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Gigabyte GA-7N400 Pro2 installation

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I just bought a different motherboard to allow me to upgrade, piece by piece, in the future. It's a Gigabyte GA-7N400 Pro2. Unfortunately, it has added a new wrinkle to mobo installation for me, and something I apparently don't understand -- RAID function.

There are 4 IDE slots now on this board, the ones you normally plug CD-ROMs and hard drives into (IDE 1 and 2) and the ones apparently controlled by the RAID controller (IDE 3 and 4). If I plug the stuff into 1 and 2 as normal, it detects the drives on the opening screen but doesn't detect them on the next screen. If I plug them into 3 and 4 it detects the hard drives only, which leads me to believe that RAID doesn't support ATAPI devices. However, the next step is the bear -- I have to configure my drives into an "array", which is new to me. I seem to have figured out how to do that, but it still won't boot to my new array.

Do I need to install RAID drivers before I try to boot the machine? I have copied the appropriate XP drivers onto a floppy, but I hesitate to completely take out this board again and put in the new one if the blasted thing ain't gonna work this time.

Anyone who has a clue what to tell me, let me know please!

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Quote:
If I plug them into 3 and 4 it detects the hard drives only, which leads me to believe that RAID doesn't support ATAPI devices

Correct. Most RAID controllers doesn't support ATAPI devices.

Quote:
Do I need to install RAID drivers before I try to boot the machine?

No. That is not necessary. To boot from the RAID array you need to set it up in the PC bios. Check for an 'boot from other devices' or 'Boot from SCSI' option. Also, read the RAID faq in the harddisk forum.
Ofcourse, in order to boot from the array you must install something to boot. I expect that you have installed windows on it, although you don't explicitly state it.




<i><b>Engineering is the fine art of making what you want from things you can get</b></i>

Yes, I have Windows XP Home Edition on it. I assume this is just something I'm going to have to learn as I go, but thanks. I've tried disabling RAID in the BIOS -- no go. I've managed to make an array in the RAID utility -- still won't boot. I can put together a machine without this stuff in it in about 15 minutes, so it seems as though I'm just behind the times with different technology.

I'm really trying not to have to format anything in order to make a new motherboard work, as it's a pain in the neck to recertify Windows XP, but if it ends up that way it won't be a tragedy. I'm just mind-boggled at how weird this is compared to other mobos I have worked with.

I'll take a look at the RAID information you spoke of. Thanks.
 
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