__ Any Epox 8K5A3+ help? __ Problem resolved > Thanks To Technonut! :)

[Blain]

I've got one of these Epox boards matched up with an MP 1800+ and 512mb Corsair 3000 C2.
My HDs are a couple of old school 27.3 WD Experts. I can get my RAID 0 array setup in the Highpoint utility and get the RAID enabled in the BIOS. I can even FDISK and partition the drives.

But when I go to load 98SE (the only OS I have right now), I get error messages saying that Windows couldn't continue to load because of a system problem. Or it just can't find the array at all.
* Do the Highpoint controllers require ATA/100 drives to function properly?

* Are there any F.A.Q. sights for this Epox board? The Epox manual and web support site totally suck on RAID info.

* Are painfully slow bootups normal for this board?

I swear I'll go back to Abit if I have to!

 

[Insane3D]

You might want to look up at the top of this forum...and no, the Highpoint does not need ATA100 drives to work.

 

[Blain]

I looked through the whole MEGA-EPOX thread.

* I don't need to know if I should buy the 8K5A2+ or the 8K5A3+... It's done already
* I don't need to know which vendor to use to get my MB... It's done already
* I don't need to know which DDR brand to buy for my MB... It's done already
* I don't need to know if my RAID channels will support non-RAIDed drives... They will
* I don't need to know how to set up the 6 channel onboard sound... I haven't got that far yet
* I don't need to know which HS will fit my MB... I've gone with water cooling

Chappo has a similar request as mine on 10/12/2002 5:08 AM. But his seemed to be more of an 8K5A3+/Windows 2000 question.

Ruroni posted about his 8K5A2+ and some random Windows loading error messages on 10/17/2002 1:20 PM. His problem seems to have been diagnosed as bad hardware of some sort. His issue hasn't been resolved yet.

lyrebird had a slow boot problem he asked about on 10/18/2002 1:31 AM
But you attributed his problem to a bad IBM drive and he hasn't been heard from since.


Blain, 09/19/2002 7:42 PM - "<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=29&threadid=869089&STARTPAGE=2">The FedEx man should be dropping off my 8K5A3+ today. It looks like it will be a good match for my Corsair PC3000C2
My water block and system are all ready and waiting!</a>"
Insane3D, 09/19/2002 7:41 PM - "Good to hear! Good luck with your build...please let us know how it goes!"

That's what I'm doing... sort of


I'd love to find an Epox 8K5A2+/8K5A3+ F.A.Q. site like this Iwill KK266 one

 

[Technonut]

Blain, Do you have access to another hard drive? If so, you could install Win98SE on it using the Primary IDE port. If it does install properly, setup your two other hard drives on the RAID channels, FDISK and Format the array, and use a drive copy program to mirror the drive with Win98SE installed to the array. It is worth a try.

The same can be accomplished by using a drive image program to burn an image to CDs from one of your hard drives on the Primary IDE port with 98SE installed if you do not have a spare HD, but do have a CD burner.

If that does not work, or if your array fails to be seen upon booting, it is quite possible that you have a faulty Highpoint controller.

You should not have "painfully slow" boot time. It does take a moment for the HP controller to ID the the array, then go on to the OS.

The same ABIT AT7 FAQ regarding RAID would also apply to the EPoX 8K5A3+ since it is using the same Highpoint 374 controller.

EDIT: You may also want to DL the Western Digital Data Lifeguard utility to check your drives.

 

[Blain]

Thanks, I've got Drive Image and Ghost. I've got several HDs, but most are much smaller than the 27.3's. I'm guessing their size difference won't matter.
I have tried WD's Data Lifeguard Tools. It doesn't show any problems with the drives themselves, other than the one as ATA/66 and the other ATA/33. If one is only running at ATA/33, that would slow the wholr array down, wouldn't it?

 

[Blain]

I've created my array, enabled the Highpoint RAID controller in the BIOS and Ghosted my HD image over to the RAID array.

But Epox has no "RAID" selection as a boot option. Both my RAID boards before (Abit & Iwill), had it as an option in the boot devices menu.
I've come so far with this Epox setup... Can someone tell me how to boot to my RAID array?

I've entered the Highpoint RAID setup and selected the first drive as being the "Boot" drive, but still no go.

 

[Technonut]

Set the first boot device to SCSI.

 

[Technonut]

Blain, I just thought of something if you are still having trouble... Do you have any jumpers set on the WD hard drives? If so, totally remove them to be set as Single Device. I remember having trouble with a WD drive before, and removing the jumper cured it.

 

[Blain]

Idiot me found my Highpoint manual but the system still wouldn't boot to my RAID array.

I removed the jumpers, like Technonut said, now it boots to the RAID array using the SCSI boot option!

TECHNONUT RULEZ!

 

[Technonut]

Originally posted by: Blain
Idiot me found my Highpoint manual but the system still wouldn't boot to my RAID array.

I removed the jumpers, like Technonut said, now it boots to the RAID array using the SCSI boot option!

TECHNONUT RULEZ!

Awwww Shucks.... Not a problem, glad to have helped.