Internal SATA Problem

[cadax]

I seem to have created a problem w/ my Western Digital SATA internal 500 GB drive. While working on another problem w/ my older(2006) Sony Vaio desktop w/ Win XP, I had read that SATA internal drives are hot swappable. While the computer was on, I connected the SATA cabling, to add it to the list of drives, in order check something. When I did that, the computer shut down immediately & rebooted.

When it started up again, I tried to access the drive via Windows Explorer but I got a message that the drive was inaccessible & files got corrupted. I need this drive to access work CAD files.

Is the HDD damaged permanently & the information on it lost or is there a way to salvage this drive?

 

[COLGeek]

Is this the boot drive for another system? Or, is it just a data drive? Want to clarify before having you check/do anything. Please advise.

 

[cadax]

It's a data only drive.

 

[COLGeek]

So, are you now trying to boot your system with the data drive attached as a secondary drive? If so, allow the system to boot fully. Windows may actually allow you access afterward (ignore the initial warnings).

What happens if you do this?

 

[cadax]

When it goes into Windows, the Intel Storage Matrix Console pops up, indicating that there is a problem w/ the RAID setup.

 

[cadax]

If I shut it down and disconnect the data drive, it starts up normally.

 

[beamj]

You can try putting it into a USB enclosure and connecting it after boot up. There are several on the market to choose from. Also you can try turning off AHCI/RAID on your mobo for that SATA port and use it as IDE only however if you are running raid at all your raid array may be lost in this process.

Remember for hotswap to work you need to have the sata controller in AHCI mode. I also believe a special connector is required but I cannot be sure of that. I know several manufactures that have cases with hotswap bays that have a special connector to make inserting and removing the drives easier however I do not know if these connectors also do something else special.

 

[cadax]

I have removed the drive & placed it into a USB enclosure. The bottom line, is however, I can't retrieve my data files without the use of a file recovery program. Correct?

 

[beamj]

if placing the unit in an enclosure does not allow it to appear in windows then you are correct.

 

[Paperdoc]

It may be important that the error message says there is a problem with the RAID setup.

1. WAS this HDD part of a RAID array in the original machine? If so, you may have corrupted some of its housekeeping data by trying to use it in a non-RAID system.

2. If it was NOT originally part of a RAID array, is there a chance you connected it to a mobo port that WAS part of a RAID array at an earlier time? Maybe the BIOS has detected a HDD on a port it expects to be a RAID array port, but the drive is NOT set up that way. Try checking how the Intel Storage Matrix is set in your machine, and either make sure it is not trying to apply RAID systems to ports not involved, or select a different port NOT assigned to a RAID array for connecting the WD 500 GB unit.

 

[COLGeek]

It may be important that the error message says there is a problem with the RAID setup.

1. WAS this HDD part of a RAID array in the original machine? If so, you may have corrupted some of its housekeeping data by trying to use it in a non-RAID system.

2. If it was NOT originally part of a RAID array, is there a chance you connected it to a mobo port that WAS part of a RAID array at an earlier time? Maybe the BIOS has detected a HDD on a port it expects to be a RAID array port, but the drive is NOT set up that way. Try checking how the Intel Storage Matrix is set in your machine, and either make sure it is not trying to apply RAID systems to ports not involved, or select a different port NOT assigned to a RAID array for connecting the WD 500 GB unit.

+1 to Paperdoc. The OP's issue is likely related to one of these areas. The question is this, where did the second HDD come from and how was it configured originally?