Enabling SATA after Windows 7 install on MSI AMD nForce Motherboard

[thegodfaza]

I have the MSI NF980-G65 motherboard. I installed Windows 7 with my SATA mode set to AHCI. I added two drives later on and set them up as a software RAID1. (My drive layout is 1x640GB, 1x500GB, 2x750GB(software RAID1)) Now I want to add another OS and want to backup the data on the software raid drives, put them in a hardware raid, then restore the data so I can access it without being in Windows. The problem is that Windows BSoD's since it can't see the drives since it doesn't have the RAID drivers installed. I have the drivers for the RAID controller but I get the chicken and the egg parody. (In order to install the RAID drivers I need to have the SATA mode set to RAID, but when I set the SATA mode to RAID, Windows BSoD's) I've spent hours searching about how to do it and all I find are Intel solutions. That would be great if I was using an Intel chipset but I'm using an AMD processor w/ an nVidia chipset.

Anyone know how to switch to RAID mode without having to reinstall windows?

 

[BlueCat57]

I don't know how to do it. I found instructions for doing it with Intel chipsets. After I followed the instructions and screwed my system up I realized that I have an nvidia chipset on my motherboard. So now I'm waiting for startup repair to fix something, maybe. Oh well, live and learn.

 

[BlueCat57]

Yes. MAKE A COMPLETE SYSTEM BACK UP FIRST!!!!!!!

I didn't and now I'm screwed trying to get my system running again. Apparently I did something and corrupted the windows\system32\config\system file.

There is something called the "Peregrinus' Hack" that most of the threads I've found recommend and include instructions for editing the registry BEFORE you switch in BIOS.

While researching stuff it seems that it doesn't matter which chipset you have. But I could be wrong.

I've got a lot more information that I can impart if you wish showing what I've tried using to fix my problem.