True Image and S-ATA RAID0 on nForce 4 mainboard ?

Hello,

this is my first post on that forum.
Two days ago I got my new mainboard, an ASUS A8N-SLI DELUXE which has a Nvidia nForce 4 chipset.

My two WD 74 GB RAPTOR S-ATA harddisks are in a RAID-0 array on the nForce 4 chipset RAID-controller.

As I`m now looking for a software to create full system backups I`d like to ask, if this is possible using Acronis True Image
Will True Image recognize my S-ATA RAID 0 array ?
Will it also be possible to restore a complete system-backup ?
And - if this is possible - does True Image need a special driver ?

Yesterday I noticed that Powerquest Drive Image doesn`t like the nForce 4...

CU

Demian

 

Demian,

This is a touchy/sore subject and I'm not in a position to say if Acronis does or does not support SATA drives in any RAID configuration.

Hopefully Acronis tech support will respond to your questions ASAP...we're all waiting to see how and if they respond.

Rod

 

Hello Osmosis,

I also hope Arconis Support will answer soon as I urgently need a software to backup my data.
Isn`t it possible to press F6 while booting the recovery CD to give True Image a driver for the S-ATA RAID controller ?

CU

Demian

 

Hello Demian

It's not possible to add the drivers for HD controllers when booting into TI rescue mode (be it from the "Full" version bootable rescue CD or via the Startup Recovery Manager F11 function). The "Full" rescue mode is based on Linux and I doubt very much that the latest build of TI (786) will have incorporated the Linux device drivers for your nVidia Nforce 4 chipset. As far I'm aware, build 786 rescue mode still doesn't support the Nforce 3 controller because, according to Acronis Support, nVidia hasn't released the necessary open source Linux drivers.

However, provided you don't require access to USB or SCSI drives, you might be able to restore an Active system partition by using the "Safe" version bootable rescue CD. This uses a combination of the motherboard's BIOS and DOS to access the internal HDs.

Regards

 

Menorcaman...

Well, what do you know? I just found out the other night that making a "Safe version" bootable CD worked for me; I'm now able to use a bootable TI CD and actually see my SATA drivers and make images of them.

Menorcaman, you're the 1st one to mention this workaround in this forum, as far as I know.

I went around and around for almost 2 weeks with Acronis tech support and never once did they EVER mention I might try using the SAFE version. I had to find it on the internet someplace by reading a whole lot of messages...because there seems to be a lot of folks in the same boat I was in.

You would think Acronis would place a prominate post somewhere and stipulate that using the SAFE version bootable CD is a temporary workaround regarding SATA issues. That would have saved me loads of wasted time.

Any comments?

Rod (Osmosis)

 

Hello Menorcaman,

thank you very much for your reply.
I tried the way you descriped and was successful...


Now I`m able to make a full backup with TI and do not need Driveimage anymore, because Driveimage doesn`t load with S-ATA RAID 0 on nForce4.

Again: Thank you very much !

CU

Demian

 

Hello Rod

To be fair to Acronis Support they have posted this advice on a number of occassions (which is where I picked up the information) but it's not always obvious where to find it. See this Acronis <post> as an example. Perhaps they should include it, together with some other well known workarounds, in their "PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU POST" Sticky on the first page of this forum.

It's also worth noting that the workaround may not work for all SATA chipsets or RAID configurations.

Regards

 

Hi Demian

Glad I could help. Just keep your fingers crossed that the "Safe" boot rescue CD detects your SATA RAID 0 array when you come to restore that image. If I were you I would go through the restore procedure up to (but not actually clicking) the Proceed button in order to check that aspect of the program out.

Regards

 

Menorcaman,

To be fair to all I just read the "sticky" you referred to and there is no mention of selecting the 2nd option, Safe version, in that piece at all.

And again I worked very closely with tech support, almost 2 weeks, to try and solve the no boot/SATA problem and they never once mention I should try safe version.

Like I said I stumbled on to this workaround somewhere on the net...don't remember where.

This is a big issue and Acronis needs to maybe not have a fix, which they should by now, but handle the situation, for lack of a better term, more professional. I for one have moved on to Norton Ghost 2003 and they didn't seem to mind at all.

Rod

 

Hello Menorcaman,

I tried restoring my image and it worked perfectly


@ Osmosis

Does Norton Ghost 2003 / Ghost 9.0 also support S-ATA RAID 0 ?

CU

Demian

 

Menorcaman, you've hit the nail on the head!

I have an NVRAID setup using the nForce3 controller. By using the 'Safe' disk, I have been able to create images and verify them as non-corrupt. However, I have not been able to restore those images at all. Found this out last weekend when trying to restore, then spent a week re-installing and tweaking XP. I'm glad I had backed up my data to CDs, otherwise I would have lost everything. Don't rely on images created with the 'Safe' disk if your RAID controllers are not supported. You'll be able to create them and verify them, but they'll fail you when you need them most. And Demian, if nForce3 isn't supported, then I doubt that nForce4 will be. I find it amusing that Acronis blames nVidia for not releasing open source Linux drivers; that may be so, but at least warn potential customers that NVRAID and Acronis True Image don't work together.

I still use ATI on my two PATA machines without problems, but ATI will never be installed again on my RAID box. I'm going to try out Ghost 9 on that machine...

 

Hello again Rod

You had me worried for a moment that I might have linked the wrong post!! However, not wishing to be pedantic but please check out the words that I've cut and pasted below (my hilight and underline):

I guess either I need a lobotimy or you need new a pair of glasses! (only joking of course ).

Regards
Tom

 

Spitting Image...

WHOA! Thanks for posting, I was so happy when I was able to make my images after making my SAFE version boot CD I forgot to do what I call the "acid test" and perform a restore with the image I just created. You're right, it does check intergrity as being OK but I didn't really try an restore...I'll do it today.

Again, thanks for posting that info, Spitting Image!

Hi Menorcaman - Oh my goodness....I was looking at the sticky you referenced when in fact you were quoting a POST. My fault, I didn't read it correctly. But the point is Acronis should be posting these critical and workarounds in stickies or in a area that's what, easy to see and find? I think that sure would be helpful.

Hi Demian,

Sorry to take so long getting back to ya...yes, I switched to Ghost 2003 and right away I could see both my SATA drives, was able to make an image and DID THE ACID TEST, DID A RESTORE with no problem at all. I didn't use Symantec's new version, Ghost 9.0, because I didn't want to install MS .NET framework, which is required with that version of Ghost.

Rod (Osmosis)

 

Hello !

I had the same problem. Also this configuration:

ASUS A8N-SLI DELUXE which has a Nvidia nForce 4 chipset and 2 Raptor 74 in Raid 0

Arconis also has given me the information that this problem is not to solve.

THX for your helpfull Tipps in this Thread.

Many thanks.

Wurliwurm