I REALLY really hope someone can help me.
Ok, I am not a PC dummy

Ok, here's the deal:
System config (short version)
1 Gb memory
2 x 160 Gb harddisk, SATA - Raid 0 (Striping)
XP pro - SP2
At one point in time while checking my emails, the pc just went to blank (black) not the typical blue screen.
Ok, it still is a Windows platform, so what do you do? Reboot!
After rebooting, all the BIOS checking is done, and after that, one normally should see the darn windows logo.
Well....it doesn't even come to that.
After the BIOS check, btw, without any BEEPS, the screen just goes to blank/black.
It does that forever.
My first thought was: ok, can't be that bad, just put in the XP install CD and do a re-install.
Well...I can do that, but after hitting R (for reinstall) or even after hitting the button for a fresh install, the following message appears:
"Setup can't find any harddrives in your system" or better still the dutch equivalent of that.
First thing I did after that was check the cables, perhaps one of the cables wasn't ok.
Well....they are fine, in fact, if I pull one of the cables out of one of the HDs, the BIOS sees that it is missing, and the RAID will see it as an error too.
So...that couldn't be it.
After that I tried about every single MBR restore program you can find on google

Even partition magic can see the drives. And some other diagnostic program I tried does let me see the data on both disks.
Still it leaves me with the same problem: the system just won't boot XP.
Help??
As I am working as much at home as I am working at the office, there's a s-load of information on those disks.
Btw: I do have a Ghost-backup of my data drive, but not my system drive.
Now, one way or the other, this needs to be fixed, I mean: I almost am at peace with loosing my system drive, and am willing to format the drives, they still need to be seen before I can actually do that.
Oh, another thing I found? Even DOS doesn't see the drives.
I hopefully ruled out the fact that MBR is the problem.
Hardware can't be the problem, unless it is something that does allow all other DOS programs and BIOS to see the disks.
Driver problems? I don't really know anymore, therefore I turn to you.
I hope you can help, or send me in the right direction, because after spending more than 12 hours searching the net, downloading programs, running diagnostic software and the works, I really don't know anymore.
Angela
Edited by lala_angela, 27 May 2005 - 11:39 AM.