Uninstall ATI drivers nuked the OS

[wifesbane]

I was uninstalling my Catalyst drivers and selected the uninstall all option per the AMD website. I got a tingly feeling when I saw something about uninstalling raid drivers flash across the screen... I was running a Raid 1 configuration. Since then, my system is in an endless cycle of try to load windows and reboot. Looks lime the process nuked my system. I saw a 2008 thread here with the exact issue but no resolution.

I tried to repair the OS with my Vista 32 install disk - no luck. Only option is "restore", which will nuke all my applications. I never made a restore point as I am in the process of rebuilding the system.

Guessing the problem is nuked raid drivers. Is there a way to load them from disk prior to windows booting? Any other hope?

System:

Gigabyte GA MA790FXT-UD5P MB (AMD N/S bridges)
2x WD 500GB SATA caviar black hard drives
AMD Phenom II x3 720 BE CPU
4 GB RAM
Vista 32 home edition
Sapphire Radeon HD 4770 w/512 MB

Thanks in advance!

 

[COLGeek]

Can you boot into Safe Mode? If so, you can try to install the RAID drivers from there. Don't get your hopes up though, but worth a shot.

 

[wifesbane]

No. Safe mode was the first thing I tried. I think the lack of the raid driver is the core problem.

 

[sabot00]

Try downloading a linux distribution like Ubuntu, install it to a flash drive or CD/DVD, and boot from that, without a OS running you are limited to Vista's bad joke of so-called "restore options".

Then you can download Vista 32's RAID drivers in Ubuntu, open up Ubuntu's file manager, browse into Vista's RAID, and manually paste the drivers into Windows\Drivers.

 

[4745454b]

If you are sure you have RAID1, then your ok. All your data is mirrored on both drives. If you can't do what Sabot suggests, try this. First, PULL ONE OF THE DRIVES! Set it aside while you work on your system. Second, format the disk in the system and install windows on it. Next, add the drive back in. You should now be able to burn/save anything you want on it. You can then either format and set windows back up on a RAID array, or leave it as is.

 

[wifesbane]

It is definitely a Raid 1 but is also a rebuild from a recent crash. I am concerned about the time to rebuild (again) and the loss of $200 in software keys. Again, WTF does removal of VGA drivers have to do with raid drivers. Instead of "uninstall all ATI drivers", the option should have read "Format your hard drive".

I am usually an AMD/ATI supporter but this one is making me rethink that.

 

[4745454b]

You are running a 790fx board. Those use AMD drivers. I suspect when you said uninstall you selected all. You really only wanted to undo the GPU drivers. Not all the rest of your drivers.

 

[hooray4boobies]

Like 4745454b said, just pull one of the drives and boot from that.

Worse comes to worse,

1. Restore on one HDD,
2. Get into vista and repair your boot config on your untouched HDD. Or at least get the information you need off it.
3. Reboot from your (hopefully) fixed HDD and mirror them again.
4. Turn on restore! ;-)