VIA RAID 1 Array failing to remain synchronised

King of Spades · 11-05-2008, 01:24 PM

Good day to you all.

About two years ago, I built myself a new computer, and it performed very nicely for a year-and-a-bit.

Then the problem started.

The problem first manifested itself when my computer completely froze up. On rebooting, I am informed that the RAID 1 array is broken, and that Windows cannot start (presumeably because the system is confused about which HDD in the broken array is the correct one to boot from). In order to get back into Windows, I unplugged one of the HDDs in the array, booted up, closed it all down, plugged the 2nd HDD back in, and rebooted and resynchronised the Array. So evidently, the 1st HDD was not completely kaput.

When this happened again a couple of weeks later, I followed exactly the same procedure, this time unplugging the other HDD, and again the reboot was successful. So evidently, the 2nd HDD was not completely kaput.

This would happen every few weeks or so, increasing in frequency as time went on.

I checked the event logger in WinXP Pro, and it informed me that there had been an Error 51 - something to do with HDDs, from what I could gather, though I could establish nothing more.

I stress-tested the synchronised RAID array using two independent stress-testing freeware programs, and no problems were reported.

I checked the RAM using MemTest86, and no problems were found.

I updated all drivers, and the problems still sporadically recurred.

The start of the problem did not seem to coincide with any major hardware or software change.

It should be noted that I tried running my computer on just one HDD (first one for a month, then the other for a month), and it was apparently stable.

I tried replacing one of the HDDs, and the RAID 1 Array was stable again - but only for a few months. Now the problems are back again, this time with freezing and/or a BSOD every day, despite updating all drivers again. (Incidentally, I am writing this with one HDD unplugged, which appears (touch wood) to be stable thus far.)

According to WinXP Pro's event logger, Error 51 has started appearing again.

I conclude that something somewhere in my machine is fundamentally wrong, and it might even be chewing up my HDDs. However, I have run out of ideas for things to try.

Do any of you have any ideas?

My system is as follows:
VIA VT8237A motherboard
1GB DDRII RAM
Intel Core2 Duo E6400 processor
2 x 160GB Maxtor 6V160E0 SATA HDDs in a RAID 1 Array
......(one of which has been replaced with a 160GB Seagate SATA HDD)
1 x LiteOn DVD-rewriter (primary IDE device)
1 x 20GB Maxtor 541DX (secondary IDE device)
......(replaced at the same time as the SATA disk by
......1 x 40GB Seagate Barracuda ST340016A)
NVidia GeForce FX 5500 graphics card
1 x Floppy disk drive
Windows XP Pro SP3

------

p.s. please accept my apologies for the long post.

King of Spades · 11-09-2008, 04:49 PM

No ideas at all?!?

King of Spades · 11-13-2008, 03:25 PM

Thanks for all your help. It's most appreciated.

At the suggestion of a Bloke-Down-The-Pub[TM], I've just tried updating the graphics driver, and defragging the HDDs.

According to the XP defragger, doing so was unnecessary, but I did it anyway. Interestingly, my Linux virtual machine file failed to defragment; whether this is is because the Linux VM needs to put certain files in specific places on the HDD, or whether it's just a corrupt VM, I don't know, but it's another option, anyway, for me to delete it and see if that helps. Considering I seldom use that VM, I wouldn't imagine it'd make much difference, though.

Updating the graphics card and defragging allowed my computer to run quite smoothly on both disks in the array for nearly three days straight - then I got a BSOD while watching a DVD, which made a change from the freeze-ups I'd been having before (which had mostly been while I was on the Internet or instant messenger). I presume the BSOD-instead-of-a-freeze was because I've just updated the graphics driver.

Having once again tried running on each SATA HDD individually, it appears as though the second original Maxtor HDD is faulty - it wouldn't boot into Windows, unlike its Seagate doppelganger. I suppose the implication is that it's either an unreliable brand/model, or that something is definitely fundamentally wrong somewhere in the system, and is chewing up my SATA HDDs.

One thing I have not done in a fair ol' while is updating the BIOS. For understandable reasons, I don't really want to do this unless I've run out of other options, in case I do permanent damage.

Short of replacing a second SATA disk in the space of just a few months, is there anything at all that any of you can think of that I might have neglected?

11-05-2008, 01:24 PM	#1 (permalink)
King of Spades Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	VIA RAID 1 Array failing to remain synchronised Good day to you all. About two years ago, I built myself a new computer, and it performed very nicely for a year-and-a-bit. Then the problem started. The problem first manifested itself when my computer completely froze up. On rebooting, I am informed that the RAID 1 array is broken, and that Windows cannot start (presumeably because the system is confused about which HDD in the broken array is the correct one to boot from). In order to get back into Windows, I unplugged one of the HDDs in the array, booted up, closed it all down, plugged the 2nd HDD back in, and rebooted and resynchronised the Array. So evidently, the 1st HDD was not completely kaput. When this happened again a couple of weeks later, I followed exactly the same procedure, this time unplugging the other HDD, and again the reboot was successful. So evidently, the 2nd HDD was not completely kaput. This would happen every few weeks or so, increasing in frequency as time went on. I checked the event logger in WinXP Pro, and it informed me that there had been an Error 51 - something to do with HDDs, from what I could gather, though I could establish nothing more. I stress-tested the synchronised RAID array using two independent stress-testing freeware programs, and no problems were reported. I checked the RAM using MemTest86, and no problems were found. I updated all drivers, and the problems still sporadically recurred. The start of the problem did not seem to coincide with any major hardware or software change. It should be noted that I tried running my computer on just one HDD (first one for a month, then the other for a month), and it was apparently stable. I tried replacing one of the HDDs, and the RAID 1 Array was stable again - but only for a few months. Now the problems are back again, this time with freezing and/or a BSOD every day, despite updating all drivers again. (Incidentally, I am writing this with one HDD unplugged, which appears (touch wood) to be stable thus far.) According to WinXP Pro's event logger, Error 51 has started appearing again. I conclude that something somewhere in my machine is fundamentally wrong, and it might even be chewing up my HDDs. However, I have run out of ideas for things to try. Do any of you have any ideas? My system is as follows: VIA VT8237A motherboard 1GB DDRII RAM Intel Core2 Duo E6400 processor 2 x 160GB Maxtor 6V160E0 SATA HDDs in a RAID 1 Array ......(one of which has been replaced with a 160GB Seagate SATA HDD) 1 x LiteOn DVD-rewriter (primary IDE device) 1 x 20GB Maxtor 541DX (secondary IDE device) ......(replaced at the same time as the SATA disk by ......1 x 40GB Seagate Barracuda ST340016A) NVidia GeForce FX 5500 graphics card 1 x Floppy disk drive Windows XP Pro SP3 ------ p.s. please accept my apologies for the long post.

11-09-2008, 04:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
King of Spades Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	Re: VIA RAID 1 Array failing to remain synchronised No ideas at all?!?

11-13-2008, 03:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
King of Spades Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3	Re: VIA RAID 1 Array failing to remain synchronised Thanks for all your help. It's most appreciated. At the suggestion of a Bloke-Down-The-Pub[TM], I've just tried updating the graphics driver, and defragging the HDDs. According to the XP defragger, doing so was unnecessary, but I did it anyway. Interestingly, my Linux virtual machine file failed to defragment; whether this is is because the Linux VM needs to put certain files in specific places on the HDD, or whether it's just a corrupt VM, I don't know, but it's another option, anyway, for me to delete it and see if that helps. Considering I seldom use that VM, I wouldn't imagine it'd make much difference, though. Updating the graphics card and defragging allowed my computer to run quite smoothly on both disks in the array for nearly three days straight - then I got a BSOD while watching a DVD, which made a change from the freeze-ups I'd been having before (which had mostly been while I was on the Internet or instant messenger). I presume the BSOD-instead-of-a-freeze was because I've just updated the graphics driver. Having once again tried running on each SATA HDD individually, it appears as though the second original Maxtor HDD is faulty - it wouldn't boot into Windows, unlike its Seagate doppelganger. I suppose the implication is that it's either an unreliable brand/model, or that something is definitely fundamentally wrong somewhere in the system, and is chewing up my SATA HDDs. One thing I have not done in a fair ol' while is updating the BIOS. For understandable reasons, I don't really want to do this unless I've run out of other options, in case I do permanent damage. Short of replacing a second SATA disk in the space of just a few months, is there anything at all that any of you can think of that I might have neglected?