Silicon Image RAID Windows Update Corruption

**sigep441** · 26-10-2007

I'm using 32-bit Vista with a Silicon Image 3114 SATA RAID controller with three 250 GB disks in a RAID 0 configuration on an Asus A8N-SLI Premium motherboard. Two days ago, I allowed a Windows update to update the drivers for the SiI3114 controller. Needless to say, my system no longer boots. It continuously runs through an endless loop, attempting to load Windows each time. I've tried all attempts to restore/repair/etc. from the install DVD. Vista does not show as a valid install during recovery so I also tried to reload the SiI3114 drivers that were downloaded from Silicon Image and Asus, all to no avail. What are my options? I'm open to manually adding/changing .sys files from the command prompt if necessary. Again, normal bootup, safe mode, repair, restore, none of these options work.

John · 26-10-2007

When you boot from the DVD to do a repair install are you pressing F6 at the appropriate time and loading the original driver for the SIL controller that worked?

Richard Urban · 26-10-2007

You do NOT install the SATA/RAID drivers under Vista by pressing F6. That is the way you do it under Windows XP. In Vista you get to a GUI where there is a radio button you click on to install drivers. These drivers can be on a floppy, a USB thumb drive, a CD, a DVD etc.

**sigep441** · 26-10-2007

I'm trying to load the original driver, but since the driver was updated through Windows update, it won't load. The RAID array still exists and loads upon boot, but once it hits Windows, that's where the problems begin. I've tried downloading other versions from both Silicon Image and Asus, none of them will load.

I believe that it may have been called 'Silicon Image Pseudo Processor" or something similar when I updated it through the Windows update.

Yes, I know... Never update hardware through Windows update...

**sigep441** · 28-10-2007

When trying to load SiI 3114 drivers from my USB stick, I receive an error of "Installation has failed" when trying to load some of them. I've tried multiple drivers to no avail. I also loaded Vista on an IDE drive to see if I could see the RAID drives. This didn't work either. They're still detected upon boot, but not when Vista loads. If I were to use a Live Linux CD, what files should I delete/replace/rename in order to redetect the correct drivers, assuming that it would even detect the RAID array?

Richard Urban · 29-10-2007

I have SIL 3112 chipset. I have to load the drivers "twice" - once initially (and I think this is held in the RAM) to allow the setup program to see the drive and again during the second boot (when, I guess, the drivers are actually written to the drive.

**sigep441** · 30-10-2007

So now I've installed the SI management utility onto the IDE drive that I installed a second copy of Vista on so that I could try to find my RAID array. Of the three channels, channel 0 is orphaned, channels 1 and 2 are both fine. I know that RAID0 is generally unrecoverable, but since it was a Windows Update driver that trashed it, is there a way to somehow get access to the array so that the correct drivers can be placed on it.

**sigep441** · 02-11-2007

Thankfully, I have backups of everything, so I'll probably do a reinstall this weekend. I can't seem to find any instance of anyone else messing up their RAID 0 installation due to this Windows Vista Update of the Silicon Image Pseudo Processor Device. I think I'm at the point where now, it's not even relevant anymore. The bigger issue is "Can I recover an orphaned drive in my RAID array?" It's not looking likely, but again, I have backups, so really all I need to do is just reinstall it.

Last shot here. Does anyone have any other ideas that I could try?

**sigep441** · 09-11-2007

Thanks for all of the help everyone. Luckily, I held off on my reformat. While I was running a copy of Vista on a spare IDE drive, I decided to do a BIOS update to my motherboard just for kicks. I didn't think anything of it for a few days, then I thought I'd try a last ditch attempt to see if I could load the RAID drivers again. Much to my surprise, the OS was found! I attempted a repair of the install (of which it said no problems could be found), and when I rebooted, everything was there. Needless to say, I was very excited! Once I booted back into my install, I ran a Windows Update just to see if the offending driver would show again, and it did.

Again, I have an ASUS A8N-SLI Premium motherboard. The optional update from Vista shows a Silicon Image Pseudo Processor Device. Do not download it! Luckily, I was able to save my system after 2 full weeks of trying to fix it and wondering what to do.

Just a reminder, keep your backups current. Mine were about 3 weeks old, so I felt pretty good about that, but I was not looking forward to doing a reinstall.