it seems like I keep running into a wall. The present raid array...well let me do an fdisk -l: ---------------------------------------- Disk /dev/hda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 * 1 13 104391 fd Linux raid autodetect /dev/hda2 14 27651 222002235 fd Linux raid autodetect /dev/hda3 27652 30201 20482875 fd Linux raid autodetect /dev/hda4 30202 30401 1606500 5 Extended /dev/hda5 30202 30392 1534176 82 Linux swap Disk /dev/hdc: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hdc1 * 1 13 104391 fd Linux raid autodetect /dev/hdc2 14 27651 222002235 fd Linux raid autodetect /dev/hdc3 27652 30201 20482875 fd Linux raid autodetect /dev/hdc4 30202 30401 1606500 5 Extended /dev/hdc5 30202 30392 1534176 82 Linux swap Disk /dev/md0: 106 MB, 106823680 bytes 2 heads, 4 sectors/track, 26080 cylinders Units = cylinders of 8 * 512 = 4096 bytes Disk /dev/md0 doesn't contain a valid partition table Disk /dev/md2: 20.9 GB, 20974338048 bytes 2 heads, 4 sectors/track, 5120688 cylinders Units = cylinders of 8 * 512 = 4096 bytes Disk /dev/md2 doesn't contain a valid partition table Disk /dev/md1: 227.3 GB, 227330162688 bytes 2 heads, 4 sectors/track, 55500528 cylinders Units = cylinders of 8 * 512 = 4096 bytes Disk /dev/md1 doesn't contain a valid partition table Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/sda1 1 13 104391 fd Linux raid autodetect /dev/sda2 14 27651 222002235 fd Linux raid autodetect /dev/sda3 27652 30201 20482875 fd Linux raid autodetect /dev/sda4 30202 30401 1606500 5 Extended /dev/sda5 30202 30392 1534176 82 Linux swap kk...the ide drives; hda and hdc...3 partitions 3 arrays md0 1 and 2 cat /proc/mdstat shows it's acting as it should. when I boot the system up, it sees the drive connect thru usb and calls it sda (for what reason I don't know. I partitioned it to the same specs as the 2 ide drives as per the bottom of fdisk -l. Now, trying to go by: http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/admin-guide/ 5.9.8.2 Creating RAID Arrays they state the following: Next, it is necessary to create the /etc/raidtab file. This file is responsible for the proper configuration of all RAID arrays on your system. The file format (which is documented in the raidtab(5) man page) is relatively straightforward. Here is an example /etc/raidtab entry for a RAID 1 array: ummm...1.)I think this is part of the old raidtools thang...not mdadm but I am not sure. 2.) there is no man raidtab on this box which is a "everything" install.. so considering this..lol I'm lost. kk, right now...I just formatted all the partitions and (I should have done this before ) I am checking for bad blocks. If it finds some I'll just redo it or whatever I have to do. At one point I was able to mdadm /dev/md0 1 & 2 --add sda1 2 &3 and cat /proc/mdstat would show sda1 2 &3 as in the arrays but then they would not populate. I can't remember but I think I gave them mount points but wait, I was having a hard time finding the proper syntax for that as well anyway, after rebooting...it was all gone. this ain't nice thx John Rose