Cannot Initialize Harddrive

[dek]

Hey, I boot into windows and my Raid0 disks are gone, Disk Management shows the disk as Unallocated.

Unable to initialize the disk even, just gives an error "Windows cannot find the file specified" the first time after i launch windows, after that it greys out and im unable to use that option.

Tried plugging cables, new cables, different ports, no luck. just dont understand what the problem is.

 

[dek]

anyone? i have tried a bunch of programs to restore the data but they cant find anything on them. its like they dont understand what type of disk they are, some programs even gives me that windows error "Cannot find the file specified". wonder if i lost some file for it?

 

[CKWD]

Hello dek!

If you have tried everything like different cables, ports, programs and the disk is still Unallocated, including that message it gives you, then I would assume that the hard drive is most likely dead.
You could see if it shows up in BIOS but I don't think there's anything else you can do from home. You could try and take the HDD to a professional to determine if it can be fixed, but that's not very probable.
Your best option of data extraction would be a Data recovery company. If you try retrieving information with different softwares form your home PC you could unintentionally cause more damage.

I hope you get your data retrieved!
Best of luck!

CK_WD

 

[dek]

thats just the thing, it shows up in bios, it loads during the boot loader, and it shows up in windows as unallocated, i had this happen before and i reseated the cables and it worked, now it seems like it wont.

 

[CKWD]

Well, it seems like this hard drive was just slowly failing due to a hardware issue most likely, and the cable reseating helped then. If it doesn't help now, you could try it on a different computer, and perhaps set the ports to AHCI, see if that helps. If you also can, scan the drive with chkdsk. Type chkdsk /f C: where C: is your drive in question, this should scan and fix issues after you specify the options further.
But usually if the drive shows as Unallocated, you should be able to initialize it, if something's preventing you from doing that, the drive is probably gone.

Good luck!

CK_WD

 

[dek]

Does anyone know if i could rebuild the raid and get the data back or does it overwrite it?

 

[CKWD]

I hope this will help you:

These are general aspects оf RAID data recovery and steps tо when a failed RAID is at place:

1. Determine and secure the current array state. Label the disks, cables, pоrts, cоntrоller cоnfiguratiоn.
2. Discоnnect the array member disks and cоnnect them tо the cоntrоller which is capable оf wоrking with separate disks. It can be either a nоn-RAID cоntrоller оr a RAID-cоntrоller in single drive mоde.
3. Use a RAID recovery software and recover the array parameters.
4. If the cоntrоller and RAID mоnitоring software allоw yоu tо build the array withоut initializing it, then try tо build the array in this mоde accоrding tо the parameters determined by the RAID recovery software.
5. In case оf a hardware RAID, yоu can write the array tо the disk using the cоrrespоnding feature оf the RAID recovery software and then try tо mоunt the disk in whatever оperating system was used. If yоu haven't gоt the disk large enough then yоu can build a tempоrary array and write data оn it. anyway, never write any data tо the member disks оf the оriginal array.
6. If yоu have a software RAID - yоu'll need a data recovery software. Here are twо оptiоns:
- Create an array image file and lоad it tо the data recovery tооl;
- Sоmehоw lоad the recovered array parameters tо data recovery software, bypassing the image part.
7. оnce data is saved and checked (always оpen at least several large files tо be sure that data is recоnstructed prоperly), yоu can rebuild the оriginal RAID and cоpy data back.

This link would also be of help:
RAID recovery guidelines.

This usually has to work if there isn't hardware damage on the disks.
As a whole you could look for a software to recover RAID 0 data.

I hope you manage to save your information and rebuild the RAID!

CK_WD

 

[jumanji]

Hi Dek,

Looking at the screenshot in your first post, I would think that your Raid has not broken. It still shows as a single drive.

Why not try Partition Recovery Wizard in Partition Wizard?

Install Minitools Partition Wizard Home edition 8.1.1 and run the partition Recovery Wizard in it to check whether it shows your files and partitions.. Free Partition Manager for Window PC | MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition

 

[dek]

alright, i deleted the raid and set it up as single drives. I dont know what it is, might be my motherboard, driver incompatibality, windows, cross drivers, whatever. Ive read around on different posts about peoples raid failing and they just reseat the cables and it works again, thats what i used to do on mine. This has happend before, several times, at first i just had to unplug the cables and plug them back in and they were up again. After a few times of doing that workaround to get it working this time i could not get it working again, even tried different ports and different cables in all sort of configs, i thought one drive had died on me.

I tried several apps including Partition Wizard, they all act like windows and are unable to read the drives in the same fashion as windows are unable to intialize them at boot up. I dont know what it is, if you ask me i think its my motherboard and some inconsistency, so i decided to just skip raid on it and just have it working as single drives instead of going through the hassle of getting down with all that software to build a house of stick which wont hold up in the long run. If something fails now at least i will have an easier time of getting my files back, will not go raid0 again. thanks.

 

[jumanji]

I understand and also understand the difficulties with RAID0 drive failure - reason why it is always better to keep away from Raid0 unless you had prepared yourself for such an eventuality.

My desktop system drive is configured as Raid0. I did so for the write speed up it brings..But knowing the limitations or difficulties in data retrieval should the RAID fail for any reason, I have been backing up my system drive and other partitions containing all data, right from day 1.

So the mantra - whether RAID or Non RAID - is backup, backup and backup That will keep you in good stead at all times. .( I always remember our late richnrockville whenever I think or write backup)