Reset to device, \Device\RaidPort0, was issued. (yet RAID is not even enabled)

Have any M17x R1 owners encountered this error, accompanied by a system freeze that lasts for several seconds to minutes?

Reset to device, \Device\RaidPort0, was issued.

If so, were you able to identify what was causing this? This problem only started occurring for me about two months ago, and ever since then I've been systematically trying different things to get it to stop happening.

First of all, I'm not using RAID at all. It is not enabled in the BIOS and there are no RAID drivers running that I'm able to tell. So I don't even know how I could be getting such an error in the first place. My OS is 64bit Windows 7 with all the latest patches and service packs. My drivers are all up to date. Aside from this maddening error and accompanying full system freeze, everything seems to be in good health. I've tried a lot of things, none of which has had any effect on stopping this error, except for the following:

About two weeks ago, I swapped out both internal drives for one much larger capacity hybrid drive (fantastic tech). After doing so, I went three whole days without this error (the errors were occurring several times daily). Then I tried reflashing the BIOS with A07 (which I was already using) and then went 7 days without this error.

But now this error is back again, and just when I got my hopes up that it might finally be gone forever.

What else should I try? Any ideas? I'm at a loss here.

 

Try to run a PSA diagnostics test and see if it gives any error codes.

 

Aye I guess this would be the next logical step. Easy to forget about that built-in diagnostics. I'll see if that spits out any errors.

 

Alright, I ran the full diagnostics. No errors reported. All pass.

I've been using this system for three years without problems, so I do rather wonder if something isn't going on with the hardware. This is why I tried swapping out the drives. I guess the next thing I'll try will be to move the 750GB drive to the other port, just in case the problem is occurring over the port itself.

But if you or anyone else have any other suggestions, I'm all ears.

*ears perk up*

 

Have you tried to reinstall Windows 7?

 

No, but I will go to all lengths to avoid having to do so. I've had Windows 7 installed on this thing since I first ported my old Vista environment over from my old Dell m1730 that failed, and which was replaced with this m17x under warranty. That was maybe 3.5 years ago. I still had 3 years left on the service contract when the replacement was done.

Since it proved to be impossible to tweak the Vista installation so that it would run on the m17x, I tried a Windows 7 Ultra upgrade to see if this would accomplish my goal of not having to start over again (and give up several apps that I can no longer replace). Sure enough, it worked, and so I've had Windows 7 since the first week I've owned this system.

I'm pretty aware of what happens to this computer, so I know that nothing has been installed or changed in the environment that would cause a problem like this RaidPort0 reset. My guess is that the problem is hardware related--It's just a matter of figuring out what needs to be fixed or replaced, exactly.

Just before the warranty expired in April, my BDROM drive failed, and Dell sent out a tech to replace it. He refused to let me take care of it, and he wouldn't leave the replacement drive with me, so I had some other guy's hammy mitts in my system, which was frustrating. After he left, the BDROM was working again, but the slightest pressure on the palm rest would cause motion above the chassis, along with squeaking and clicking sounds. I removed the palm rest and found all of the screws that hold down the outer frame under the keyboard that were exposed under the palm rest to be loose by a few millimeters. I tightened them, but didn't want to take the system apart to go through and tighten the rest which are under the keyboard and probably elsewhere.

As I watched him take the system apart to replace the BDROM drive, I noticed a tremendous amount of dust had managed to permeate the entire interior of the chassis, scattered over every possible circuit. I had to shoo him away so that I could vacuum some of it out, but to do a proper job I'd need a good 20 to 30 minutes because the dust had gotten everywhere, and I didn't have what I needed to get some of the caked-on dust out. When the tech started complaining bitterly about not being able to get to his next appointment (also a failed m17x apparently), I relented and allowed him to finish his "repair" without removing any more dust.

Chances are I should at the very least get into this thing and, one, reseat the BDROM drive to be sure it's properly seated; two, tighten up all the loose screws since I can be sure there are more (maybe the screws holding down the BDROM device are also loose); and three, properly get all the dust out that I saw getting closed back in with the system as this obstinate tech guy wouldn't take the extra time, or all me to take the time, to clean it all out.

Interestingly enough, the first time I encountered this error was about two weeks after that repair.