Installing Windows 7 on RAID 0 Config...

[Akumos]

Hi

Specs found under my username <---------

I tried doing this using software RAID but Windows wouldn't install to a Dynamic drive.

My motherboard does support hardware RAID but when I click the utility it says: GBB36X Raid Device is not found.

I have tried reinstalling the driver but still get the same error message.

Is using this utulity, called 'Gigabyte Raid Configurer' the only way to set up hardware raid?

Thanks for reading!!!

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

no not at all intel rapid storage manager is what you want

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

with an x48 intel chipset you should have full support for raid arrays with intels software i use it on na x38 from abit who went bust 2 mnths after i got mobo but i use 5 in raid 0 i did have to install drivers F6 style on windows install to get it working right, you may need to do that too but you can install from an image in that way too

 

[freaksavior]

Hi

Specs found under my username <---------

I tried doing this using software RAID but Windows wouldn't install to a Dynamic drive.

My motherboard does support hardware RAID but when I click the utility it says: GBB36X Raid Device is not found.

I have tried reinstalling the driver but still get the same error message.

Is using this utulity, called 'Gigabyte Raid Configurer' the only way to set up hardware raid?

Thanks for reading!!!

Software raid and installing windows which is software based driving software raid. Am I missing something here?

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

i think he is trying to convert to raid from single drive os just a guess but sarcasm? why wtp

 

[freaksavior]

i think he is trying to convert to raid from single drive os just a guess but sarcasm? why wtp

Yes, i'm being sarcastic. Sorry but I just don't see the issue. It sounds like he is trying to setup windows on raid, but wanting to use software raid.

Are you trying to use the existing os install to combine the drives into one? or are you fresh installing with raid?

 

[Bo$$]

Yes, i'm being sarcastic. Sorry but I just don't see the issue. It sounds like he is trying to setup windows on raid, but wanting to use software raid.

Are you trying to use the existing os install to combine the drives into one? or are you fresh installing with raid?

setup the raid array in the bios then when you boot up the windows installer it will see one epic partition, simple as that, all the intel shit is tooo complex to deal with IMHO...

 

[freaksavior]

^^ exactly. I was about to use an ahk on him "I do apologize, but I do not fully understand your question. Can you please clarify this for me? "

 

[Completely Bonkers]

freak, can you help me on this one: I have an Atom ION server, single HDD, and want to raid 1 it. Result, server now has 2 HDDs in raid 1 and if one of the HDDS fails, it will keep going until I can come and fix it.

Is this impossible, because although ION does "BIOS based raid" it is still "software raid" and therefore it can only do raid 1 if there are three drives? ie boot drive, then raid 1 secondaries.

 

[freaksavior]

Let's not thread jack.
i'm not sure if your being serious, or sarcastic. If your being serious, I really don't know as I only use hardware raid. From my understanding, software raid is an application in the OS that controls the way they work together.

 

[Bo$$]

hardware raid is much easier and more reliable in most situations, unless you like swapping your raid1 drives every so often

 

[kg4icg]

It isn't a smart idea to put your os on a raid 0 array for the fact you lose 1 drive you lost your os.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

only in soft raid can you try overclocking busses to speed up raid arrays n ive not had many probs with soft raid
also after setting up a soft raid array in bios your still better off putting intel rapid storage on because its the software And driver for AHCI raid on intel chipsets and allows it to work better more reliably and more user adjustabillity

ps os hdd fails shouldnt matter if only ocasional If you bacup and ive had a fail just once in 2 years but i bacup so all good

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

i would like to try hard raid but its dear init
and ssd,s are next on my card either pciex or sata 6g card

 

[Akumos]

Thanks for all your replies.... OBVIOUSLY I'm new to RAID so thanks for sticking up for me when people feel the need to make others feel stupid!!!

I'm aiming for a fresh install of Windows!! I think I have all the information I need to continue!

 

[Yukikaze]

It isn't a smart idea to put your os on a raid 0 array for the fact you lose 1 drive you lost your os.

And if you have an OS on one drive and you lose said drive, you lose the OS. With HDD failure rates being as low as they are, there is no significant loss in reliability stemmed from drive failure. The bigger problem I'd be worried about is the on board RAID controller going nuts and the array failing even though both drives are perfectly fine.

 

[Akumos]

OK, I downloaded some drivers including the Intel RST and Gigabyte RAID drivers... At install I press F6 to load the drivers and it finds them fine. I try to install them and it says:

'To continue installation, use the Load Driver option to install 32bit and signed 64bit drivers'.

Where am I going wrong?

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

you need to create the raid array on boot with the bios bound raid menu then use just the intel F6 install driver during os install before you detect the drive your going to put the os on which by then should already be in a raid config

also is your bios set to raid not ahci or ide?

 

[Akumos]

Cheers Mrk

My boot screen doesn't give the option to set it up.... at what point do I press F6 to get a disk management screen?

My bios is set to RAID/IDE and describes that option as making SATA into RAID and IDE as IDE...

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

erm that sounds counter intuiative but first the ? i can deff answer on xp it flashes up press F6 to install 3rd party drivers and thats why i called it F6 install also because the ver of drivers for os install are norm called F6 but in vista and win 7 it doesnt mention F6 per say so what i ment is that once its gone thru its boot(windows install disk) it will come to a window where you select what drive to install os onto at the bottom is a box to load driver click on this and install driver from a usb stick or floppy then it will have the drivers installed for ahci/raid then pick your already consolidated into one drive" array" as its now called to install your os

but before that you need to access the raid boot scrn and i think it worth having another look in bios because i like you might have two sata/ide controllers one the intel southbridge ich9r the other drives 2 external sata ports+my ide ports cabnt rem its maker m something anyway both of them are seperate in the bios and both are configurable seperately as raid ive disabled the other 1 leaving just intels enabled but principally it sounds as if yours is not set to raid only on the ports that need to be

if it were you would see a line on screen at startup after the bios press delete f2 entry point saying press cntlr + I or something like that to enter raid array config bios which would then allow you to actually setup the raid array in the first place this needs to be built before you try os install

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

sorry went out m8 lol

 

[Akumos]

Thanks Mrk!! Got it now, as you suggested I was missing an option in the BIOS!

Thanks for all your help!