Dead KT7-RAID? Can RAID 0 be recovered?

[spurdy]

First off, here are the specs:

ABIT KT7-RAID
BIOS: WZ01 (with HPT370 v1.0.3b1 embedded)
Duron 650 @ 850, 1.65v
256MB Infineon PC133 (2 x 128MB)
2x Western Digital WD205BA (20.5GB, ATA66, 7200rpm)
^- Each drive alone on one of the HPT370's channels in RAID 0.
Creative 4x2x24 CDRW (alone on IDE1)
EPO 10x DVD (alone on IDE2)
WinFast GeForce2 MX
SB Live! Value (in PCI5)
Samsung SC1200-TX 10/100 NIC (in PCI3)


Here's the situation. Lately the DVD drive stopped being recognized by the BIOS (haven't done any flash upgrades recently), so after looking around in the BIOS a bit, I decided to open the box and check cables and such. I was using a rather old cable for the DVD, so I replaced it with a newer one. Powered on, still no DVD. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to try, I opened the box again and switched the DVD from master to cable select.

Suddenly the machine won't power up at all. Very worried at this point that I had fried something, I put all back as it was originally. Still nothing. I was careful to power off my UPS before pulling the power from the machine each time (since ATX boards are always getting *some* power while plugged in), and I am usually good about grounding when working on the innards of any machine. The power and HD LEDs flash just briefly the first time I push the power button after hooking the power cable back up, but not subsequently. If I disconnect and reconnect the AC, then I'll get the LED flash again, but only the first time.

-> Question 1: have I killed the board, or could it be something else? As careful as I am, I know that a static discharge far below the threshold of human sensation can cause fatal damage to components, I'm just wondering what others might think about the above scenario.

Now, the really sad part is I have a fair amount of unarchived data on that RAID 0 array, but I don't know how to retrieve it. When you define a RAID array with the HPT370 it loses track of all data previously on the drives, so I couldn't just go buy a new board and set up the array again with the same drives.

-> Question 2: If I fork out the cash for a new KT7-RAID and two new WD205BA drives, set up the RAID array using the new drives, and then swap in my old drives, do you think I'd be able to trick the controller and access the data again?

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

And it's weekly backups for me from now on!

 

[Supergax]

I have a Soyo board with the same highpoint controller on it. I have taken the arrayed drives out before and swapped in a single drive, and booted to that, and later, put the arrayed drives back in and it recognized the array (raid 0), so I'm guessing that it may work if you use the same motherboard, but it MAY work, I'm not positive. If you get the same board it woulnd't hurt to try. When I swapped the drives I didn't have to change anything in the highpoint bios, it automatically recognized the array and which was the hidden drive and booted fine.

 

[tjll11a]

in raid 0 if you have a hard drive or system problem mostly likely you will not be able to recover data

 

[Mindlink]

Before you worry too much, try a different PS. I had a (really) old AST which would randomly crash and become unbootable. However, after disconnecting power completely & reconnecting, it would come back to life. A bad PS could also interfere with the DVD and prevent detection.
If that doesn't work, take everything out of the case and try booting with only processor, memory (1 stick) and vid card + monitor connected. Messing with the cables could have minutely moved the board and worsened a preexisting partial short enough to prevent startup.
Sorry if I am repeating basics here, but I tend not to think of the obvious stuff when all my precious unarchived data is at stake
Good luck in your endeavours, and may your data safely return!