# Interesting problem with 3ware RAID and HDD failure **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-problem-with-3ware-raid-and-hdd-failure/542811 "2010-06-11T16:34:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-problem-with-3ware-raid-and-hdd-failure/542811/1 "2010-06-11T16:34:54Z")
I have a Windows Home Server box with a 3Ware 9500S running 4x 250 GB Samsung Spinpoint drives in a 750 GB array. The RAID software reports that the RAID is degraded (specifically Drive 0) but drives 1-3 are okay. If I replace drive 0 and initiate a rebuild, the rebuild fails and an error pops up with Drive 2. A rescan of the drives makes the error go away. This seems rather odd to me. I’m backing everything up right now, but I’m wondering how to proceed. If I had money, I’d simply buy new drives, but I’m skint. Paging **drachillix** , **engineer\_comp\_geek** , and the other usual suspects. Any thoughts, guys? ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-problem-with-3ware-raid-and-hdd-failure/542811/2 "2010-06-11T18:00:46Z")
Have you tried it from the card BIOS? Has the new drive been in a 3ware array previously? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-problem-with-3ware-raid-and-hdd-failure/542811/3 "2010-06-11T20:15:38Z")
Yes and no respectively. Also, if I initiate a rebuild with the original Drive 0 in place, I get the same error with Drive 2 ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-problem-with-3ware-raid-and-hdd-failure/542811/4 "2010-06-12T18:59:29Z")
What is the error? Did you get a verified full backup done? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-problem-with-3ware-raid-and-hdd-failure/542811/5 "2010-06-12T20:32:42Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > What is the error? Did you get a verified full backup done? 3DM2 = the 3Ware control software - reports that there was an error with Disk 2. I now have a backup, but I’m concerned: is the fault with Disk 0 or with Disk 2? I don’t want to make a new array with a faulty disk. ---
**Author:** ![Terry\_Kennedy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-problem-with-3ware-raid-and-hdd-failure/542811/6 "2010-06-12T21:21:42Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > 3DM2 = the 3Ware control software - reports that there was an error with Disk 2. I now have a backup, but I’m concerned: is the fault with Disk 0 or with Disk 2? I don’t want to make a new array with a faulty disk. On a 9650SE (granted, a bit newer than your 9500), a single cable error can mark the drive as faulted (and, if you have an I2C front panel connection, light the red fault light). Doing a full verify of the drive with the 3Ware utility will clear that fault. On the other hand, errors like “pending uncorrectable sectors” will _not_ trigger the fault light, so it is a good idea to run something like smartmontools to keep you informed. Of course, you’ll want to back up your data first, since an error on a 2nd drive in a RAID 5 array will result in loss of data. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-problem-with-3ware-raid-and-hdd-failure/542811/7 "2010-06-12T21:42:41Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > 3DM2 = the 3Ware control software - reports that there was an error with Disk 2. I now have a backup, but I’m concerned: is the fault with Disk 0 or with Disk 2? I don’t want to make a new array with a faulty disk. You could pull the drives and test them individually with something like drivesitter. > **[otwesten.de](http://www.otwesten.de/drivesitter/features.htm)** > > This domain may be for sale! ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-problem-with-3ware-raid-and-hdd-failure/542811/8 "2010-06-22T21:00:35Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > You could pull the drives and test them individually with something like drivesitter. > > [otwesten.de](http://www.otwesten.de/drivesitter/features.htm) That’s 404-compliant for me, but since I’ve got everything backed up, I’m going to try WHS v2.