Section 5.3 Storage, RAID, Troubleshooting

What does a blinking drive LED usually indicate?

Drive activity (read/write in progress)

What does no LED activity on a drive suggest?

The drive may not be receiving power or is not connected

What does a grinding noise from a drive often indicate?

Mechanical failure in a hard disk drive

What does a clicking sound from a hard drive suggest?

Impending or current drive failure

What could cause 'Bootable device not found'?

Incorrect BIOS boot order or missing drive

What is a common cause of data corruption?

Power loss during write operations or failing drive

What should be done immediately after signs of data corruption?

Back up data and replace the drive

What is RAID failure typically caused by?

One or more drives in the array failing

How can RAID 1 protect against single-drive failure?

By mirroring data across two drives

What does a degraded RAID array mean?

One or more drives are not functioning properly

What is the function of S.M.A.R.T.?

Monitors drive health and reports potential failures

What should be done if S.M.A.R.T. reports errors?

Back up data and replace the drive

What is a symptom of failing SSDs?

Extended read/write times or missing in BIOS

What might cause extended read/write times?

Drive nearing failure, excessive fragmentation, or overloaded system

What is IOPS?

Input/Output Operations Per Second, a measure of storage performance

What can cause a drop in IOPS?

Drive degradation or excessive system load

What does it mean if a drive is missing in the OS?

It may be disabled in BIOS, disconnected, or failed

What can cause a RAID array to fail after a reboot?

Failed drive not detected or improper RAID configuration

What tool can monitor S.M.A.R.T. status?

CrystalDiskInfo or manufacturer diagnostic tools

What does rebuilding a RAID array involve?

Restoring data redundancy after replacing a failed drive

What is the risk of operating with a degraded RAID?

Data loss if another drive fails

Why might a system not boot after a new drive is added?

Boot order changed or OS not found

What can cause clicking sounds in an HDD?

Head crash or actuator failure

How can you test if a drive is still functional?

Use diagnostic software or connect it to another system

What is one cause of a drive being unrecognized in BIOS?

Loose SATA or power cable

What should be checked if RAID 5 fails?

Number of failed drives and array configuration

How do you recover from RAID 1 failure?

Replace failed drive and allow RAID to rebuild

What happens when a drive in RAID 0 fails?

All data is lost

What can lead to drive overheating?

Poor airflow or excessive load

What causes intermittent drive visibility?

Loose connections or failing controller

What should be done before replacing a failing drive?

Back up all important data

What is a symptom of SSD nearing end of life?

Slower performance and write errors

Why might an HDD be missing in Windows but visible in BIOS?

Partition table is corrupted or drive not initialized

What utility can check and repair disk errors in Windows?

chkdsk

What command checks for file system issues in Linux?

fsck

How can extended write times affect performance?

Slows down application and system response

What RAID level offers fault tolerance and striping?

RAID 5

What is the primary sign of a RAID controller failure?

All drives disappear or RAID config is lost

What RAID type can survive two drive failures?

RAID 6

What does a loud grinding noise usually require?

Immediate shutdown and replacement

Why is frequent S.M.A.R.T. monitoring important?

To predict and prevent data loss

What type of backup is crucial for RAID configurations?

Regular full backups outside the array

What should be done after replacing a drive in RAID?

Initiate array rebuild process

What is one sign of file system corruption?

Inaccessible folders or error messages on file open

Why use manufacturer tools for diagnostics?

They provide accurate tests and warranty validation

What does a RAID rebuild do?

Restores redundancy and re-syncs data

What is an impact of incorrect RAID setup?

Loss of redundancy or performance issues

Why might new SSDs not appear in BIOS?

Not seated properly or not initialized

What can prevent system from detecting drives?

Bad SATA cable, port, or power supply