SATA RAID 0 Array and WinXP setup

[NanooK]

Anyone have any experience setting up windows on a Raid 0 array? I've got a new Kv8 Asus AMD 64 motherboard, and I'm rolling with dual SATA 10krpm 36gb hard drives....which are recognized fine by the bios and I'm able to setup/define the Array no problem. When I try installing windows XP, it stops and says it doesn't see any hard disks. So I tried Fdisk and setup a partition (only sees 5gb, but I figured I could fix that later), then formatted the partition.....still nothing in Windows XP setup.....

So I start rummaging around the Asus Knowledge base, which is pretty pathetic BTW, but I did manage to find a reference that fits my description......it said "Please make sure that you are using the make disk utility from 378RAID folder and not 378ATA folder. For Promise PDC20378 controller, there are separate drivers for RAID and single drive configurations."

When I use this program to make a floppy diskette.....it copies a bunch of drivers for a bunch of OS's from win98 to winXP, but it's not bootable....so I figured the only thing I can do is start running the winxp setup and where it says to hit "F-6" to load third party RAID drivers, maybe that's where I need to do it......well, tried that, still no luck (didn't recognize anything on the damn disk)

I've also made sure to check the obvious stuff like flashing the BIOS with the latest update, etc....

Anyone got any ideas? I'm stuck lol

 

[gothitbycar]

That is exactly the same thing I have, a K8V and 2 raptors in Raid 0. That was tricky to set up. You should set up the array again for both hard disk to raid 0 and 72 gb. I think the partition would probably make windows not recognize it as a Raid setup. You have to push F6 in order to install the Raid Drivers. If the computer doesn't find anything on the floppy then the floppy is bad or your doing something wrong. Which serial ata ports did you use?

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[NanooK]

I'm good now...thanks for the response....the make disk utility that asus gives creates an additional folder, and the F6 option in windows setup doesn't allow you to browse the disk....so it was just a matter of copying the drivers to the root dir of the floppy.

On a side note...did you install a wireless adapter with your computer? I grabbed the Asus WiFi-b addon and am having a heck of a time getting it to work right. I've intstalled the right drivers, and installed the wifi utility, which lets me scan around and I can see my wireless network...but it keeps flipping on and off (It'll connect with an excellent signal strength for 1 second, then nothing for 5 seconds, then connect again for 1 second...and so on.)

Any ideas?

 

[morganwill]

I am having the same old non-recognition of array when loading XP pro. f4 or ctrl s and I set up the striped array, but windows XP never recognizes???

I have an asus A7N8X deluxe, and am attempting to use the On-board raid chip.
Going for the speed (raid 0 striped)
I have the nForce disk that came with my motherboard. I put it in when prompted, but I guess it didn't sense the cd??? Why does it have to be floppy, because my XP pro cd is "sensed" and attempts to install until no HDD is found?
Can you please help me find the best utility or process to employ in order to get XP onto this 36.7 raptor raid 0 speed array.
Any advice would be great...

 

[morganwill]

Also, I assume that I have to have the raid drivers on floppy??
I have the cd that came with this A7N8X deluxe. Is there a utility to create floppy on this Nforce utilities CD??
Prehaps ASUS or one of you GURUS Have a better A: drive utility / process I can use to set up XP Pro. You said to make sure it is in the root dir, not under a folder right??
Can you turn me on to the best correct utility, and should it be on my motherboard CD????
I am planning to run everything including the OS on this 36.7 raid0 array. How dangerous is this?? I guess I could get another IDE drive, but I am attempting to increase overall speed and seek times.

Thank You In Advance
-Morgan

 

[morganwill]

BUMP,
Help, please help....
I am Dying Over here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[morganwill]

DAmn NO response...??
I am losing faith in you boys!!!!
Do Not turn to the dark side (Commercialism-microsquish).
ANYway I solved my problem, and am back up and rollin' in my 5.O!!!!!!!
These two Raptors in raid0 have got Mustang Sally Scorchin'!!!
I would love some help on adjusting and tweaking them..
I set up a partion in the win XP setup. Didn't use the entire RAW space (72GB)???
My single HDD C: seems entire and is listed as 34.4 GB which is approx. what I instinctively spaced-out/partioned or put the partion (Raid 0) because 72GB total was listed during the XP setup/installation..
I want the raid0 speed but am worried about all the instability I have read about. Having to re-install and especially re-activation could be a huge problem/pain!!!!
Anyway, Am I only utilizing half???
This is all the capacity I had anticipated..??????
Please advise..
Did the raid0 strip over-ride???
16 chunk size, what else can I tweak???
Please let me know before I activate and finalize my installation.
Thanks............

 

[gothitbycar]

To get that extra space back do this...

1) Boot from your XP CD

2) Push F6, pick the right drivers

3) Continue and press enter and what not until you come to where you pick to where you want to install it

4) You should see C:\ 34.4 GB and [Raw] 27.6 gb

5) Go to raw and pick the choice of a new partition or format partition in NTFS or FAT32. I forget what it says exactly.

6) Let it format the drive in NTFS and then exit the installation and load windows.

7) Bingo, a pretty new drive

I don't have photographic memory so the steps may be a bit sketchy but I think you can figure out where to go and what to do with them.

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[gothitbycar]

I reread your post and now Im confused, Did you install windows xp already on a single harddrive or both in RAID 0 with only a 34.4 gig partition?

There really isn't a stability problem, just the chances of all your information being lost go up two fold because you have two drives and it only takes one to fail to loose all your work.

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[morganwill]

THANKS Car-contacter, someone finally communcicated in a direct manner.
I was thinking mirroring - thanks.
I want the speed, Raid0 is clearly the fastest, right?
I have roughly half still raw. In RAID 0 with only a 34.4 gig partition.
Like i said i instintively set it to approx. half (smartie, that is for mirror not strip).
What do you advise as far as partioning.
How about 1 or essientially no partions, all 72 for 1Raid0.
I can easily do this before she's configued and activated.
Can i simply make a new array(deleting current oC) at the initial raid detection?

God the new raptors will make a 144 raid0 strip...
That should be big enough for most video EDitors, unless your like some people who require over 300 GB??????
Just teasin' - but Damn

The patient has a new minor ailment.
I now have a processor issue:
A7N8X Delexe rev. 1.04 with newish bios 1007 std.
XP 3200 (400 fsb???)
1 GB Corsair the top XMS 3200 LLPT with lot number...
Dual Raptors 36

Which has been operating with the optimial setting just fine. I go straight to bios and set cpu frequency to 200, after setting the jumper. Memory seems to in sync up and hopefully dual channel.
I do have a successful boot and win xp recoginzes my 3200 at 2.21 ghz, But suddenly very buggy, jumpy, and screen constantly/intermittently begins to flash and re-flash..
I only have the latest Nvidia video drivers from windows updates / Microsquish. Have been hesitating immediately going to nvidia drivers after a recent IDE issue..
Anyway we are now back at 333, or 166 in my 1007 bios, damn CPU is recoginized as a 2500...
Top of the line so I am still confident that is just a matter of configuration.
Seems to be pretty frisky/speedy as is.
-Preash

Thank YOU

 

[gothitbycar]

For you I'd advise one partition. I currently have 3, one 10 gb for WinXP 64 bit, one 10 gb for RH8 (linux), and the rest for WinXP pro.

I believe that some of the nForce2 boards couldn't support a 200mhz bus, thats when the nForce2 400 was introduced that could. Make sure you have the right bios, Asus has two bios', 1007 for rev. 1.06 boards and down and the C1007 for rev. 2.0 boards.

[quick note, asus doesn't officially support a 400mhz bus for the rev. 1.04 motherboards]

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[mind went blank]<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by gothitbycar on 02/25/04 11:16 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[morganwill]

Yeah, I have the correct bios version for my board.
These bios are suppose to make my board compatible.
Also I have the 200 front side jumper mentioned earlier, and the damn box brags about 400mhz fsb.
It sure was not happy, so you may be right??
Can u give me or steer me to the wealth of experience that this mega-popular board has and that will help me optimize this board.
-THX

 

[gothitbycar]

You should post that problem in the CPU section of the forums, I'm sure the guys there can figure it out.

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