Data Recovery and Filesystem Tools

http://www.sysint.no/products/Download/tabid/536/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Strip My Rights

Author: Systemintegrasjon AS Version:   File Date:   Number of Downloads: 6489  File size: 33 K Date Released: 2/8/2008 File Description: Utility for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 which runs applications with reduced rights. If you for instance is logged on as Administrator or another user with administrative privileges on your Windows computer, you can use StripMyRights to run for instance Internet Explorer, Outlook or other programs with the rights of an ordinary user. In this way the security risk of being logged on with elevated privileges may be reduced. The utility is based on the ideas of the DropMyRights tool from Microsoft, but with several features added. Read more...

Chown for Windows

Author: Systemintegrasjon AS Version:   File Date:   Number of Downloads: 2825  File size: 60 K Date Released: 2/8/2008 File Description: Tool to take ownership of files and folders, or just take full control of the files and folders, without first taking ownership. The tool is GNU-licensed and originally written by Alexander Frink. Now supports file names up to 32000 characters in length. Latest: Fixed problem with stack overflow for deep directory structures.

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http://www.ntfs.com/products.htm#disk_utilities

Active@ KillDisk

Hard Disk, HDD/USB Disk Eraser Download

Active@ Disk Image

Hard Drive Image & Backup Software * Download

Active@ Hard Disk Monitor Monitor hard drive health Download
	Active@ Disk Editor Advanced Disk Editor(Hex Viewer) Download

Active@ Partition Recovery Partition Recovery Software Download
Active@ UNDELETE File Undelete,Hard Drive Data Recovery Download	NTFS Data Recovery Toolkit NTFS disks recovery toolset Download
	Active@ UNERASER Free undelete software Download

Zmanda Recovery Manager

http://www.zmanda.com/backup-mysql.html?src=google-cont&cmp=mysqlglobal&ag=mysql&kw=mysql%20offsite%20backup&gclid=CP754b7DxbUCFQZV4AodVn4A4w

MySQL Backup and Recovery

Zmanda Recovery Manager for MySQL

Zmanda Recovery Manager (ZRM) for MySQL simplifies the life of a Database Administrator who needs an easy-to-use yet flexible and robust backup and recovery solution for MySQL server. With ZRM for MySQL you can:

• Schedule full and incremental backups of your MySQL database.
• Start immediate backup or postpone scheduled backups based on thresholds defined by you.
• Choose to do more flexible logical or faster raw backups of your database.
• Perform backup that is the best match for your storage engine and your MySQL configuration.
• Backup your remote MySQL database through a firewall.
• Configure on-the-fly compression and/or encryption of your MySQL backups to meet your storage and security needs.
• Get e-mail notification about the status of your backups and receive MySQL backup reports via RSS feed.
• Monitor and browse your backups.
• Define retention policies and delete backups that have expired.
• Recover a database easily to any point in time or to any particular transaction, e.g. just before a user made an error.
• Parse binary logs to search and filter MySQL logs for operational and security reasons.

Functionality and Benefits of Zmanda Recovery Manager(ZRM) for MySQL

Which versions of MySQL can I backup?	MySQL 4.1.x and MySQL 5.x
Which storage engines can I backup?	ZRM for MySQL works with any storage engine.
Is there a GUI?	ZRM Enterprise Edition provides Management Console for MySQL backup, a web based service integrated with Zmanda Network for all day-to-day backup activities of a MySQL DBA.
How does ZRM backup MySQL?	Backups are done via mysqldump, various snapshots, mysqlhotcopy or MySQL replication. Depending on your configuration of MySQL, ZRM selects the best way to do backups, but you can override and select yourself what tool to use.
Can I do hot backup of online database?	ZRM provides hot backup via snapshots. Currently we support Linux, Windows VSS, Solaris ZFS, Veritas VxFS and Network Appliance SnapManager. Community Edition provides support for LVM and ZFS snapshots only.
Does ZRM for MySQL use a proprietary data format?	Since ZRM for MySQL does not use any proprietary data formats, you can recover your data even without ZRM.
What kind of backup reports will I get?	You will receive e-mail about the success or failure of each backup. Additionally, you will get information about the amount of backup data and the time taken to run a backup. You can add your own comments about each backup job to make it easy to find the right backup version of your database for recovery. ZRM for MySQL also provides reports about the state of MySQL during backups, e.g. how much time it took to flush memory buffers before the snapshot was taken. Formatting for backup reports is flexible. For example you can receive reports automatically via RSS feed making it easier to consolidate reports for a dashboard or any monitoring application. ZRM Enterprise Edition provides 9 predefined reports and allows to customize reporting on over 30 items.
Can I do backups over the Internet?	Using SSH copy or socket copy plug-in you can do either secure or not secure but more efficient backups over the Internet.
Some of my backups are done via LVM snapshots and others are done via mysqlhotcopy. Will I need different tools for recovery?	ZRM for MySQL provides a unified recovery mechanism for any technology used for backup. It makes it easy to recover databases that were backed up differently, e.g. when you have both logical and raw backups.
Do I have to replace my existing network backup with ZRM for MySQL?	ZRM for MySQL is not a replacement for your existing network backup. It is a complementary solution for backup and recovery of MySQL only, and it can co-exist with your existing Amanda Enterprise, IBM Tivoli, Symantec NetBackup, EMC NetWorker or any other network backup software.
To what point in time can I recover my database?	With ZRM for MySQL you can recover your database to any point in time or to any particular transaction between two successful backups. For example, you can recover the database to a moment in time just before a user made an error.
What performance can I get for backup and recovery with ZRM?	Raw backup and recoveries are much faster than logical ones. Register on Zmanda network to read the white paper "Backup and recovery benchmarks for MySQL with ZRM" and see how ZRM accelerates performance for InnoDB and MyISAM storage engines.
Can I backup MySQL Cluster with ZRM?	ZRM Cluster Edition supports backup of MySQL Cluster and MySQL Cluster Carrier-Grade Edition. ZRM consolidates backup data dispersed among all cluster nodes to a single system making it easier to recover data in case of emergency.
Where can I get ZRM?	You can download the Community Edition of ZRM for MySQL here.

ZRM Community and ZRM Enterprise Comparison

Recover Data from a Dead or Erased Hard Drive

Source
by Alan Henry

Don't worry, we're not going to ask where you got the drive, but there are plenty of ways to examine it and see if any of the data is recoverable. With a little time, the right tools, and some care, you may be able to get some data off of that drive.
Step One: Assemble Your Tools and Examine The Drive's Condition
The first thing to do is make sure you have the tools required to connect this drive to another computer safely. Ideally, you'll have some kind of SATA/IDE to USB cable or USB drive enclosure or sled that you can mount the drive into and connect it to your computer easily. Sure, if you have a desktop and like getting your hands dirty you can try to install the drive as an internal one, but an external connection is faster and easier. Next, take a look at the drive itself. Is it damaged in any way? Are the pins bent or broken? Make sure that the drive is in good enough condition to actually use before you try anything in the first place that may damage it even further. If the drive is too physically damaged to attempt recovery, you may need more drastic measures that we'll get to later. If everything looks good and you have the equipment required to connect the drive to your system, we can proceed.
Step Two: Grab Some Data Recovery Software and Connect the Drive
Before you do much else, make sure your antivirus and antimalware tools are up to date. You don't know what you'll find on this drive, and you don't want it to start misbehaving once the drive is connected to an active system. Once you've done that, it's time to download and install some data recovery tools. Here are a few we love:

• Full size

  
  Recuva (Windows, Free): Personally, Recuva has been indispensible. Made by the same folks behind CCleaner, Recuva makes data recovery simple and easy. if you're only interested in browsing and restoring selected files off of the drive, Recuva is a great option. Alternatively, check out Undelete Plus for Windows.
• FileSalvage (OS X, $80): File Salvage for Mac will set you back some serious coin, but it's one of the best tools to pull data off of a connected hard drive in OS X. It can recover virtually any type of file on multiple partition types, and prides itself on its ability to recover from damaged drives and corrupt media. If you want an alternative, try Data Rescue for Mac ($100).
• TestDisk (Win/OS X/Linux, Free): If you're not afraid of the command line, TestDisk is an open source utility that can run against almost any platform or partition type. It does a great job of recovering data quickly, and won't do unnecessary writes against the drive you're trying to recover from.
• Full size

  
  Bootable Linux distros for drive recovery: If you're not interested in messing around with apps (or paying for them), consider burning a bootable CD or USB key with BackTrack, Bart PE, or SpinRite on it, so you can boot to an OS that's not your primary drive, avoid writing or touching the drive you want to recover from, and run a host of recovery and forensics tools against that drive that are highly effective and completely free. Photo by Roman Soto.

A number of these tools can recover from formatted drives, especially if the data hasn't been overwritten. We've tackled this topic before, and used Knoppix as our bootable linux distro, but the steps apply to the ones we've mentioned as well. For more reading, check out this old but still largely accurate guide at Linux.com to recovering from formatted drives.
Remember, the less you work with the drive you want to recover data from, the better. As you read from the drive, you run the risk of exacerbating any damage it may have. The more you write to the drive, the more likely you are to overwrite something you want to recover. Bootable linux distros—many of which have tools like TestDisk pre-installed (among other, more advanced tools)—are the best way to go if you're familiar with the method and if you're interested in recovering entire partitions, or making a non-bootable drive bootable again. If you're just looking for files and you know the drive was in a Windows system or a Mac, a stand-alone app is an easier way to go.
Step Three: Get Out the Big Guns (and Your Wallet)
Okay, so the drive is physically damaged, has been wiped and overwritten, or nothing else you try works and you really, really need the data off of it. You're even willing to pay a lotfor it. We're not going to ask why, but at this point it's time to call in the professionals.
Pick up the phone and call the folks at DriveSavers and OnTrack to see what they can do for you. I've had good experiences with OnTrack. DriveSavers is well known and loved, both because they came to the rescue with free drive recovery services after September 11, 2001 and more recently helping Wired's Mat Honan recover from his epic hacking. Both companies do a superb job at pulling data even off of drives that have been formatted, overwritten, or even severely physically damaged. Keep in mind though that these services generally run in the tens of thousands of dollars and higher.

---

If the drive is yours, or the data you get from the drive is valuable, we'd strongly suggest you make sure your data is backed up, both locally and online. After all, it's better to be able to get the data back quickly than have to jump through these hoops every time a drive fails. Remember, every hard drive will fail eventually, it's just a matter of time. Now go forth, use this knowledge for good, and recover!


Sincerely,
Lifehacker

Unortodoxal Data Recovery

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/200-ways-to-revive-a-hard-drive/

"Device Not Ready" error message.

Testing the external enclosure's hard drive.
The external enclosure's circuits may be damaged.
You MAY need to buy a new external enclosure, or connect the drive internally to a computer, before you can attempt to repair the data damage.
If you have another drive you can install in it so you can test whether the enclosure works fine, try that.
If you can't do that and have any doubts about that, connect the drive internally to a computer before you attempt to repair any data damage. According to my experiences you can't run the hard drive manufacturer's diagnostics on the hard drive when it's in the USB enclosure.
Testdisk - get the Stable version:
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Test...
Glary Undelete:
http://glary-undelete.en.softonic.com/
PC Inspector (freeware)
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/pcinsp...
Zero assumption Recovery
http://www.z-a-recovery.com
The demo is limited
It will only recover 'up to' four folders per run
But you can make multiple runs
Really good, but you have to pay for it.
GetDataBack
http://www.runtime.org/
.....
Lots of file recovery programs
...................

Apparently, the Windows version of Seagate's SeaTools can test any hard drive brand when it's in an external enclosure.(The bootable Dos version of it CANNOT.)
Do the long test.
SeaTools
SeaTools for Windows

System Requirements:

• Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, XP or 2000.
• Microsoft .NET Framework v4.0 - Available for download (approximately 48 MB) from www.microsoft.com. Search the site for .NET 4.0 or go directly there.
• VGA 1024x768 or greater graphics capability.

SeaTools for Windows tests SATA, USB, 1394, ATA (PATA/IDE) and SCSI drives. It installs onto your system. SeaTools for Windows is completely data safe.
 If the drive passes SeaTools for Windows, your troubleshooting can move to other areas.

Go To Download

File access denied

Take Ownership if you get Access Denied messages when you  try to copy the data files:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

Übernehmen des Besitzes für einen Ordner

Sie müssen den Besitz für eine geschützte Datei übernehmen, um darauf zugreifen zu können. Wenn ein anderer Benutzer den Zugriff beschränkt hat und Sie der Computeradministrator sind, können Sie auf die Datei zugreifen, indem Sie den Besitz übernehmen.

Gehen Sie folgendermaßen vor, um den Besitz für eine Datei zu übernehmen:

1. Klicken Sie mit der rechten Maustaste auf die Datei, für die Sie den Besitz übernehmen möchten, und klicken Sie anschließend auf Eigenschaften.
2. Klicken Sie auf die Registerkarte Sicherheit, und klicken Sie in der Sicherheitsmeldung (sofern eine solche Meldung erscheint) auf OK.
3. Klicken Sie auf Erweitert und anschließend auf die Registerkarte Besitzer.
4. Klicken Sie im Listenfeld Name auf Administrator, oder klicken Sie auf die Gruppe Administratoren, und klicken Sie anschließend auf OK.
   
   Der Administrator bzw. die Administratorengruppe ist nun Besitzer der Datei.

Gehen Sie folgendermaßen vor, um die Berechtigungen für die Datei zu ändern, deren Besitzer Sie nun sind:

1. Klicken Sie auf Hinzufügen.
2. Geben Sie im Listenfeld Geben Sie die zu verwendenden Objektnamen ein (Beispiele) das Benutzer- oder Gruppenkonto ein, dem Sie den Zugriff auf diese Datei gewähren möchten. Geben Sie z. B. Administrator ein.
3. Klicken Sie auf OK.
4. Klicken Sie im Listenfeld Gruppen- oder Benutzernamen auf das gewünschte Konto, und aktivieren Sie anschließend die Kontrollkästchen mit den Berechtigungen, die Sie diesem Benutzer zuweisen möchten.
5. Wenn Sie alle Berechtigungen zugewiesen haben, klicken Sie auf OK.
6. Jetzt können Sie auf das Objekt zugreifen.

Übernehmen des Besitzes für einen Ordner

Sie müssen den Besitz für einen geschützten Ordner übernehmen, um darauf zugreifen zu können. Wenn ein anderer Benutzer den Zugriff beschränkt hat und Sie der Computeradministrator sind, können Sie auf den Ordner zugreifen, indem Sie den Besitz übernehmen.

Gehen Sie folgendermaßen vor, um den Besitz für einen Ordner zu übernehmen:

1. Klicken Sie mit der rechten Maustaste auf den Ordner, für den Sie den Besitz übernehmen möchten, und klicken Sie anschließend auf Eigenschaften.
2. Klicken Sie auf die Registerkarte Sicherheit, und klicken Sie in der Sicherheitsmeldung (sofern eine solche Meldung erscheint) auf OK.
3. Klicken Sie auf Erweitert und anschließend auf die Registerkarte Besitzer.
4. Klicken Sie im Listenfeld Name auf Ihren Benutzernamen oder auf Administrator, wenn Sie als Administrator angemeldet sind. Alternativ dazu können Sie auf die Gruppe Administratoren klicken. Wenn Sie den Besitz für den Inhalt des Ordners übernehmen möchten, aktivieren Sie das Kontrollkästchen Besitzer der Objekte und untergeordneten Container ersetzen.
5. Klicken Sie auf OK und dann auf Ja, wenn die folgende Meldung angezeigt wird:
   Sie haben keine Berechtigung, den Inhalt des Verzeichnisses Ordnername zu lesen. Möchten Sie die Verzeichnisberechtigungen mit Berechtigungen ersetzen, die Ihnen "Vollzugriff" erteilen?
   Alle Berechtigungen werden ersetzt, wenn Sie auf Ja klicken.
   
   HinweisOrdnername ist der Name des Ordners, für den Sie den Besitz übernehmen möchten.
6. Klicken Sie auf OK, und wenden Sie anschließend die für den Ordner und seinen Inhalt gewünschten Berechtigungen und Sicherheitseinstellungen wieder an.

Recover and AntiVirus SW (ISO)

http://sourceforge.net/projects/systemrescuecd/files/sysresccd-x86/

systemrescuecd-x86-2.3.1.iso	2011-08-23	369.3 MB

SHA1:

16094492dc03dec138d7a7808e3099a60a18eda5

MD5:

8813aa38506f6e6be1c02e871eb898ca

========================

Macrium Reflect FREE Edition

Version:	5.0.4033
Size:	30.5MB
Date:	30 September 2011
MD5 Hash:	8B838208D5BAB0C9B52C55A4BD04A40F
Windows Versions:	XP, Vista, Windows 7 (32 and native 64 Bit). Note: This installation file contains the 32 and 64 bit versions of Macrium Reflect. The correct version will be automatically installed.

Disk imaging
Disk cloning
Access images in windows explorer
Schedule backup
Linux rescue CD
Windows PE3 rescue media (RAID suppoort)
File and folder backup (no differential, no incremental)
--------------------------------
Download Macrium Reflect free from here and install it
Launch Reflect --> Other Tasks --> Create Rescue CD (choice linux).
After the creation don't burn the cd but go to the folder of macrium (my pc C:\Programmi\Macrium\Reflect), move the file Rescue.iso in the folder ISO of SARDU.
Make a USB or ISO and...

Macrium Reflect : Rescue.iso

========================

http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-rescue-cd

• Component List
• Testimonials
• System Requirements
• How It Works
• Video

AVG Rescue CD is a comprehensive toolkit that will repair system crashes and return systems to a state where they can operate at full capacity, thanks to deep-rooted infections having been removed and file systems repaired.

Get your business back up and running rapidly in case of system crashes.

AVG Rescue CD gets your PC back up and running rapidly reducing potential downtime for you and your business in case of system crash.

Get the tools the experts have been using for years – completely free

If you – or anyone you know – has a malware infection that’s got past their security software, AVG’s Rescue CD will get that PC back in working order. AVG’s resellers have been using this powerful toolkit for years to recover customers’ infected systems, and now it’s available for your business – free of charge.

Be prepared for the unexpected

Downloadable as a CD or USB drive to ensure your business is prepared for the unexpected.

http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-rescue-cd-download

Rescue CD (for CD creation) (avg_arl_cdi_all_120_110831a4559.iso)

October 18, 2011

86 MB

========================== 

http://connect.microsoft.com/systemsweeper

207 MB 

Thank you for contacting Microsoft Support. You have been directed here to download and install the beta version of Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta, a recovery tool that can help you start an infected PC and perform an offline scan to help identify and remove rootkits and other advanced malware. In addition, Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta can be used if you cannot install or start an antivirus solution on your PC, or if the installed solution can’t detect or remove malware on your PC.
Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta is not a replacement for a full antivirus solution providing ongoing protection; it is meant to be used in situations where you cannot start your PC due to a virus or other malware infection. For no-cost, real-time protection that helps guard your home or small business PCs against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, download Microsoft Security Essentials*.
To get started, please make sure that you have a blank CD, DVD, or USB drive with at least 250 MB of space. Next, download and run the tool – the tool will help you to create the bootable media required to run the software on your PC.

Should I download the 32-bit or 64-bit version?

1. Whether you download the 32-bit or the 64-bit version of the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta depends on the architecture (32-bit or 64-bit) of the Windows operating system of the computer infected with a virus or malware. See theMicrosoft Help and Support article for instructions on how to determine whether a computer is running a 32-bit version or 64-bit architecture of the Windows operating system.
   
   
2. Ordinarily, the bootable media is created on a computer that is not infected. The architecture of Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta does not have to be the same as the Windows operating system of the computer used to create the bootable media. It does need to be the same architecture (32-bit or the 64-bit) as the Windows operating system of the computer infected with a virus or malware.

* Your PC must run genuine Windows to install Microsoft Security Essentials. Learn more about genuine Windows. Internet access fees may apply.

========================

http://anti-virus.by/en/vba32rescue.shtml

VirusBlokAda32

=========================

eScan Internet Security Suite v.11 Single Product Review by AV-Comparatives

http://wiki.escanav.com/wiki/index.php/EScan_for_Windows_v11/EScan_for_Home_/_SOHO

Download ISO Image format files

Download   ISS ISO : 11.0.1139.1083 ( size: 625,405,952 Bytes )

• Download Link 1

OR

• Download Link 2

OR

• Download Link 3

( MD5 Hash of iwn2k3ek.iso : 51129b6d6749e64a8f6a1c064ebc06ef )

Download   AV ISO : 11.0.1139.1083 ( size: 624,388,096 Bytes )

• Download Link 1 

OR

• Download Link 2

OR

• Download Link 3

( MD5 Hash of awn2k3ek.iso : 837d8b573f4833365fe51f7a72782688 )

-------------------------------- 

eScan Anti-Virus with Rescue Disk 11.x

Acronis True Image Home 2011

1. Introduction, Backing Up Your PC
2. Backing Up Your PC Continued, Nonstop Backup
3. Try & Decide, Other Features
4. Other Features Continued, Final Thoughts

Den Rechner neu Aufsetzen und-oder absichern

Quelle

Manchmal reicht es nicht, einfach nur gefundene Malware ( Viren/Wuermer/Backdoor) zu loeschen und denken, das alles wieder so funktioniert, wie man es gewohnt ist. Denn man kann nicht uberpruefen, was diese Malware bereits mit dem System angestellt bzw veraendert und installiert hat. In manchen Faellen ist das System nach so einer Reinigung, besonders wenn "echte" Viren beseitigt wurden, immer noch sehr instabil.
In solchen Faellen ist die sauberste Lösung, das System neu aufzusetzen:
Man sollte als Vorarbeit schon folgende Dinge besorgen. Entweder selber herunterladen oder einen Freund bitten, sich die Dateien herunterzuladen und auf CD zu brennen. Diese Dinge beziehen sich auf Windows XP.
Das Servicepack3: https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5b33b5a8-5e76-401f-be08-1e1555d4f3d4&DisplayLang=de
Von Winfuture.de wird ein Updatepack angeboten und stetig erweitert, das alle Patches nach SP3 enthaelt und dies sollte auch heruntergeladen werden: http://www.winfuture.de/UpdatePack

Computerbase bietet entsprechende Windows2000 Servicepacks und Updates als download:
http://www.computerbase.de/downloads/software/betriebssysteme/windows_2000_service_pack/

Winboard.org geht einen etwas anderen Weg und bietet ein CD als ISO Image an, das Updates fuer mehrere Windowsversionen enthaelt: http://download.winboard.org/index.php?cmd=top


0.) Alle wichtigen Daten, die nicht aus anderen Quellen wiederbeschafft werden koennen, sichern und auf einem anderen PC diese Sicherung auf Funktionsfaehigkeit pruefen.(Anleitung: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;DE;842149)
1.) Neu formatieren und installieren (Anleitung fuer XP: http://www.computerleben.net/artikel/Windows_XP_neu_installieren-220.html das selbe fuer Win2000: http://www.timetraveler.ch/w2k.html )
2.) VOR der ersten Onlineverbindung die XP-Firewall für die Verbindung aktivieren. Beim SP3 ist die Firewall schon automatisch aktiviert
3.) Danach zuerst www.windowsupdate.com besuchen (dies wöchentlich wiederholen)
4.) den IE nur noch für diese Updates verwenden, ansonsten auf einen alternativen Browser wie Opera, Firefox oder Mozilla umsteigen
5.) Browser und Emailprogramm (auch hier gibt es Alternativen zu Outlook wie Thunderbird, foxmail)sicher konfigurieren, keine aktiven Inhalte automatisch ausführen lassen (Java-Script, Active-X, VBS) und mails nur als Textversion, nicht in html anzeigen lassen
6.) Vorsichtig bleiben, nur wirklich als sicher bekannte Mailanhänge öffnen, nur aus sicheren Quellen Programme herunterladen und vorher überprüfen, ob sie Spyware oder Adware enthalten können ( http://web.ubc.ca/okanagan/itservices/security/spyware/spywarelist.html http://www.spywareguide.com/spywarelist.html ), besondere Vorsicht ist bei allen erotischen und [warez] -Seiten geboten
7.) ein Antivirenprogramm schadet auch nichts (Antivir ist kostenlos und halbwegs brauchbar www.free-av.de ), sollte aber nicht dazu verführen, sich grenzenlos darauf zu verlassen
8.) Nicht gleich alle Programme, die früher installiert waren, sofort erneut aufs System lassen, sondern ueberlegen, ob sie wirklich noetig sind oder moegliche Alternativen in betracht ziehen
9.) keine alten Passworte wiederverwenden, sondern alle neu anlegen
10.) Konsequenzen aus dem Vorfall ziehen und ggf. das eigene Sicherheitskonzept entsprechend anpassen und das System regelmaessig warten.
11.)Nutzer von Windows 2000/XP/2003 koennen als zusaetzlichen Schutz noch ein eingeschraenktes Benutzerkonto einrichten. http://www.cidres-security.de/benutzerkonto.html
12.) Ein weiteres Tool, welches man immer griffbereit/erstellt haben sollte ist eine (Bart)PE CD. INformatioenen dazu findet ihr u.a. hier:
http://pcfreaks.big-clan.net/bartpe/manual.shtml
http://www.pcwelt.de/wiki/index.php/Bart_PE_Builder

So laesst sich ein Rechner pruefen, ohne das irgendwelche Programme von dem zu pruefenden Rechner den Pruefvorgang stoeren koennen.
Es gibt viele Plugins fuer diese Bootcd, so das man z.B. auch Escan, Mcafee, Drweb, Antivir, Acronis True Image und viele andere Programme nutzen kann.
Ein passendes deutschsprachiges Forum gibt es hier: http://www.pebuilder.de/

----------------------------

Infos zu dem, was Malware alles kann:
"Live"-Test: Wie sich ein Computer mit Malware infiziert !
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/44869
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/46634
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/51689
Lektüre für die Zukunft:
http://www.microsoft.com/germany/technet/datenbank/articles/900000.mspx
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backdoor
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojaner_%28Computer%29
http://www.mathematik.uni-marburg.de/~wetz...compromise.html
http://oschad.de/wiki/index.php/Kompromittierung
http://faq.underflow.de/
http://faq.jors.net/virus
http://ntsvcfg.de/

------------- 

Man sollte von seinem frisch erstellten System gleich ein Image/Backup machen, damit man sein System im wiederholungsfalle schnell wiederherstellen kann. Man brauch dann nur noch das Image und das Backup der letzten Daten.
Es gibt kostenlose Programme dazu:
http://www.chip.de/artikel/c1_artikel_12831990.html
aber man sollte besser nach einer kostenlosen Acronis true Image Version ausschau halten. Sie wird oefters in Zeitschriften angeboten, oder man holt sich diese Supportcd: http://www.wintotal.de/Wtcd/
Eine alternative ist, sich das Programm zu kaufen, da man so Updates und Support bekommt und es auch eine bessere Unterstuetzung fuer neue Hardaware gibt(S-ATA Platten usw)
Inzwischen bietet Vista(Ultimate) und alle Win7 Varianten ein Systmbackup, welches man nutzen kann und auch sollte!
http://blog.tim-bormann.de/windows-7-systemabbild-erstellen.html
__________
MfG Ralf

SMART and TestDisk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.M.A.R.T.
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step
http://www.utica.edu/academic/institutes/ecii/publications/articles/EFE36584-D13F-2962-67BEB146864A2671.pdf
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/geom/format_Defect.htm
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/comp/hdd/errors.htm
http://www.ntfs.com/disk-monitor-smart-attributes.htm

Recover Deleted Raid Data Files with Raid 2 Raid

Source EASUS
Source

Raid 2 Raid is free Windows raid data recovery utility that helps you recover deleted files from Raid hard drives volume. This free raid data recovery software even can mount a raid volume if the motherboard chipset or raid controller has changed. Plus more, it is even possible to accommodate existing raids on computer systems that do not offer a hardware based raid controller.

Meanwhile, Raid 2 Raid data recovery software recognizes and fully supports the native RAID arrays of the following types: JBod (RAID 0), Stripe (RAID 0), Mirror (RAID 1), RAID 5 (data recovery mode if any single disk is missing or corrupted), and RAID 0+1 (RAID 10). Software-based RAID and Windows Dynamic Disks of the following types are supported: Simple, Span, Stripe, Mirror and RAID 5 arrays.

So, The main purpose of Raid 2 Raid Data recovery is to get the raid operational again after switching to another raid controller. Plus more, It supports file formats from Windows 2000 (Dynamic Disks) to Windows 2008, including FAT, NTFS, and EXT2 file system support, as well as Classic and GPT Partition Style support and is even makes it backward and forward compatible.

Features of Raid 2 Raid Data recovery software:

• Makes RAID Transfer easier
• Supports Intel, nVidia, and VIA chipsets
• Supports JBod (RAID 0), Stripe (RAID 0), Mirror (RAID 1), RAID 5, and RAID 0+1 (RAID 10) Array types.
• Supports files system both forward and backward compatible from Windows 2000 to Windows 2008.

How to use Raid2Raid data recovery software to recover deleted raid data files:

1. Download (1.2Mb) and install Raid2Raid from here. After installation run the utility. Double click on the disk drive, partition or volume from where the data needs to be recovered.

2. After a few seconds it will display deleted files and folders in red ‘X’ marks. Select the one you need to be recovered.

3. Right click on the selected item and click on ‘Recover this files’ from the context menu. Select a location to save this file and Raid2Raid will start the recovery process.

As there is no much free raid data recovery software on web, Raid 2 Raid software definitely is a good windows utilities especially helps those inexperience user recover back raid data instantly.

Meanwhile, Raid To Raid is a free download that should work with most versions of the Windows operating system including Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Read More

RAID 0 recuperación de datos

Manual para recuperar datos de un Raid0

Recuperar datos de discos defectuosos no es simple.

En el caso de que tengamos un Raid0 la cosa se complica, ya que además de las posibilidades de sufrir un fallo físico en uno de los discos, puede fallar también la placa base o la controladora, o simplemente se puede corromper el Raid0 por cualquier extraño motivo.

Este método es válido para recuperar datos en los casos en los que los discos están físicamente bien, por lo que “simplemente” tenemos que recomponer el Raid0. Es muy importante no guardar nada ni por supuesto formatearlos, ya que machacaríamos la información existente con la inevitable pérdida de información.

Utilizaremos los siguientes programas:

- Runtime Raid Reconstructor.

- Runtime GetDataBack for NTFS.

Lo primero que debemos hacer es conectar los discos que componían en Raid0 a un PC con Windows XP, o bien podemos utilizar un LiveCD del XP. En el caso de la prueba que he realizado, lo he hecho con un LiveCD CD Reatogo XPE.

Antes de nada decir que supuestamente no es necesario tener un PC que soporte Raid, pero no lo puedo asegurar porque no he hecho la prueba.

Como una imagen vale más que mil palabras, procedo a explicar todo el proceso con imágenes.

Iniciamos el PC con el LiveCD e instalamos los dos programas, trabajando siempre con un pendrive para no tener que tocar los discos duros para nada.

Abrimos el Runtime Raid Reconstructor y procedemos a su configuración:

En mi caso, tenía dos volúmenes Raid0, el nº1 de 110 GB con un stripsize de 32 KB para el sistema operativo y el nº2 de 486 GB y stripsize de 128 KB para datos. Debemos seleccionar la opción adecuada dependiendo del volumen Raid que queramos recuperar. En el caso del ejemplo quiero recuperar el volumen 1, por lo que selecciono la opción de 32 KB.

En el paso 3 guardamos la configuración de la imagen virtual en el pendrive, que utilizaremos posteriormente con el Runtime GetDataBack for NTFS

En el último paso seleccionamos la opción para recomponer la imagen del Raid0 con el GetDataBack.

Ya tenemos iniciado el GetDataBack. Seleccionamos la imagen virtual que habíamos guardado anteriormente.

Y ahora nos toca esperar unas horas hasta que termine el proceso de identificación de archivos.

El siguiente paso es muy importante, ya que tendremos que seleccionar el sistema de archivos que corresponda al sistema Raid0 que queremos recuperar. En mi caso, he seleccionado el de 110 GB ya que se corresponde con el volumen nº1 con stripsize de 32. Aquí también podemos ver el volumen nº2 de 486 GB, pero éste no saldría bien porque tiene un stripsize de 128 y el proceso lo hemos hecho para 32. En caso de querer recuperar el volumen nº2, habría que repetir todo el proceso.

Y por fin tenemos todos nuestros datos intactos. Para recuperarlos, simplemente seleccionamos una carpeta y pulsamos el botón COPIAR.

Podemos guardar la configuración para continuar el proceso recuperación de datos en otro momento, cosa que por otra parte podemos ir haciendo prácticamente en cada paso.

El proceso de recuperación es bastante fácil e intuitivo. La única pega es el largo tiempo de espera durante el cual el GetDataBack identifica todos los archivos de la imagen virtual del Raid0. Pero con realizar el proceso una vez es suficiente, ya que a continuación podemos guardar la sesión y continuar en otro momento.

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

storagecraft.com

ShadowProtect Backup Software Trials

It’s easy to take ShadowProtect on a test drive. Download the free, 30-day trial of the ShadowProtect version you’d like to evaluate and you can perform the following:

• Full Backups
• Incremental Backups (Just the changes since your last backup.)
• Recover individual files and folders (Granular recovery of data.)

This trial will meet the needs for most people.  However enterprise users may wish to test the StorageCraft Recovery Environment – which allows you to do the following:

• Recover entire data volumes
• Recovery the system (primary) volume
• Perform Hardware Independent Restore™ (HIR) to new or virtual hardware

Complete the full evaluation request form to receive the StorageCraft Recovery Environment and the complete ShadowProtect evaluation.

We highly recommend that you view this comprehensive ShadowProtect 4.0 Video Presentation to learn how to use the software or see some of the new features offered in version 4.0.

HIR, Hardware independent restore

StorageCraft Hardware Independent Restore - OFFICIAL BLOG

storagecraft.com/shadow_protect_desktop

Fast and Reliable Disaster Recovery, Data Protection and System Migration for Windows Desktops and Laptops. Avoid System and Data Loss with ShadowProtect Desktop.

Protecting personal computers is a business-critical priority for today’s corporations. ShadowProtect Desktop provides fast and reliable disaster recovery, data protection and system migration to get desktops and laptops online as quickly as possible.

ShadowProtect includes bare metal recovery to the same system, dissimilar hardware or to and from virtual environments. Protect everything on your desktops and laptops: operating systems, applications like Microsoft™ Office, configuration and personal settings and your data.

ShadowProtect gives you the tools you need to centrally manage your point-in-time backup images and restore them in a matter of minutes. The easy-to-use management console allows you to simultaneously push install ShadowProtect to all your Windows desktops and laptops from a central location and view the backup status of all protected Windows systems in your organization.

ShadowProtect provides you with VirtualBoot™ technology — for failover to a virtual desktop — as well as a virtual converter to convert ShadowProtect backup images into virtual machines.

ShadowProtect ImageManager™ allows you to consolidate point-in-time backup images on a daily, weekly and monthly basis for simplified management. Automatic verification and re-verification tools ensure your backups are in a known good state when recovery is necessary.

ShadowProtect Desktop and Protecting Your Business-Critical Systems

More and more businesses are becoming less centralized as workers increasingly rely on laptops as their computing environment. In addition, many small businesses are using desktops and laptops to run their organizations. Losing a system — whether to loss, theft, damage or malicious virus attacks — can be catastrophic to many businesses. That’s why so many IT organizations are making data backup and disaster recovery a priority for their desktop computers.

ShadowProtect Desktop is an automated backup that works in the background. In the event of a disaster, its flexible recovery options allow you to complete granular recovery of files and folders or full bare metal recovery in a matter of minutes. Hardware Independent Restore (HIR) technology makes it quick and easy to recover to the same system, to dissimilar hardware or to and from virtual environments. ShadowProtect’s HIR feature also makes system migration to a new desktop or laptop or consolidation to virtual environments a straightforward process.

ShadowProtect Desktop provides the following benefits:

• Rapid recovery from bare metal, to dissimilar hardware or to and from virtual environments.
• Centralized backup administration from a management console.
• ShadowProtect ImageManager to automatically consolidate backup image files.
• Verification and re-verification of backup images.
• VirtualBoot technology for quick failover to a virtual desktop.
• Converter tool to convert to .VHD or .VMDK.
• Automatic backup of your entire system.
• Granular recovery of individual files and folders in moments.
• Simplified migration to new Windows desktops or laptops.
• Scheduler for automatic full and incremental backups.

ShadowProtect IT Software Edition for System Backup, Restoration & Migration Simple and Affordable Disaster Recovery & System Migration - P2P, P2V, V2P, V2V. Includes 32-bit and 64-bit Support for Windows 2008. ShadowProtect IT Edition 3 provides hardware independent restore for physical to physical system (P2P) recovery. ShadowProtect ITEdition 3 also supports conversion from physical systems to virtual environments (P2V), virtual environments to physical systems (V2P) and virtual environments to virtual environments (V2V). StorageCraft ShadowProtect IT Edition 3 provides complete bare metal recovery in minutes. ShadowProtect IT Edition 3 provides IT Professionals with a bootable Windows environment to create and restore compressed and encrypted backup images--no software installation required. ShadowProtect IT Edition 3 includes an easy to use interface for network configuration and a simple view to restore individual files and folders or update your backup images.

Raid Recovery Software

Source
Reconstruct all types of corrupted RAID arrays

Recover corrupted RAID arrays in a fully automatic mode. Raid Recovery is the first tool to automatically detect the type of the original RAID array while still allowing for fully manual operation. Raid Recovery is no doubt a highly valuable tool for users of all types of RAID arrays, whether hardware, native, or software. The drag-and-drop user interface allows specifying parts of the RAID array by simply dragging and dropping icons representing the disks.

Reconstruct all types of arrays just as easily as a single hard disk. Raid Recovery recognizes all imaginable configurations of various types of arrays, including RAID 0, 1, JBOD, RAID 5, and 0+1, no matter whether they are connected to a dedicated RAID controller or a RAID-enabled motherboard from NVidia, Intel, or VIA. Microsoft software raids (also called Dynamic Disks) are also supported, including JBOD (span), RAID 0, 1, and 5 configurations. Version 1.5 and higer works with Adaptec RAID Controllers and DDF compatible devices

Detecting the right type of an array is vital for correct recovery. Raid Recovery supports both manual and fully automatic detection of essential parameters such as type of array, type of RAID controller, stripe size, and disk order.

Assemble RAID configurations manually

Assemble RAID configurations manually via a simple drag-and-drop operation. Raid Recovery re-constructs an array from the available hard disks being simply dragged and dropped, and detects the right type and size or the array as well as the order of the disks automatically. Anyone can recover broken RAID arrays with Raid Recovery!

Raid Recovery gives top priority to your data, allowing you to recover and back up all files from the corrupted array before attempting to fix it. You can store the files on another hard disk or partition, use a recordable CD or DVD, or even upload the files over FTP. Raid Recovery uses advanced search algorithms that allow recovering important files such as documents, pictures and multimedia even if there is a missing disk in the array, or if the file system is missing or damaged.

Try it now. You can download a full-featured trial version of DiskInternals Raid Recovery for free.

RAID degraded

HDDs, Optical Drives and RAID
HDDs, Optical Drives and RAID
degraded RAID 1
Remember that a 2TB drive will give about 1.6TB of usable space after formatting.
This article explains how to setup a RAID 1.
Windows XP recovery console /p c:" 
For everything since, its "chkdsk /f  C:"
The problem can be two fold:
1. the meta data (sits in a hidden area on the drive) has been removed that identifies it as a member of that raid.
2. possibly some data has been erased off the drive.
In the first case, a raid recovery application will be able to recover the data, in the second case, its going to be a lot more work and you will likely have lost a lot of data.
You can look around for some software to do the recovery (like http://www.diskinternals.com/raid-recovery/ although I am sure there are others, thats the only one I have played with) or you could send it off to professionals to recover (like Seagate or http://www.drivesaversdatarecovery.com/ not used the second one, but have heard some good stories about them) they are not cheap, but if you need your data and don't mind paying, they will get it. 

NVraid takes forever to rebuild, would be much faster to put in the 2 new drives, use something like acronis to duplicate the raid (don't resize it, better to do that in windows sevens drive manager).

To do the rebuild in the BIOS utility you'd probably have to delete the old array and redefine it - watch you don't use the "delete data" which will overwrite the MBR and render your disk empty; to recover from that BTW it's useful to have a floppy with BootitNG (www.bootitng.com) on it to undelete the MBR info. The nVidia BIOS utility is kinda dumb compared with, e.g. Promise' stuff, but if anything is wrong with an array's specs, i.e. it's "broken", you just have to start as if from scratch.
For the Windows software utility, it would surprise me if Gigabyte had deleted it from the nVidia driver pack - it is most definitely in there. At worst, you can DL the same driver set on the Gigabyte CD from nVidia's Archive site, unzip it manually with Winzip and look for the "raidtool" folder, under ...IDE\WinXP\ and copy it to your hard disk. I've seen no way to "install" the software - just run it from the folder; I think it's also necessary to run the .BAT file in the folder first to register the Wizard as a service... at least that worked for me. Then just run NvRaidMan.exe and you'll see how to proceed with a rebuild... which is BLOODY slow: about 12GB/hour and no tuning

forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=173620

Set the drive up without raid turned on, run the seagate Tools tests over it, if it gives you an error number write it down, if it finds bad sectors tell it to repair them (sometimes a lot of times), then if it passes test, its ok, if it still fails, check it for warranty 

Recovering from degraded raid 1
Failed Motherboard with raid1. How move to new Motherboard?
RAID 1 problems
Rather than a 3 drive raid5 (slow under NV raid) why not have a 2 drive stripe (for the speed) and use the 3rd drive externally as a backup? (windows backup works great for this btw)
forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=177090
You probably forgot to break the RAID before you tried to install Win7 onto the single WD hdd.
Do the following:

1. Boot into the RAID Utility (where you set the RAID array).
2. Break the RAID into 2 single non-RAID hdd's.
3. Enter the BIOS and set the SATA Controllers to "IDE Mode".
4. Shut down the PC and remove the old hdd.
5. Boot into the mainboard BIOS and make sure,
   1. that the DVD-ROM is the first and the HDD the secod bootable device and
   2. that the WD HDD is on top of the "HARD DISK BOOT PRIORITY" settings.
6. After having done that, you can boot off the Win7 DVD and install the OS onto your WD HDD.

GUID Partition Table & RAID & recovery

If RAID 5 is supported for booting an when you put so many disks together you ended up with a volume with more than 2TB of space. You can't boot from a volume larger than 2TB unless the BIOS supports GPT partitions (GPT = GUID Partition Table). See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUID_Partition_Table
Dell Command Line Interface (linux)
Intel Matrix Storage Manager
Recomendations on RAID controller 
Source
Update Jun 11, 2007: I have now experienced the downside to RAID and want to share my experiences here. I had disaster strike in April 2007. One of my two RAID drives was a refurbished drive and failed without warning. I do NOT recommend using a refurbished drive in any RAID array. I ended up with one after ordering an 'Open Box' item from Newegg. Apparently the term 'Open Box' can also mean 'Refurbished' - be careful! 
See A Case of Maxtaken Identity for the whole story.

The POST RAID Screen Showing RAID Failure

The Intel Matrix POST Setup Screen Showing RAID Failure
The death of the hard drive allowed me to experience first-hand how to recover from a RAID failure. After much research I decided that another Maxtor 6L250S0 drive was what I needed, although others did not agree with my choice. I stumbled across the fact that the drive was still under warranty. I received my replacement drive, a refurbished unit, and installed it. You will typically receive a refurbished hard drive when replacing a failed drive still under warranty.
Normally all one would have to do at this point is to plug it in, reconfigure the new drive in the Intel Matrix POST setup screen, reinstall Windows and let Windows rebuild the mirrored volume, but I took the opportunity to reconfigure my volumes. I learned from experience that my initial thoughts to maximize my disk space were flawed. I had a very large striped volume, but I just didn't have that much data that I was willing to lose. I backed up all of my data and set up the mirrored and striped volumes so that each had roughly half of the total final volume space. For my two 250 GB drives, this ended up being 150 GB for the striped volume and 158.7 GB for the mirrored volume.
As expected, everything on my striped volume (Vista and my installed apps) was lost. Nothing on the mirrored volume was lost, but I continue to follow a strict backup plan. I have my important files backed up to a third drive and also to DVD. I also export my MS Mail emails to the mirrored volume every week or two. The hard drive failure could have been a disaster, but thanks to my RAID and backup strategy, it was relatively painless to get everything back to normal again.
The downside to RAID? I have found that while writing to a file on a mirrored volume in Vista and a system failure or reboot occurs, the RAID volume may be in a 'Verify' state. When this occurred to me, one of the mirrored drives had to be verified or rebuilt. Vista took forever to start and when it did WIndows Aero was gone. It took over an hour to rebuild the 158.7 GB of hard disk space. I don't know what would have happened if the system shut down while writing to a striped volume, but I suspect it wouldn't be good and I have no desire to find out.
Another downside occurs if you cannot find a matching drive to replace the failed drive. If another Maxtor 250 GB 6L250S0 drive was not available, I would have had to buy two new drives to insure the proper operation of the RAID volumes. Also, if the motherboard were to die, I would have to find another motherboard with the same ICH7R Southbridge chipset in order to access the data on my RAID volumes/drives.
Both of these constraints are acceptable to me. I had a choice to go back to a non-RAID hard disk setup after the hard drive failure but I didn't. I really like using RAID and I can't tell you how happy and relieved I am to have my RAID working again.
Update Aug 16, 2007: I had to pull out my ancient Micron Milennium Pentium II PC and pull the 30 GB Seagate PATA drive out of my new computer and install it in the backup PC. See Adding Two GB of OCZ Platinum 4-5-4-15 Rev 1 SDRAM for the reason why. I had to wipe the drive and resort to installing NT on the hard drive. Since this was my boot drive in the new system, I had figure out how to get my boot loader reinstalled. I have both Vista RC1 and Server 2008 installed on separate partitions on two Maxtor drives configured as RAID 0 and RAID 1.
I have tried to repair my boot drive unsuccessfully in the past. This time I was determined to fix the boot loader without having to reinstall Windows. I found that I had to load the proper Intel AHCI RAID drivers before Windows Startup Repair could successfully fix the boot loader. If you have RAID installed, remember that you will need to do this every time you have to repair Windows startup.
Update Nov 4, 2007: A post to alt.comp.hardware was asking what the advantage was, if any, to having the Intel Matrix Storage Manager installed in Windows. I had been running a beta version of Server 2008 and after the last install forgot to load the Intel Matrix Storage Manager in the OS. I had been running Windows without the Storage Manager and without any problems for several months. So why would I want to install it? I decided to do a little bit of experimenting to find out what those benefits might be.
I have the OS on a striped RAID 0 volume. I downloaded the latest version of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager. It is a good idea to check there for the latest version.
I installed it and simulated a drive failure by unplugging the data cable to one of my SATA drives (don't try this at home - I am a highly trained professional, err rather a beta tester aka high risk taker) and not surprisingly the system locked up when trying to access Explorer. The storage manager did not tell me that one drive was missing from the array. This behavior may be different on a mirrored volume OS install.
So, no benefit there for me having the Storage Manager installed.
I rebooted the computer and noticed that the BIOS RAID screen showed RAID 0 as failed and RAID 1 as degraded. I entered the BIOS RAID configuration screen and there were no options there for me to 'fix' the volume errors.
I then continued to load Windows and got a balloon notification that one of the RAID volumes had errors. First I did a backup of my important data and then I started the Intel Matrix Storage Manager. It took a while for me to figure out how to 'fix' the arrays. I eventually figured out that I could Right Click on the hard drive that had an 'X' next to it and Left Click 'mark as normal'. I knew there had been no data lost (I was doing reads only) so this option should be safe. The missing drive and RAID 0 volume was marked as normal and the RAID 1 volume started the rebuild process.
I need to backtrack for a moment and explain what happens to your system when the RAID manager thinks that there is an error and you *don't* have the Intel Matrix Storage Manager installed in Windows. Anytime you have an abnormal shutdown and disk activity is occurring a subsequent restart of the RAID array will likely result in a rebuild of the RAID 1 mirrored array. While this process is going on, Windows will take about 15 minutes to start. In Vista, when it finally did start, the Aero interface was missing. For my 158 GB RAID 1 array, the rebuild process takes a full hour to complete.
I made the mistake of shutting down the computer during the restart after a BSOD. The next time I started the computer the dreaded mirrored RAID rebuild process started.
With the Storage Manager installed you can initiate this rebuild process from within the storage manager and *not* automatically during Windows startup. This alone is an excellent reason to install the Storage manager.
The storage manager has good information about your drives and RAID arrays. The storage manager also allows you to create a RAID array and a RAID array from an existing drive.
I would highly recommend that you install the Storage Manager in Windows because sooner or later your system will not shut down normally. When that happens you don't want to wait for the array rebuild process to grind on and on and on before you can start using your computer.
Oh yes - one more thing. When I loaded the latest version of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager, Windows told me that I had 3 days to activate due to a hardware change. There was no hardware change, but the good news is that the activation from within Windows worked without having to make that annoying activation call to Microsoft.
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Editorial Privilege

This is the section where I am allowed to stray from the facts, give my opinions and feelings, ramble a bit and make speculations and inferences.
I narrowed my choice of motherboards down to a final three:
MSI P975X Platinum
Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H
GIGABYTE GA-965P-DQ6
I sent emails to the technical support people of each manufacturer. They all basically said the same (I believe accurate) information that the motherboard may not be stable with the memory running at 800 MHz and for the 975X boards, the memory was not technically supported by the Intel chip and for the 965, the memory would have to be overclocked and may not be stable. But none of them told me what I was looking for. To their credit, all three were honest and quick with their replies.
The matrix I had built pointed to the Foxconn as the best choice, but I threw that out for a while and considered them separately based on my Internet research. The MSI customers had reported a lot of BIOS problems and the Gigabyte looked promising, but overpriced. I really wanted the DS4 and not the DQ6, but that motherboard was not available in North America as of late September 2006.
The long name of the motherboard ultimately leads one to shorten or nickname the name when referring to it. I call this the Abbie Kersh board. Actually, all of those letters and numbers mean something:
975X7AB-8EKRS2H

975X - the Northbridge chipset

7 - the socket type (775)

A - the form factor (ATX)

B - the revision number (2)

8 - eight channel audio

E - IEEE 1394

K - Gigabit LAN

R - RAID

S - SATA

2 - memory type (DDR2)

H - ROHS compliant

The Intel 975X Northbridge chip does not technically support DDR2 800. This means that in order to run any DDR2 800 memory, you are over-specing any 975X motherboard. From my ECS P965T-A webpage:
So who is to blame for all of this memory / motherboard compatibility issues? Newer BIOS releases have improved this problem greatly, but end users are still reporting problems. The retail sites should include any memory voltage requirements with a disclaimer that memory modules requiring more than 1.8 Volts are not technically supported by the Intel 975 chip and that they memory may or may not be supported by the motherboard by overclocking the memory to the manufacturers specs. And they should note that the Intel 965 chip will support DDR2 800 memory, but not all motherboard BIOS default settings will properly recognize the RAM at the 800 MHz speed. The manufacturers should include installation instructions with their memory showing how to generically change the BIOS DIMM voltage settings and end users should be aware that some motherboards without DIMM voltage adjustments in the BIOS simply aren't supported at the 800 MHz speed and that even when the DIMM voltage adjustments are available in the BIOS, compatibility issues still exist and they may be required to flash their BIOS to a newer version or, worst case, to find a new motherboard / memory combination.
I was pleased to see that the MSI, Gigabyte and Foxconn technical support were up front with me about my memory compatibility issues. It wasn't the answer I wanted to hear, but it was the right answer.
I modified the board a bit to show the Foxconn logo on the Northbridge fan correctly. I removed the four screws that hold the logo plate and fan on the Northbridge heat sink. I then rotated the fan 180° so the power cable was closer to the fan header and rotated the logo shield 90° clockwise so the logo was oriented properly. The screws holding the logo shield and fan in place don't fit into a hole, they lightly grip the heat sink ribs, so the assembly is lightly held in place. I could not do the same with the Southbridge. The logo is on the heat sink itself and the way it is secured to the motherboard does not allow it to be turned clockwise the 90° needed for the proper orientation. See View The Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H Build Page for pictures of the motherboard.
I also took the useless Power LED on the front panel of my case and zip-tied it to the drive bay to illuminate the motherboard. The yellow and green PCIe slots, USB headers and IEEE 1394 header really stand out!

• RAID 5 and Proper Boot Disc/Partition
• Degraded RAID 5, accidentally added boot drive to Rebuild
• Stupid newbie RAID 5 question
• ICH9R; RAID 5; cannot re-add drive to volume
• Raid 5 Issues
• A RAID that just works - no matter what
• Motherboard with RAID 5?
• Need to resize a RAID 5 config. Anyone successful with this?
• Recommendations on Raid Controller
• Motherboard that supports booting from larger than 2.0TB raid...
• RAID with minimal (but really big) hard drives
• How 2 configure ASUS P6T w/lone SSD + SATA RAID?
• P7P55D EVO Raid
• Can you have a single volume larger than 2TB?

RAID Type	Drives Needed (min)	Strategy	Advantages	Disadvantages	Implementation
0	2	Speed, Maximize Storage Space	Allows data to be stored and accessed orstriped acrosstwo drives. Faster read and write speeds.	Your risk of data loss is essentially double that of a single drive implementation and, like a single drive implementation, there is no data backup. Data loss occurs when a drive fails. With two drives, that risk increases nearly times two.	Store data on a striped drive that you want fast access speeds (the OS is a perfect example of this). Any programs or data that can be easily reloaded, downloaded, replaced, retrieved or restored is a good candidate for a striped volume. You can also consider any data that is easily recreated or you don't mind it if you lose it.
1	2	Speed For Reads, Data Safety	Allows data to be duplicated ormirrored acrosstwo drives. Both drives appear to be one large drive to your system. Read speeds are faster.	Essentially reduces your effective volume size to 1/2. Since your data is stored physically twice, a 500 MB has only 250 MB of effective storage. You get some performance increase for reading files only.	If a drive fails, you can be up and running in a very short time. Since all data is duplicated, in theory, nothing should be lost.
10	4	Speed and Data Safety	Provides good performance and data safety.	Requires four drives, too expensive for most desktop users. It may be overkill for most users. Not all motherboards will support four drives, IDE or SATA, though you should go with SATA if possible.	All essential data that you don't want to lose should go here. Examples would be any home movies or pictures, emails, IM chats you want to keep, personal spreadsheets, text files, Word documents and personal databases are all candidates for a mirrored volume.
Intel Matrix	2	Speed, Maximize Storage Space and Data Safety	Allows data to be accessed orstriped acrosstwo drives and duplicated ormirrored acrossthe same two drives.	The effective storage size for the RAID 1 volume is 1/2 the space remaining to be allocated. Example: You have 233.4 GB x 2 to allocate (466.8 GB total). You set up volume 0 as striped with 300 GB allocated. That leaves 166.8 GB to allocate. Volume 1 is set up as mirrored with 166.8 GB allocated with an effective storage size of 83.4 GB (166.8 divided by two).	The best of both worlds. You can implement RAID 0 and RAID 1 with only two drives. All non-essential data that you don't mind losing should go on the striped volume. All essential data that you don't want to lose should go on the mirrored volume.