"Not enough unpartitioned space to create a RAID volume". What can I do?

[idata]

I have a ICH9R chipset and use the Intel Matrix Storage Console 8.9.

I have been running for years with two 500 GB in RAID 1. They fail often (I think I changed 6 disks!) so I wanted to try another brand. I bought two 1TB disks and did mount one of the new disks to get it with the correct image.

After that I removed the old one and changed the new one to "non RAID". With Paragon Partition Manager I increased the existing partitions and at the end I added the remaining capacity on the new disk to drive H.

I'm following the Intel instructions on how to change from a small to a larger disk. According to that I now mount the second new disk and go to the Console and create a new volume from an existing disk. BUT, it will not do that because of missing "unpartitioned space". I have made the drives small to free partition space, but it does not help. If it can help, I can post a screen dump from the partition manager.

I hope someone can help. I used three days to get this far!

Kind regards, Claus

[idata]

You can not increase the partition without first increasing the array size you can not increase the array size because your ICH9R does not support Capacity expansion.

http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-022304.htm http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-022304.htm

I have been running for years with two 500 GB in RAID 1. They fail often (I think I changed 6 disks!) so I wanted to try another brand.

Yes they do! And thats no small part down to you using Matrix Storage Manager version 8.9!

http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-030818.htm http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-030818.htm

RST is the replacement.

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&ProdId=2101&DwnldID=19607&ProductFamily=Chipsets&ProductLine=Chipset+Software&ProductProduct=Intel%C2%AE+Rapid+Storage+Technology+%28Intel%C2%AE+RST%29&lang=eng http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&ProdId=2101&DwnldID=19607&ProductFamily=Chipsets&ProductLine=Chipset+Software&ProductProduct=Intel%C2%AE+Rapid+Storage+Technology+%28Intel%C2%AE+RST%29&lang=eng

[idata]

Hi Peter

Thanks for talking the time to answer.

Well. I do follow this guide (page 4): http://download.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/reference_content_intelmatrixstorageconsole.pdf http://download.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/reference_content_intelmatrixstorageconsole.pdf

I was just trying to save writing. I actually installed RST to see if that helped. It did not. It lookes good, but there is not the option to make a new volume. No message, no error, no nothing. The point described in the Help is not there so I could not do anything with it. I could change the second harddisk between Spare and Available (I think). That is the only function that works.

In the help some parameters need to be true to be able to make a new volume. I cannot see which one my system do not support.

ANy other good ideas?

Kind regards, Claus

[idata]

You didn't do the Reset Disks to Non-RAID thing thats the only thing I can think you didn't but if you had Capacity expansion you wouldn't have to do that.

You should have enough ports to remove one 500GB and keep 500GB with your data on plugged in and just connect your two new 1TB drives up and RAID 1 them format it and copy your data over from your 500GB RAID 1 (even from one drive) to your new 1TB RAID 1 array.

[idata]

Hi Peter

I did do the reset before expanding the partitions.

But the other idea is good. I will try to do that. Thanks a lot for your help.

Kind regards, Claus