Installed Vista, how do i set up raid?

[chrisgomm]

OK, i have installed windows vista 64 bit on my new build and wanted to set up raid :

Asus rampage 2 extreme mobo

when trying to set it up, it will not boot... i assume this is because it is no-longer reading off 1 hard drive, of which my os is written.

how do i get raid on my 2 samsung f1 320 gs hard drives? do i have to uninstall everything, set up raid, then re- install it all?

also, my mobo didn't have the option for raid 10. anyone know why?

thanks in advance
chris

 

[chrisgomm]

basics do i have to uninstall vista before i setup raid? and why can't my mobo do raid 10... reply soon please, need to do it in the next hour or so...



thanks

 

[photonboy]

There are lots of sites on this that can take you through it step by step.
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID

How to: http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=48273

You want RAID0 which stripes the data between two drives.

Do you have your RAID turned enabled in the BIOS?

Personally, I'd buy a 60GB OCZ Vertex SSD and install Windows on it and install my games on the hard drive (as D-Drive, Custom installation). I'm still waiting for prices to come down but the OCZ Vertex absolutely blows away a RAID0 320GB.

You better install as FULL NTFS for security. The "full" part (versus "quick") means it builds a bad sector table which is especially important because RAID0 is less reliable than using a single hard drive.

 

[chrisgomm]

i assume i have to uninstall vista then and then re-install it when all raid configurations are done? (i can do this under 1 lisence?)

what about my drivers and software which is already on the system?

 

[MRFS]

If I repeat any of the advice above, please excuse the duplication.


Intel's I/O Controller Hubs ("ICHx") require the following if you
want to do a fresh install of an OS onto a RAID array:

(1) change the BIOS setting to "RAID"

(2) enable the Intel Option ROM in the BIOS;

(3) have RAID device drivers ready
before you start the OS installation procedure.

I don't have experience with VISTA, but I am
told that the drivers are incorporated with the
rest of the VISTA software on the Setup disc.

With XP, those device drivers must be written
to a floppy disk, and the F6 option must be
invoked during Windows Setup, in order to
load those device drivers into memory
from the floppy disk drive.


So, after enabling RAID and the Option ROM
in the BIOS, you must enter CTRL-I during POST
in order to activate that Option ROM.

THIS LATTER STEP IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!

Your motherboard's User Manual should have
complete documentation of Intel's Option ROM.
Basically, you choose the type of RAID array you want
and assign component disk drives with this Option ROM.

This Option ROM will then initialize the component disks,
whereupon you will re-boot and begin to install your OS
from your optical drive onto your target RAID array.

You may want to poke around in your BIOS to make
sure that it sees this newly created RAID array
e.g. in the "boot priority" or "boot sequence" menu.


There should also be documentation in your User Manual
for installing VISTA onto a newly created RAID array.

Because I don't have experience with VISTA, I can't
tell you if you need to prepare a set of device drivers:
your motherboard User Manual should cover that important point.


Perhaps a VISTA user can chime in here for us


I hope this helps.


MRFS

 

[jitpublisher]

You have to build the array first.
Enable RAID in the standard BIOS.
This will give a you an instruction line during POST that will tell you how to enter the RAID BIOS.
Build the array.
Reboot, and then install Vista to the array.

There is a lot more to it than this, but this is the basic 1,2,3.
If you need futher instruction, you do not need RAID.

 

[megamanx00]

No, you don't have to uninstall (at least not one program at a time), rather you would set up the RAID array and then format it . I don't thing you truly understand what RAID does so I suggest you Google it and then come back if you have any questions.