Raptor RAID question...

[Rom]

I forgot dont forget to disable the jm micron in your bios

[Houdini]

Thanks Rom I appreciate that. I am going to make one of those floppys today I made one for the EZ flash BIOS last night.

[Houdini]

well i got some help on the ASUS site and I get it except the last part where it says to initialize, partition, and format is that hard to do??

QUESTION 5:
How do I set up BIOS and install Windows XP on lets say a RAID0 volume?
ANSWER:
That's a good question. Windows has problems to install when there is a raid-set together with another raid-set or a single drive, for that matter, connected to ICH8R.

The fault proof way is to disconnect all drives from ICH8R but those that holds the raid-set (or the single drive) where you are going to install Windows. If you have a SATA optical drive it should also be connected to a red port.

In the following example we are going to install Windows on a RAID0 volume to get maximal performance using two disk drives which we connect to SATA1 and SATA2.

BIOS
Under IDE Configuration, configure SATA as option RAID
SAVE and EXIT
When BIOS is starting up again, Press Ctrl-I to enter Intel Matrix Storage Configurator
Choose: Create RAID Volume
Give the raid volume a name, for example SystemRaid0.
Follow the instructions and create only the RAID0 volume for Windows, and when ready
SAVE and EXIT
When BIOS is starting up again, enter Bios Setup and set your Boot Priority, DVD first and second the RAID volume you just created.
Put your Windows CD in the optical drive
SAVE and EXIT
When BIOS has restarted, Windows Setup will begin.
In the very beginning of Windows Setup, you will be asked for 3rd party drivers.
Press F6
Setup continues, and later you will be asked to provide your drivers.
Insert the floppy (Configured from file F6FLPY32.ZIP at Intel website) v6.2.1.1002
Press <S> key and choose RAID driver
Continue installation

When Windows is fully installed (including available Service Packs), install this before anything else:
Intel INF Update Utility v8.1.1.1010 (or later)
and then
Intel Matrix Storage Manager v6.2.1.1002 (or later) (full version with Intel Matrix Storage Console + drivers).

Now connect any other drives. If you want to create another raid-set, use Matrix Storage Console.
(START / All Programs / Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager / Intel Matrix Storage Console).

Press START-Right Click MY COMPUTER-Manage-Disk Manager. New raid-sets and disk drives will here be seen as Unallocated.
Initialize - Partition - Format them.

[Rom]

Thats the ways that should be done but whit a better way to explain it lol.For your back up drive just put it after windows have been install on the raid array.If you dont set the 3rd one on raid so you have nothing special to do windows will find im and everything will be fine

[Houdini]

ok that is good I will leave the Caviar drive out until I have the raid array up and running.

[nonstop]

Ya Houdini, I have run into issues when installing xp with multiple drives for one reason or another. I try to keep them disconnected now until it's installed.

[law.of.averages]

Cowards all... Obey The Law

Hook up your raid to whatever controller you want... Make sure BIOS is set to give that controller preference when booting.

Hook up your other drive on the *other* controller. The reason you do this is so your machine will be able to process requests for the raid *and* the 3rd drive at the same time, since they'll be using different controller chips.

Install xp with all drives hooked up. You'll learn very quickly (like 30 mins or so) if this is a problem, and can always start over.

Lastly, don't plug in your network cable until (at least) SP 2 is installed, and your firewall is turned on. Better still, have AV / Anti-Spyware installed and running.

If you've got multiple network ports on the board, get a hub or switch. Make sure BOTH are wired up before you activate windows. Otherwise you could end up having to call microsoft if you ever switch from one port to the other (the system sees that as a hardware change)

[nonstop]

Cowards all... Obey The Law


Hook up your other drive on the *other* controller. The reason you do this is so your machine will be able to process requests for the raid *and* the 3rd drive at the same time, since they'll be using different controller chips.

Install xp with all drives hooked up. You'll learn very quickly (like 30 mins or so) if this is a problem, and can always start over.

Of the gagillion times I have intalled xp on machines for others and myself I have only run into the drive recognition issues maybe 5 of them but it sucks to get 30 min in and have to restart so .....

Chances are Law's method will work fine.