Unable to install Vista on RAID 0 with AMD 690G/SB600

ragemonkey

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Jun 26, 2006
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I just purchased a Gigabyte GA-MA69G-S3H motherboard for socket AM2. I am trying to clean install Windows Vista on a RAID 0 array of 2 74GB WD Raptor drives. My problem is, when I boot from the Vista DVD and get to the point to where I can load the RAID driver... the setup program instals the "ATI ACHI Compatible RAID Controller" just fine but when it gets to the screen where you can specify which volume to instal Vista on... it detects the volume as "Unallocated Space" even if a partition already exists. Further, there is a warning at the bottom of the screen that says "Your Systems BIOS does not support booting to this device...". I cannot create/delete/format/or otherwise touch any volumes at this screen. All I can do is exit setup.

This same RAID array existed on my prior system, which ran a ASUS A8N-E Nforce4/939/X2 4800+ setup.

Some other stuff...

Windows XP will install fine.

Windows Vista will install on a single volume fine **if** I go into the BIOS and set the SATA controller to "Native IDE"

Cannot install on any volume (also tried a 300, and a 320GB SATA by themselves individually) if the SATA controller is set to "RAID"

I am stumped, gigabyte tech support is stumped... any help is greatly appreciated
 

ragemonkey

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Jun 26, 2006
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The exact warning provided by Vista is: "This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu."

When trying to create/delete/format/have kinky monkey sex with any volume Vista says: "Windows is unable to find a system volume that meets its criteria for installation".

This error occurs on any volume connected via SATA when SATA mode is set to RAID. Regardless of whether it is a single drive setup as JBOD or 2 disks in a RAID 0 aray.

Here are some KB articles I've found trying to figure this out. From what I've been seeing the ATI SB600 RAID controller isn't playing nice nice with Vista... even thought the entire board is supposedly "Vista Certified"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925481

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/937251/en-us