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Setting up RAID on an ASRock Z97 Extreme4 (OS Won't Boot)

Tags:
  • NAS / RAID
  • ASrock
  • Desktops
  • Hard Drives
  • Windows 8
  • SSD
  • Motherboards
Last response: in Motherboards
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August 9, 2014 2:39:30 PM

I just completed my first build and I want to set up a RAID array, but I'm having some trouble. My end goal is to have Windows 8.1 and Arch Linux dual booted on the SSD, and then to have a RAID 1 array made up of the two HDDs that will be used strictly for storage.

First things first, system specs:
CPU: Intel i7 4790k
Mobo: ASRock Z97 Extreme4
Storage: 1x 256GB Crucial SSD (boot drive)
2x 1TB WD 7200RPM HDD (storage drives)

I have the SSD connected to SATA3_0 and the HDDs connected to SATA3_1 and SATA3_2, and power is supplied to those two by the built in HDD-saver. I installed Windows 8.1 on the SSD when the Mobo was set to AHCI mode, since I am not installing the OS on a RAID array. My hope was that I would be able to set up RAID for the other two drives post-installation. I've tried switching the SATA mode to RAID in the BIOS and booting into the Intel RAID screen to set it up (CTRL + I). I set up the two HDDs as a RAID 1 array and left the SSD as a non-RAID device, but when I try to boot after that, it takes much longer than usual, and then goes to a screen that says something about troubleshooting the PC, and the only option is to reboot, at which point the entire process repeats. I'm able to boot into Windows only if I set the SATA mode back to AHCI first.

I have installed all the included drivers, and the HDDs show up in the HDD-saver section of the A-Tuning utility, but not in the System Browser. They also don't show up in Windows Explorer or in the Intel Rapid Storage app, even though the Intel Storage app for some reason doesn't even acknowledge that those two SATA ports even exist.

I really hope I'm just doing something really stupid that can be fixed easily, but any help would be greatly appreciated.

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August 9, 2014 4:14:45 PM

I had to go look up the HDD-saver to see what it was. Imagine that ASRock is advertising it to hide pr0n. :D  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IxICKGWZ64

So yea, first things first. Get rig of connecting your RAID drives to HDD-Saver.

Install WIndows 8 in RAID configuration on the non-RAID drive.

See if that works.
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August 9, 2014 9:04:46 PM

Karsten75 said:
I had to go look up the HDD-saver to see what it was. Imagine that ASRock is advertising it to hide pr0n. :D  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IxICKGWZ64

So yea, first things first. Get rig of connecting your RAID drives to HDD-Saver.

Install WIndows 8 in RAID configuration on the non-RAID drive.

See if that works.


Hahaha I hadn't even seen that, that's pretty awesome. What a classy company :p .

So I set the SATA mode to RAID and then re-installed Windows, and after installing it gave me the option of installing the Intel Rapid Storage Tech thing that it didn't do the first time. I also had to connect power straight to the HDDs, bypassing the HDD saver (thanks for that advice). Long story short, everything is working perfectly!

Thanks!
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