Intel RST 12.8 - Ctrl I Options

[TGold1]

Hi,

I have an Intel DX58SO running Win 7 Pro x64 and three of four Seagate 500GB SATA Hdds in Intel RST RAID5 configuration. The BIOS is set to RAID. The Intel RST driver is RST 12.8.0.10016. The RAID5 volume was created with the Intel RST program, not the Ctrl I menu.

My question pertains to the Ctrl I options displayed during boot. If I execute Ctrl I to get into the menu and select "Remove Drives from RAID" and then allow a boot to a CD with Seagate Seatools for DOS, can I subsequently go back into the Ctrl I menu and rejoin the drives into RAID5 with out losing, damaging or destroying the original RAID Volume?

The reason I ask this question is that in a consultation with Seagate tech support, the rep indicated that Seagate Seatools for DOS can only effectively test the drives if they are not in a RAID configuration. It was explained that this is so even if the operating system never loads as is the case with a boot to Seatools for DOS from a CD.

I've used the Seatools for DOS program to test drives that where configured in Intel RST RAID5 before without issues, but I have one drive that is not cooperating which makes it very suspect to me for a Seagate RMA. My call to Seagate tech support was for the purpose of trying to avoid an RMA.

Another option for testing this uncooperative disk it to disconnect all SATA hdds from the motherboard with the suspect disk left attached and change the BIOS to AHCI from RAID and boot to the Seatools for DOS program. I think this option appears to be safer than removing all the drives from RAID in the Ctrl I menu. I attempted this method with the BIOS set to RAID and didn't achieve success. So, I'm considering the AHCI option.

Thank you for your assistance.

Regards

[Silvia_L_Intel1 · Accepted solution]

TJG79, if you reset the disks to Non-RAID, you may lose all you data, so instead of resetting the disks and create a new volume, I would recommend you to change the SATA mode on BIOS to AHCI or IDE.

Disconnect 2 out of the 3 hard drives, and run the Seagate Seatools on the drive that is still connected to the computer.

Once it finish, you would need to connect the other 2 hard drives, set the SATA mode to RAID again and start the rebuilt on Windows using the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology.

In order to run the Seatools on all disks, you would need to follow the same process to each of them. It might take longer, but this way all your data will be save.

Remember that a RAID 5 needs at least 3 hard drives, and in order to rebuild the array, there must be 2 hard drives active and running. For that reason you can only run the Seatool one disk at the time, while the other 2 will stay on RAID but with no fault tolerance.

You may want to backup all your information just in case.

[TGold1]

Thank you Sylvia,

From my consultation with Seagate tech support, for Seagate Seatools for DOS testing to be valid, I need to remove the hdds from RAID and test individually. This applies even in the DOS environment.

I've had an hdd pass the Seatools for DOS short and long tests, but fail the full erase with the Seatools utility. The hdd that failed the full erase would subsequently format in Windows 7, successfully pass a Windows Check Disk with all options selected, pass Seatools for DOS short and long tests again, but again fail the full erase with the Seatools for DOS utility. To completely check and test a Seagate SATA hdd for issues, you've got to run the Seatools for DOS long test and full erase program in a non-RAID configuration.

Thanks again for the information.

Regards