Windows won't install onto my RAID 0 RAPTORS :( Help me!!!

Mfusick

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OK,

So I have an old PC I put back together to use in the media room to play movies.

It is an Athalon 939 board (ASUS a8n-SLI deluxe)
I used two original 150gig WD Raptors in Raid 0 (intended for c Drive)
and two 250 gig SATA WD hardrives in Raid 0 (intended for media storage)

I tried windows 7 64bit
Windows 7 32 bit
XP PRO 32 bit

None of them install.

In the BIOS I can see both Raid Set ups.

Windows 7 see's only the Raptors on the NVIDIA SATA RAID chip... but does not see the two others I put on the other built in RAID chip.

I think I just need to install a driver for that, but since I want to install to the 10k rpm drives I am not worries about that now. I can load drives once windows is up and running and bring those drives online... I know they are hooked up properly.

I tested the drives before I put them in.

Basically what happens is I get to the screen in windows 7 where you choose a drive. The raptors are listed. I can delete partition, create a new partion, and format it.

But when I click next... I get a message that says windows is unable to install.

WTF is this BS??

MEGA SUPER THANKS to anyone that can help !!!
 

Mfusick

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why ?

Would I notice a speed difference ???

I can't even get the pair of drives to show up as a choice when installing windows 7 from that chip.

Only the Nvidia chip drives show as options in the windows 7 install screen

 

Mfusick

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I have an ASUS a8n-sli deluxe and I am trying to install RAID 0 pair of older WD Raptors and windows 7.

Everytime I try to install windows it says I can not install to this drive.

ASUS does not list any Windows 7 drivers on its support site for this older board.

This is my old pc I decided to put back together just to run movies and music on the projector and entertainment system in the room next to my office.

Any help is greatly apreaciated.

I need to put on 3.5inch and I don't even have a floppy drive on my main X48 based system:(

So I booted windows without raid onto only one drive for now.

I want to make the floppy then reinstall with the RAID set up.

HELP >?????
 

Mfusick

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I got it. It was in the BIOS where SATA 1,2,3,4 needs to be "enabled" for RAID.

I enable SATA 1,2 on the Nvidia controller and windows seems to be installing ok.

Still the dual drives on the silicon controller chip sata 1,2 do not show up in the windows install screen where you choose a drive to install to

But I did get the combined RAID 0 raptor array I built to show now that i fixed the bios setting;

Thanks for your help!!!

I know after windows installs I can my computer>manage>disk management and bring the raid drives on the other chipset online. Windows 7 seems smart enough to just go find the driver for that... wish it was built into the install screen though

If I wanted to switch to the other controller since it seems the NVIDIA controller is not as good.. I would need to find the driver and make a driver disk for window.

ASUS does not list windows 7 64 bit drivers for my mobo though... it must be too old being socked 939
 

Mfusick

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Yes I have had raid running on this pc with these exact drives before.

It does show as one drive.

the nvidia chip I can enter setup from F10 in bios and build array

the silicon chip I can enter setup with F4 from bios and build array

I have tried both the 250 gig sata WD drives... and the two 150gig Raptors on both chips.

Both the raptors and the WD 250gig 7200rpm drives do not show up at all on the silicon chip. When I hit any key to boot from CD to clean install windows 7 64bit at the install screen where you can format drives and choose drives to install too.. I see an old 40gig IDE drive I have installed.. just cause I have it. And the RAID array I built on the NVideo chip with SATA ports 1 and 2.

It does not matter if I switch the wires and put the pair of raptors or the pair of normal drives... it sees only the nvidia chip array.

So I tried to install to a RAID0 array on the nvidia chip to both pairs of drives and I get the same message.

I can delete paritions... create paritions... and I can format the raid array.

But when I click "next" to install it says windows can not install see set up log. But there is no message or set up log ?????


I am at a total loss and I have been into the BIOS like 100 times changing stuff and making sure the proper things are enabled.

WTF????
 

Mfusick

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They are spare from another old pc.

they perform well for a Sata drive.

Not as good as SSD.. but still good by todays standards for ordinary drives.

I have a velociraptor in my main pc now... but want to upgrade to SSD