need a help with my external hard drive !!!!

[NimaJ]

Hi guys,

This is my first post on this forum, and I hope to get an answer asp . I have(had) an external hard drive (one tra) working properly until yesterday. The hard drive failed to run when I restarted my computer. The first step I took to figure out the problem was to listening to the sound of the hard drive to see if it is spinning. The sound was something like tick, tick. So, I thought that the hard disk has had it. So, I opened the case (after putting it in fridge for an hour). There are two 500gb hard disks working together (RAID 0 I guess). I tried to connect each 500gb separately to my desktop. My desktop is able to recognize just one of the hard disks, but I have to format it in order to use it (not the case cuz I need my files!!!) but it seems that both hard disks are working properly (no tick tick sound anymore).

Today, I bought a new SATA data cable and connect both hard disks to my desktop. Right now, in Computer Management I am able to see both hard disks. One is recognized as a ROW and the other is recognized as un-initialized.

my question is: do I have to do something so my desktop recognizes both hard disks as a one big hard disk (RAID) ? how can I retrieve all my files?

Thanks in advance,

Nima

 

[Computer_Commando]

If the external hard drive has 2-500GB drives configured as RAID-0, there is no data available as single drives.  RAID-0 configures the 2 drives as 1-TB and the data is striped between the 2 drives, i.e., information is split between the 2 drives.

Some desktop motherboards have RAID capability but require drivers to make it functional.  Even then, there is no guarantee the the RAID formats are compatible.

[NimaJ]

my motherboard supports RAID. I have already activated this within my bios. during start up I can assign the two hard drives as raid hard drives, but this requires the os to format those two hard disks.

Is there any way that I can access my files? any software solutions?

Thanks once more,

[Computer_Commando]

Since they were created with hardware RAID, I think your only solution is to put them back into their external enclosure.  If you ever get the data off them, configure as RAID-1, mirror.

RAID-0 was created when hard drives were a lot smaller and larger drives were needed.  RAID-1 was created for data integrity, whatever is written on one is mirrored on the other, resulting in duplicate drives.

[NimaJ]

do I have to use the same external enclosure? where can I buy one?

[Computer_Commando]

What is the make an model number of the external enclosure you removed them from?  Did it come pre-formatted as RAID-0?  Also, are you using Windows XP-Pro?

I found this:  http://www.geckoandfly.com/2009/07/25/free-raid-0-1-and-5-data-recovery-service-tools-for-windows/
Don't know if any of them work.

[NimaJ]

The model number is HDE1-1TB. I don't know if it is RAID-0. There was only one partition, so I guess it should be RAID-0 (am I wrong) ?

I am googling it to find its enclosure, but no one is selling it though.

[Computer_Commando]

Comstar

HDE1-1TB

[NimaJ]

yes this is the one, but there is no option for its enclosure. Sorry that Im too slow on this.

[Computer_Commando]

I assume the enclosure has it's own power supply, either internal or external?  The clicking noise you referred to earlier could have been a problem with the power supply.

[Computer_Commando]

Here's a free RAID recovery that might be worth a try:
Raid to Raid

Good Luck and let us know how it works out.

[NimaJ]

It seems that this application runs forever!!! do you have any idea about it? I am getting seek and tired of just googling it do I need to connect both hard drives to my pc (without any configuration and run this app)??

Why does my pc only recognize one of the hard drives not the other?

Is it possible to migrate two raid hard drives from one pc into another?

[Computer_Commando]

1.  It seems that this application runs forever!!! do you have any idea about it? I am getting seek and tired of just googling it do I need to connect both hard drives to my pc (without any configuration and run this app)??
2.  Why does my pc only recognize one of the hard drives not the other?
3.  Is it possible to migrate two raid hard drives from one pc into another?

1.  You must connect both hard drives to your computer, because the data you are trying to retrieve is split between the two.  I've never had to use the Raid-to-Raid app, but it looks like that app does the configuring.  If you kept a backup of your data, you wouldn't have to do this, so don't complain.  You can always pay some place $500 to retrieve your stuff.
2.  They were formatted as Hardware RAID 0 by Comstar.  Windows does not recognize the format.  Put both hard drives back in the Comstar and see if it will fire up.  Contact Comstar and see if they will sell you just the enclosure.
3.  That's what the Raid-to-Raid app is supposed to do.  You'll be lucky if it works.  Don't ever use RAID-0 for anything.

[NimaJ]

Hi,

I finally figure out something!!!! the format is not RAID-0, two hard drives are spanned. I can simply use some softwares liek R-Studio to recover my files I have seen my files already by using this app. All I have to do is to pai 50$ to buy this app.

I really appreciate yoru help!!! by the way do you know any apps for free (lol!!)

take care,

[Computer_Commando]

This is good.  A spanned volume is not RAID.  Hoorah!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanned_volume

This is looking a bit better for Windows to recognize.
I thought Raid-to Raid was free.  Since volume is not RAID, "Reboot", implement Plan B (don't have a Plan B just yet).

Added:
Found this:  http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk
Usually anything from a dot.org is free.
Click on 6.11 for download links, then click on 2nd one on list for Windows versions.

I just ran the programs myself, but I have nothing to recover.  There's a lot of very good free stuff out there.  There's 2 programs included: test disk & photo recovery.
http://www.cgsecurity.org/

NOTE:  You may have to deactivate the RAID in the BIOS, since they are not RAID drives.

[NimaJ]

I did it. you are hero!!!

[Computer_Commando]

That was fast!  Next order of business:  BACKUP
I keep triple backups:  internal hard drive, external hard drive, flash memory
I also do image backups of Boot drive, and keep rotating backups of them.
No system restore is necessary, boot drive can be re-imaged in 15min vs reinstall of Windows & programs in hours.

[NimaJ]

new challenge

After recovering all files, if I define the two ext hard drives as RAID 5, then this implies that every time I copy a file into one disk will be backed-up automatically. right?

[Computer_Commando]

Are you abandoning the Comstar enclosure?
You are using this for data only?
Do you need more than 500GB?
Do you want both drives running all the time when the computer is on?

My experience is with RAID-1, only.  I used it as the boot drives for a few months until I obtained a different computer which didn't have that capability.  One drive started failing and was automatically being rebuilt every couple days.  Didn't slow things down that much because RAID controller did all the work.

RAID-5 seems fine, but I believe RAID-1+0 would be good, too.  Just don't use RAID-0.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID
See section on Organization