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Installing RAID drivers on boot disk after XP is installed.


MarkJohnson

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OK, my new dilemma.

I removed my hardware RAID card on my DFI Infinity P965-S as it kicks down my second PCIe x16 slot to x4 speeds, which is where my RAID card is located. I left my two drives in and made them a RAID 0. Plus, I already have a 3rd Hard drive for emergency use that also has XP installed.

My problem now, is that I hooked up those 2 drives to my motherboard to use the ICH8R RAID mode and the chipset turns RAID on all of my drives and my third single drive is being treated as a RAID even though it is not in any kind of a RAID.

Next I try my XP CD and F6'd my RAID drivers and go to repair mode and try a Fixboot and FixMBR in hopes that it would put in my RAID drivers. That didn't work. Then I try installing my RAID drivers on my current boot after I turn off RAID to get it to boot, and then RAID drivers won't install drivers if it doesn't detect a RAID.

so, is there a way to force my RAID drivers into XP without a reinstall? or is there a trick to get my single drive to not act like a RAID drive. The RAID menu says it's a Non-Member Disk, and if I try to make it a RAID it wants 2 disks, so I can't do that.

Thanks for any help

-=Mark=-

Edited by MarkJohnson
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The problem with that onboard RAID controller is that it's all or nothing: either every drive on that controller is RAID or nothing is RAID. If you want RAID on two drives and the third drive as a single drive, you're going to have to put the single drive on another controller. If there are no other SATA controllers on your motherboard...well guess what? You're going to have to get a separate SATA controller. This time, get a PCI controller and not PCIe if you don't want to risk it jacking with your PCIe x16 lanes...

Even better:

1) While your two drives are attached to your PCIe RAID controller, clone the data on it to another drive or a network share. Use Ghost or Acronis to do so.

2) Remove the PCIe RAID controller.

One of two paths from here

3a) Install the PCI SATA controller

4a) Connect your third drive to it

5a) Put the onboard controller on RAID mode

6a) Format and reinstall Windows XP, then restore your cloned data OR restore the clone, get a BSOD, and do a repair install with F6ed RAID drivers

or

3b) Install a PCI RAID controller

4b) Connect your two RAID members to it

5b) Put the onboard controller in non-RAID mode (IDE, JBOD, whatever it's called)

6b) Format and reinstall Windows XP, then restore your cloned data OR restore the clone, get a BSOD, and do a repair install with F6ed RAID drivers.

Either way, it's not easy...

Edited by killerb255
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Thanks for the info KillerB.

I had already did the remedy you suggested. I have an old Promise software RAID controller card (PCI) and hooked up my fourth drive to it and used Ghost to make an image. actually, I used drive copy and it worked awesome.

I then booted into the Promise controller and all was good.

I then hooked my my 3rd drive from the Intel chipset to my Promise controller and to my surprise it read both drives fine.

I then just pulled out the Promise controller and drive 3 and 4 and just left it with drive 1 and 2 on the on-board RAID 0. I at least have the third drive in the machine, but not hooked up, in case I need an emergency fix.

-=Mark=-

ps, Is this all or none only with the Intel boards? or the 965 in general? I have had most all systems use a single drive as a RAID option in case you have multiple disks. of course this is my first Intel board in a long time as I've usually run AMD boards for the past 5 or so years.

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