Can't get content of my SATA (promise 376)

[Autun]

I created a RAID 0 with one drive ( at that time I was under the impression that SATA drives had to be RAID :o ) on my old motherboard ( MSI K7N2G-ILSR ).My mobo just blew up and now I learn that you have to have the same RAID drivers ( Promise 376 ) in order to read the hard drive ( it is an older Hitachi SATA with the old style power connection ).

My new DFI U400S-AL is not doing me any good since it uses nVidia's RAID drivers.

Is there any mobo that uses Socket A, has SATA and Promise 376? I can't find this info and so far Newegg has not given me a reply...

I understand that there may be PCI cards with Promise that could solve my problem?

A socket 939 with promise could also work since I just ordered a 3200+ Venice.

Worst case I guess I will have to buy the same old mobo on ebay but it seems a waste to spend $70 on an old mobo.

Is there a better solution for me to get to the content of that harddrive? My ideal is to spend zero since I just bought a new mobo. All I want is the data.

Any help would be appreciated.

[BillR]

In theory the promise 378 chip is compatible with the 376, the driver package appears to be the same. Asus makes such a board but you already have the DFI.

I’d look for the PCI solution even if it were a used card as the cheap way out.

Do you know someone with a board with the 376/378 chip that would allow you to pop your drive in for data recovery?

Just some thoughts and one additional thought, make backups ;)

[Autun]

Unfortunately I do not know anyone with a mobo that would help.

Any particular PCI card you suggest ( I do not seem to find anything even on ebay - then again I am not exactly sure what I am looking for).

Yes I know I should back-up . My last ones are 2 months old unfortunately. Shameful laziness :)

Had I knows that RAID was not transferable I would have freaked ( i.e. back up ) more (often).

[Autun]

Figured it out. Data recovered. :)

[hulksterjoe]

and the secret is ???????????????

[Autun]

I formatted an older PATA hard drive and put on a clean XP copy. Hit F6 during install for adding 3rd party drivers and added the Promise drivers from a floppy disk. Booted up to check that everything was ok with that drive. Turned off and rebooted after installing the SATA drive. I could now see the SATA drive.

I did not know that software alone worked. I had the incorrect notion that I needed hardware on my Mobo or on a PCI slot to use RAID.

[BillR]

I formatted an older PATA hard drive and put on a clean XP copy. Hit F6 during install for adding 3rd party drivers and added the Promise drivers from a floppy disk. Booted up to check that everything was ok with that drive. Turned off and rebooted after installing the SATA drive. I could now see the SATA drive.

I did not know that software alone worked. I had the incorrect notion that I needed hardware on my Mobo or on a PCI slot to use RAID.

Nice move and good thinking on your part. Makes you wonder how many defective drives get sent back for similar reasons ;)