than you should have your raid 5 back again. Without losing any thing.

[Pwalex]

Thanks for replying!

What strikes me as odd here is that the RAID-5 is not working even though I already have returned everything to the same settings as before. Is resetting the CMOS really going to fix this? And what if I can't get it back up. What are my options in terms of data recovery?

I'm sorry for being so picky, but I need to be as meticulous as possible as there is very sensitive data at risk!

[dmdilks]

I went looking and I found this that might help. Read the whole thread before you do any thing.

I myself have never used a raid 5 but by what I'm reading you should be able to rebuild it without losing any data.

http://forums.legitreviews.com/about16960.html

But again I would reset the bios and start over than see what happens.

[Pwalex]

Hmm, that thread sounds similar, but not exactly the same. In that guy's case, he moved the MoBo/Controller and drives over and had simply left one unplugged when it started. The RAID controller read this as a failed drive and had rebuild prompts (apparently). In my case, the drives have never been moved/unplugged or anything. The only thing that changed was the "raid mode" setting for the controller in the MoBo BIOS. According to that thread, I should have already had a chance to rebuild the RAID... unless that is something that happens without notification and I'm simply unaware? I have never had to rebuild a RAID before, so do let me know if I've just overlooked something.

My main concern with resetting the BIOS is that I don't know how that will affect the raid controller. It was my understanding that for a RAID to stay intact it is fairly important that it always exist on the same RAID controller (in this case, the main SATA chipset on my motherboard) and that if the controller fails it can cause major problems in terms of getting the RAID back up and running. I'm probably being paranoid, but that is what I'm afraid of happening if I reset the bios. Call me an idiot if I'm being too nervous about this, but again, there is some very important data I need on this thing.

[Pwalex]

Quick update:

I did reset the BIOS, which now allows me to access the configuration settings and the system boots just fine. RAID status is the same as it's always been. Here's a screencap of the RAID BIOS: http://imgur.com/vtknUGv

Looks as though it has no idea these drives were ever in a RAID at all!! I just need it to figure it out somehow. Literally nothing has changed with the drives themselves (still in the same physical place, same SATA ports, everything!)

[dmdilks]

I do have a array setup on my Ga-x79-UD3 board I was doing it for somebody. They were having a problem with setting up a Marvell raid.

I'll give it a try see if resetting the bios screws it up. I now it isn't the Intel controller but it it still array setup.

[dmdilks]

I just tested on my Ga-x79-UD3 Before I did all the steps you did. Clear the cmos and than booted back in loaded default setting.

Then went back in and the Marvell  array was still. Then I setup a raid 5. Then I did all the steps you did. With all said and down the raid 5 was still there.

The only thing I can say if you don't want to rebuild it. There is a really good program out there called Restorer 2000.

I have used it many times to get stuff off of hard drives. I once deleted a partition once when setting up Xp. When I got done installing Xp.

I ran it on the drive I had deleted and it was all there like I had never had deleted it.

[Pwalex]

Okay, so I've dealt with this issue now. Thanks for all the help!

In the end, all I really did was get the program Restorer, which let me create a "virtual RAID-5" out of the disks that had been on the RAID array originally. I scanned and recovered everything that I could (took about 48 hours, and I wasn't able to get 100% of everything). Then I rebuilt the array from scratch and recopied over. I had hoped to bring the raid back online, but there was no way that was going to happen.

[DaftHonk]

I've been having this issue ever since upgrading to the F12 series of BIOS on my GA-X79-UD7; any change to the BIOS wipes out my RAID arrays.  This did not occur on the previous F11 builds.  It also doesn't seem to matter whether it it the Intel or Marvell controller - the RAID configuration is lost during a BIOS upgrade, or even when changing to the backup BIOS.  a sit stands, I abandoned using a RAID array in favor of a single 4TB drive in addition to my OS SSD.

[dmdilks]

I was a raid junkie for years. This is why I got away from it and went back to single drive. Glad you got it back up and working and did get most of you stuff back.