How to properly setup SSD Caching Drive?

[newyears1978]

Hello,

Not too long ago I built myself a new computer. I had never messed with SSD before but the guy told me about SSD caching. So I purchased an SSD drive. What I found is that it was a PAIN to set up. When I would install Windows, and activate RST via Windows, rebooting would cause a startup fail. It would show my drives as disabled.

Some how I finally got it to work but not I have had a computer crash and am having the same issue again.

I can get my computer going just fine if I ignore my SSD drive but when I try to use RST/SSD caching I run into problems.

I set my SATA to RAID in the BIOS, I then install Windows normally on my main drive. Then I install RST and click accelerate, choosing the appropriate drives. All seems well but upon reboot it shows my RAID as disabled and my SSD drive as disabled.

At this point all I can do is hit CTRL-I to get into the RAID config, and release the drives as RAID...

Can someone tell me what I am missing..I went through this same procedure when I first built the computer but apparently I forgot to right down the solution once I figured it out.

Sorry if I put this in the wrong forum, it is a HDD issue, but deals with RAID configuration..so wasn't sure which to put it in.

Edit:

Based on some research I think I may have the solution. But I am at work and cannot test...posting here just so that maybe someone can confirm?

a) Someone has said that sometimes when you activate RST for some reason the BIOS switches your HDD boot priority and is trying to boot from the cache drive. So if that is true, a simple BIOS change would fix this

b) Someone else states they had to manually install RAID drivers DURING their Windows installation or it would not recognize the drive in RAID mode (even though set to RAID in BIOS)

Either of those sound likely?

 

[RetiredChief]

Which SSD did you get?

Do you have the latest bios version installed for the MB and does the SSD also have the latest Firmware installed.

Side comment:
I normally only recommend the Intel 20 gig 311. The 40 gig sata II/III drives are OK, but the 311 uses SLC memory, not MLC like the other SSDs. Also the 311 was designed for SRT, the other SSDs are not.
If the SSD is =>60 gigs most recommend skipping RST and using the drive as a OS + program drive.

 

[newyears1978]

It's one of those OCZ 60Gig SSD's.

The drive worked great..it's been working fine for several months..until a storm knocked my computer out.

The problem is just in the way it has to be installed..I am doing something wrong. It may be one of the above solutions I posted.. just can't try til tonight :\

It's frustrating though, makes me just wanna leave the SSD drive unplugged and go normal. However, like I said it DID work. My load times for games and applications was cut to about 1/4th of their normal times.

Oh and regarding MB and SSD Firmware, I never upgraded them, they are brand new..computer is only a few months old. Now, I know there may be some newer firmware, but that's unrelated to the problem or it wouldn't have worked originally either. It's a common problem I find when I google...just hard to find solution.