XP won't boot after Setup

[Marke522]

Hello, and thanks for reading.

I just put together a new computer, done this before and this is the first time I have setup RAID so there might be something there, also this is the first time I have had a boot disk larger than 120 GB. Don't know if that's still an issue, but I remember windows had trouble with that.

I have an Asus A8N-SLi Deluxe, AMD 64 3800+, 2 WD Raptors 74 GB, Windows WP MCE. If you want anymore info just ask.

I setup RAID 0, stripped, on the NVIDIA, got it to recognize both hard drives as one 138 GB. When I got to the install screen, there were 2 drives, I had to format one, making it a C: and then installed. The computer restarted, showed me all the info, and then read Press any key to boot from cd....

and stayed there.

So made it to the install screen again, formatted the other harddrive as F: and then installed. The computer restarted, showed me all the info, and then read Press any key to boot from cd....

and stayed there.

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!!!!

Please post any ideas, thanks. Mark.

Spent a bit of time reading this forum, usually I post at http://forum.pcmech.com

No one seems to be there now so I figured I would give this board a try.

[purewaveform]

When you raid 0 the driver the MBR get a little funky becuase the int 13 can actually get spanned, which can cause problems. I do NOT think this is your problem. But there are some ways to find out. First on that specifc motherboard, do you configure the raid array in the regular bios, or an extend bios. either way, I would first remove what could be the problem, the raid. Go back into the raid configuration utility and delete the strip, and take it back to just the jbod. Then install and see if you get any problem. If there is no problem, then repeat on the other hard drive. That way you know that both are good. Then I would recreate the raid and see what happens.

But ona simpler note, it might be something as simple as going into to the bios and setting the boot order to be something like, eternal device, SCSI, or some setting like that. The raid controller could be external to the bios, and you need to tell it to pass the int 13 to whatever. Also check in the raid configuration, some of the onboard raid stuff that I have used, you have to create the stripe, make it active, and then mark it as bootable. Hopefull one of thoes wiill work.

Also considering that it is 1 in the morning, I have a newborn, what are you doing up?

[Marke522]

Wow, quite a lot of information there, thanks.

I created the raid in thet Nvidia BIOS, pressing F10, first I tried using the SIL 3114, but that didn't seem to work, windows just couldn't find it at all.

I installed the RAID CLASS DRIVER and the Nforce Storage Controller.

But still didn't work.

Then after I left this post, I tried to install XP on just one harddrive. It installed ok, then after the restart I got this strange message that I have never seen before, and been working with computers for nearly 5 years now....Windows was unable to start because it lost the path or something, plase consult your disk management manual. ????? It's after 3 am here so I said whatever and turned it off.

I'll have to go through your stuff first thing in the morning, I'm about useless now.

Thanks for the ideas.

[purewaveform]

Also, I would add to your disk the driver packs, since I started using them I havent had a problem with raid controllers.

[Marke522]

I would add to your disk the driver packs

What does that mean? I never did RAID before so I'm not familiar with all the terms.

[purewaveform]

if you search the forums here you will find that Bâshrat the Sneaky has created a way of installing all the drivers you will probably ever need into one easy to install package. they will let windows find all the proper drivers without f6 etc. I have had good luck with them.

[Marke522]

Wow, thanks for the tip. Gonna turn on a movie or a game to clear my head for a bit. I'll search when I get back.