Windows don't boot after (RAID) hard drive size changes

dryden22

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I currently have a AMD mobo RAID 10 array consisting of 4 drives of a total capacity now available of 2TB.

I can change those RAID arrays without effecting the disks. That means I can split the array in two if I want without overwriting the MBR/partition table. That means no data is destroyed at all, but Windows won't boot from the changed (now smaller) array.

I have tried two things:
- Automatic startup repair, will just exercise the drive for a countless amount of time, takes much too long, not sure what it is doing, I just rebooted.

After:
- Refresh Windows, but complains the Drive is locked and won't do anything, from the console window I can see now drivers and I don't know about any partitioning tools from the command line still in Windows.

These things I got I believe by booting from the Windows 8.1 Pro install DVD.

So Refresh Windows never works (to my recollection) since it always complains about locked drives and Automatic Startup Repair I let it run for 15 minutes, but it hadn't done anything.

So when I delete the arrays and recreate the original one, Windows starts again as usual no problem.

Maybe there's something about drive geometry no longer being right, I don't know. I guess this doesn't work then and I can only change the arrays by reinstalling my system; in that sense.

Windows *tries* to load but then it fails with an error message and quickly reboots.

Only troubleshooting I can do at this point is to run a Linux live DVD and see what happens to my partition layout.

There are only two partitions; the Windows System Reserved boot partition, and the C: partition itself.

It's a shame; perhaps I can split the arrays again but then I really wanted 3 arrays on my system but the RAID controller BIOS only allows me to create 2 max, no matter what sizes I specify. Bummer.

Reason for me to split things is that I want to use TrueCrypt whole drive encryption on a part of the total "array". But the way it is now I can only encrypt either the system partition (C:) or the entire thing, which in the end is 2TB and may not allow me to subsequently do encryption of other partitions, that I do not know yet.

Ideally my setup would be a whole disk encryption of a "C: + D:" drive (array), and a whole disk encryption of the 2nd array (E:) en then the last array I can keep unencrypted if i want.

Unfortunately that won't work as I can only create two arrays. So what remains is splitting it in two which I don't really like but still. I wonder if the partition table will still remain valid if I split the arrays. Geometry might mess things up.

I *was* using split arrays (each 1TB) before I installed Win8 so I don't feel much like installing again. Then I remembered how I had wanted my setup to be and now I realize it can't even be done, again. Maybe I should just use partition encryption all over the place when needed but that does reveal all the partition tables to the outside. I kinda like having this stuff hidden, it's important. And I want to replicate the setup I had at home (3 separate disks, instead of 1 raid). Such a darn shame the RAID BIOS won't allow me to create more than 2 arrays.


Before someone says "Where's the question?" -- my question is whether it is possible to get Windows running again on a changed AMD RAID array. Since nothing changed on disk; the disk appears to be different to the OS.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
No one?

I change the 'geometry' of the hard disk, which is a raid array. Subsequently the "hard disk" visible to Windows changes as per raid driver) but the partition remains the same and remains accessible (e.g. to Linux) -- but now Windows won't boot anymore

- it can read the files just fine
- it gives and error and reboots early in the boot process
- automatic startup repair doesn't do anything, at least not during the first 10-15 minutes.

- i want to know of a way to boot a changed Windows 8/10 on this system without reinstalling Windows; that is to say; I want to know of a way to fix this boot problem without a reinstall.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
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