Can't set up raid array Gigabyte DS3

[smappdi]

I just made a new rig with the specs listed here.

I'm trying to set up a raid 0 array for my (2) 320gig SATA drives on my Gigabyte DS3.

The screen that pops up after memory check that is supposed to list your harddrives and allow you to press Ctrl+G to enter the raid setup does not list my harddrives, only my IDE DVD-R drive.

The drives are plugged in correctly. They are detected and listed in BIOs, and I've enabled SATA and RAID in BIOs settings. Anyone know why they wouldn't be listed on the aforementioned screen?

 

[jitpublisher]

Your standard BIOS screen will not show the drives if they are configured in the BIOS to use the RAID controller.
Are you sure you looking at the right POST screen?
Your BIOS/POST screen for your RAID controller will not display any other drives in your system except drives connected to the RAID controller.
If you have your drives connected properly, your RAID controller enabled in the BIOS, then you should be getting a second BIOS/POST screen that flashes for a few seconds after your main POST screen. (memory check, drive listing, cpu speed, etc)
There will be another POST screen, following very quickly, and a message that says something like "press F8 to enter RAID setup".
If you are not seeing this, then your RAID controller has not been enabled properly.

 

[jitpublisher]

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/help-setting-SATA-HDs-utilize-RAID-ftopict205559.html
Read this thread for some good info on setting up your RAID array.

 

[smappdi]

The POST screen comes up, but it doesn't list my harddrives like its supposed to, so there's no option to enter raid setup. With this mobo, you have to setup the raid array in a POST screen before entering Windows setup. I can't possibly do this if it doesn't recognize my harddrives on the appropriate POST screen.

 

[jitpublisher]

I guess what is confusing me is that you say the post screen lists your DVD drive, is this the screen you are refering to? If the screen you are refering is listing a DVD drive, that is not the right POST screen, there should be another one that appears after this one.

Or do you not ever get the second POST screen that is specifically for your RAID utility, or do you in fact get the second POST screen for the RAID utility, but just no drives showing?

Just trying to get the exact picture of what is happening, these can be kind of tricky to set-up.

 

[sruane]

You're out of luck. For RAID you need the ICH8R. The DS3 has ICH8

 

[smappdi]

?

I don't think what you're talking about applies to my situation. DS3 supports SATA II, and supports RAID 0. The manual describes the procedure to set up the RAID array before entering Windows setup, I'm just having a weird problem with it that no one else seems to have heard of before.

 

[sruane]

?

I don't think what you're talking about applies to my situation. DS3 supports SATA II, and supports RAID 0. The manual describes the procedure to set up the RAID array before entering Windows setup, I'm just having a weird problem with it that no one else seems to have heard of before.

You're right - the Gigabyte controller supports RAID.

 

[jitpublisher]

There are about half a dozen things that could be wrong.

1. Your BIOS is damaged somehow.
2. Your drives are not plugged in correctly.
3. Both of your drives are bad.
4. Your SATA controller does not work correctly.
5. Your RAID controller does not work correctly.
6. You don't have everything set correctly in your BIOS to enable the RAID controller. This is the most likely the problem, 9 out of 10 people who try to set up a RAID array that don't do all the time, stumble right at this point. In your reply's all you are saying is you know have done everything right and it don't work.
If that is the case, return the board, there must be something wrong with it.

 

[smappdi]

This is actually my second mobo. The first one was defective and had to be replaced. I think I'll just return this one and buy a different brand, Gigabyte is junk.

Is there anyone who owns this particular motherboard who can EXPLICITLY explain to me the BIOs procedure for setting up a RAID?

 

[jitpublisher]

Did you check to make sure the boot order is set correctly?
DVD first, then RAID?

 

[smappdi]

Did you check to make sure the boot order is set correctly?
DVD first, then RAID?

RAID isn't an option in boot priority. I have it set to DVD then Harddisk.

Also, I updated to the latest BIOs, didn't help anything.

 

[sruane]

I have a DQ6, but I bet the BIOS is the same. In "Integrated Peripherals".

Enable "Onboard SATA/IDE Device" and set "SATA RAID/AHCI Mode" to RAID

This should give you the Ctrl-I option when you save and reboot.

 

[smappdi]

I did all that from the beginning, no go. Board must be defective. I won't buy Gigabyte next time.

 

[sruane]

I did all that from the beginning, no go. Board must be defective. I won't buy Gigabyte next time.

Have you emailed Gigabyte tech support? They've always been helpful for me.

 

[jitpublisher]

Ah, but it has to be an option!
On my board, in the submenus of the BIOS where you select to enable your RAID controller, there are more options that show up. One is to set the RAID array as "storage only" or "bootable" when you set this to bootable, and only then, it shows up as an option in your boot order. I am downloading your motherboard manual so I can see your BIOS settings and maybe get a clearer picture of what it looks like.

 

[smappdi]

Ah, but it has to be an option!
On my board, in the submenus of the BIOS where you select to enable your RAID controller, there are more options that show up. One is to set the RAID array as "storage only" or "bootable" when you set this to bootable, and only then, it shows up as an option in your boot order. I am downloading your motherboard manual so I can see your BIOS settings and maybe get a clearer picture of what it looks like.

I don't have that option. Also, if you're looking at the manual, look at the part about boot priority. It even mentions setting it to RAID in a sentence, and then lists all possible settings, which does not include RAID.

 

[jitpublisher]

I notice that your drive's are configurable for SATAI or II? and that on page 65 of your manual it states that only 2 of your motherboard connections are for SATAII, have you double checked these settings, or tried to plug your drives into a different set of connections on the board?

 

[smappdi]

BIOs photos

Here are photos of my bootup screens and system BIOs to give you a better idea of what I'm working with.

^BIOs loading screen.

^POST screen. This is supposed to be where it lists my harddrives and says "Press Ctrl+G to setup RAID array." Note that it instead lists my DVD drive, and says "Press any key." It does not continue to RAID setup, but rather to whatever is next in line for boot priority.

^Standard CMOS features. Note that it indeed detects my Seagate harddrives.

^Advanced BIOs features.

^Boot priority options (first half of menu)

^Boot priority options (second half of menu)

^Integrated Peripherals

^SATA is enabled.

^RAID is enabled.


And it still doesn't work.

 

[smappdi]

I notice that your drive's are configurable for SATAI or II? and that on page 65 of your manual it states that only 2 of your motherboard connections are for SATAII, have you double checked these settings, or tried to plug your drives into a different set of connections on the board?

Um, wow. Turns out GSATA is synonymous with SATAII. So the orange wires had to be plugged into the purple SATA ports, not the orange SATA ports. What a clever design.

Whatever, problem solved. Thank you very much for taking the time to read the manual for me.

 

[jitpublisher]

Very cool. Let me know how you like your new setup once you get it rolling.

 

[w2jo]

I have this problem on another Giga MB. Here is my solution. Maybe it can help some others.

RAID system build procedure for Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3

History. I have had nothing but trouble building RAID systems using the above Gigabyte Motherboard. I have now built about 6 of these systems and while I like the MB very much, there appears to be a serious problem with the firmware or with the build procedure when it comes to setting up a system with a bootable RAID arrays.

The Problems: 1) In some cases, after I set up the RAID array and then start to install Windows 7, the Windows 7 installer fails to request the Gigabyte RAID driver for the array. 2) In other cases, I have had the system be unable to read the Windows 7 install disk on the SATA drive once I set up the RAID array. 3) Sometimes I have been quite unable to get back to the RAID settings (CTRL-F) after being unable to install Windows 7. After about the fourth episode of this, I have used the following procedure successfully.

The Procedure:
1) I used Acronis or Reflect imaging software to take a bootable clone image of an operating system on one of the already built systems with a GA-990FXA-UD3 motherboard and Windows 7 Pro and a RAID array working..
2) I install this disk drive in the new computer and connect it to ports 4/5 in IDE mode. The DVD Sata drive is connected to port 5. I set the BIOS to boot only from the drive on SATA port 5.
3) Then I connect the 2, 3, or 4 drives that I intend to use in RAID mode to ports 0,1,2,3 as appropriate. These ports are set to RAID mode in the BIOS.
4) BEFORE doing step 3, I connect power up to the RAID drives but DO NOT connect the SATA cables to the drives. Then I boot up to make sure the boot drive works successfully. Then I shut down.
5) Then I connect up the SATA cables to the (to be) RAID drives on ports 0,1,2,3 as appropriate.
6) Then I start the boot up and enter CTRL+F at the proper time to get into the RAID BIOS. I set up the RAID array as desired. Then I exit the RAID BIOS and continue the boot into Windows 7.
7) When I get booted up, I go to Control Panel-Administrative Tools-Computer Management-Storage-Disk Management. I then select the new RAID drive and initialize and format it.
8) Then I go back to the Acronis or Reflect program and CLONE the single drive on port 4 (usually drive C) onto the new drive (usually drive E). When the clone operation is finished, DISCONNECT the single boot drive used to clone the array and set the BIOS to boot from the RAID array. You should be up and running.
9) After the RAID array is up and running, you will have to input a new Windows 7 key as the Windows 7 OS on the RAID array will be the one being used on the computer from which the original clone drive (step 1) was made.

I hope this works for you as easily and consistently as it has for me. My final word is that the folks at GigaByte seem to have no understanding of why I have problems getting a RAID array running on their MB. I guess I just have a misunderstanding somewhere in the process. In any case, the above process gets me up and running in about 10 hours of elapsed time with about one man-hour of labor so I am not displeased. The 9 hours is image copy time, first for the original clone drive and then to copy the cloned drive image onto the final RAID array. The Gigabyte procedure WOULD be faster IF I could get it to work!

Joe Mehaffey
W2JO