Can't read data from "RAID" disk on after BIOS change RAID to AHCI


  1. Posts : 2
    Windows 10
       #1

    Can't read data from "RAID" disk on after BIOS change RAID to AHCI


    Hey,

    I got an old Dell Latitude laptop that I was going to update my HDD on so I removed the old drive (it was an m.2 disk in an adapter in a 2.5" slot). I plugged in my new Samsung 840 which the computer couldn't find so I changed the BIOS setting from RAID to AHCI (Raid is default on Dell..) but still no success.. I then put back the m.2 with adapter in the computer and swapped back from AHCI to RAID but now it wont recognize the HDD at all..

    I tried plugging in the 2.5" adapter via an USB-adapter to a computer but nothing.. I tried plugging it in to my Desktop via SATA-cable and I can see that the adapter light turns green as its powered but I get no data.

    Any ideas on what to do next or did the change from AHCI to RAID do something?
    It's fine if I can't boot on it but it would be good to access the data.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #2

    Hi there
    I'm not sure how you set the RAID up on the dell laptop -- is there something in the BIOS that allows you to get into the RAID menu - or even better did you take a disc image via some software like Macrium as that would allow you to browse the image for data on either another machine or on your current one if you can boot.

    I'm surprised the default is RAID on a laptop - usually not much point as consumer grade hardware RAID is pretty poor anyway and unless using RAID 0 for speed you'll lose some HDD space which is often at a premium on laptops.

    There must be some boot option to get into the RAID setup - if you can get another machine try the DELL site for instructions on using the utility -- there has to be some way of selecting what level of RAID the computer uses.

    Another (non Windows) option is to boot up a Linux live distro from a USB e.g Mint - the GUI is fairly similar to Windows and see if it can recognize the disk with the machine in AHCI mode. Linux won't care about different file systems or even uninitalized raw disks -- if it sees a disk you can then format it with GPARTED -- it looks and works almost exactly like any bog standard Windows partition manager.

    I suspect though you've lost the data but the first thing is to see if you can get into the RAID set up at boot.

    BTW on the desktop with the adapter go into command mode (admin) and do the following

    1) Diskpart
    2) list disk

    at 2) it should list all the disks attached to the machine.

    so 3) select disk xx where xx is the number of the disk attached via USB cable.

    if it shows as RAW or some type of unrecognized structure then you've probably lost the data so you can re-format it correctly by typing 4) clean and 5) create partition primary 6) format fs=ntfs quick.

    I would imagine the old laptop not to boot in UEFI mode so not created a GPT HDD here.

    now see if the laptop recognizes the Disk.


    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 2
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #3

    jimbo45 said:
    Hi there
    I'm not sure how you set the RAID up on the dell laptop -- is there something in the BIOS that allows you to get into the RAID menu - or even better did you take a disc image via some software like Macrium as that would allow you to browse the image for data on either another machine or on your current one if you can boot.

    I'm surprised the default is RAID on a laptop - usually not much point as consumer grade hardware RAID is pretty poor anyway and unless using RAID 0 for speed you'll lose some HDD space which is often at a premium on laptops.

    There must be some boot option to get into the RAID setup - if you can get another machine try the DELL site for instructions on using the utility -- there has to be some way of selecting what level of RAID the computer uses.

    Another (non Windows) option is to boot up a Linux live distro from a USB e.g Mint - the GUI is fairly similar to Windows and see if it can recognize the disk with the machine in AHCI mode. Linux won't care about different file systems or even uninitalized raw disks -- if it sees a disk you can then format it with GPARTED -- it looks and works almost exactly like any bog standard Windows partition manager.

    I suspect though you've lost the data but the first thing is to see if you can get into the RAID set up at boot.

    BTW on the desktop with the adapter go into command mode (admin) and do the following

    1) Diskpart
    2) list disk

    at 2) it should list all the disks attached to the machine.

    so 3) select disk xx where xx is the number of the disk attached via USB cable.

    if it shows as RAW or some type of unrecognized structure then you've probably lost the data so you can re-format it correctly by typing 4) clean and 5) create partition primary 6) format fs=ntfs quick.

    I would imagine the old laptop not to boot in UEFI mode so not created a GPT HDD here.

    now see if the laptop recognizes the Disk.


    Cheers
    jimbo
    Thank you for your reply.
    I have attached a picture of the "RAID On" setting in the BIOS.
    Can't read data from "RAID" disk on after BIOS change RAID to AHCI-20190623_121109.jpg

    The problem is that the drive doesn't show up in Disk Management so I get no contact at all.
    I tried on my desktop (via SATA and usb) to run diskpart but the disk is not listed there.
    I booted in to my Ubuntu drive and I can't see the disk there either.
    I also tried booting the laptop via a Windows 10 USB and chose repair mode and went to the Command Prompt to do diskpart / list disk but it shows nothing...

    So not it feels like either the drive or adapter is completely dead?
    Because in my opinion I should at least see the drive in Device Management or be able to reinstall the drive via Win10 USB.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #4

    Hi there
    @hfoul

    If Ubuntu can't see the disk I think "Houston we have a problem .... !!!!"

    Probably somehow the Disk is broken --- could be when you removed it, M2-->USB adapter no good etc etc

    can you see the other HDD via UBUNTU -- you'll probably have to use a bog standard SATA-->USB2 or USB3 connector

    The chances of both disks breaking at the same time is vanishingly small.

    I doubt whether the laptops MOBO is defective since you get a decent BIOS menu -- windows though for AHCI will need usually to be re-installed from my rememberance a while ago fiddling with that type of stuff so try booting with setting set to ATA.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 5,899
    Win 11 Pro (x64) 22H2
       #5

    hfoul said:
    Any ideas on what to do next or did the change from AHCI to RAID do something?

    Not a RAID expert, but yeah, it sounds like you broke RAID with all those changes...
    hfoul said:
    I got an old Dell Latitude laptop that I was going to update my HDD on so I removed the old drive (it was an m.2 disk in an adapter in a 2.5" slot). I plugged in my new Samsung 840 which the computer couldn't find so I changed the BIOS setting from RAID to AHCI (Raid is default on Dell..) but still no success.. I then put back the m.2 with adapter in the computer and swapped back from AHCI to RAID but now it wont recognize the HDD at all..

    BTW, just for clarity, how many drives are in that laptop???
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #6

    Hi there
    did you try suggestion -- forget the AHCI setting -- try ATA.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 800
    Windows 10 Home x64
       #7

    Did you not bend / break something whilst swapping these drives? It sounds to me like laptop cannot recognise any disk hardware anymore?

    What boot menu says / shows?

    Can you run diagnostics via BIOS?

    https://www.dell.com/community/Latit...t/td-p/6227082
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 6,222
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP - Lubuntu
       #8

    hfoul said:
    Hey,
    I got an old Dell Latitude laptop that I was going to update my HDD on so I removed the old drive (it was an m.2 disk in an adapter in a 2.5" slot). I plugged in my new Samsung 840 which the computer couldn't find so I changed the BIOS setting from RAID to AHCI (Raid is default on Dell..) but still no success.. I then put back the m.2 with adapter in the computer and swapped back from AHCI to RAID but now it wont recognize the HDD at all..
    I tried plugging in the 2.5" adapter via an USB-adapter to a computer but nothing.. I tried plugging it in to my Desktop via SATA-cable and I can see that the adapter light turns green as its powered but I get no data.
    Any ideas on what to do next or did the change from AHCI to RAID do something?
    It's fine if I can't boot on it but it would be good to access the data.
    Did you take off the battery when you changed the disks?
    If you don't have a RAID array, the main difference between AHCI and RAID is the driver that windows use.
    Enter BIOS.
    - Does the 2.5" SATA disk is recognized by BIOS on SATA settings?
    - Is SATA controller enabled?
      My Computers


 

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