Error Message When You Use the DiskPart Break Command to Break a Mirrored Set (331494)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Datacenter Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Premium Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Standard Edition
This article was previously published under Q331494

SYMPTOMS

When you use the DiskPart text-mode command interpreter (Diskpart.exe) and you select a mirrored volume and then use the break command to break the mirrored volume in two volumes, you may receive one of the following error messages:
The arguments you specified for this command are not valid.

-or-

The disk management services could not complete the operation.

CAUSE

This behavior may occur if one of the two disks that contain the mirrors is missing and you are using incorrect syntax for the break command.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, use the disk parameter to refer to the missing disk, and use the nokeep parameter.

Without the nokeep parameter, the break command tries to convert both mirrors to simple volumes, retaining the data. If one of the disks is missing, this is not possible. By using the nokeep parameter, you retain only one half of the mirror as a simple volume, and the other half is deleted and converted to free space. Neither volume receives the focus.

For example, select the mirrored volume, issue the "detail volume" command, then break the mirror as follows: 
diskpart> List Volume

  Volume ###  Ltr Label       Fs    Type       Size    Status    Info
  ----------  --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------
  Volume 0    D   data_vol    NTFS  Mirror     737 KB  Failed Rd
  Volume 1    C   system      NTFS  Simple     3000 MB           Boot

diskpart> select volume 0

  Volume 0 is the selected volume.

Diskpart> detail volume

  Disk ###   Status  Size     Free    Dyn Gpt
  ---------- ------- -------  ---     --- ---
  Disk 1     Online  1023 MB  737 KB   *
  Disk M0    Missing 1022 MB  0 B      *
In this example, the correct command to break the mirrored volume is:

Diskpart> break disk=m0 nokeep

After you issue this command, the mirror on Disk 1 is converted to a simple volume, and the reference to the missing mirror is deleted from the Logical Disk Management (LDM) database.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about using DiskPart to manage disks, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

300415 A Description of the DiskPart Command-Line Utility

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:12/19/2003
Keywords:kbbug KB331494
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