AK35GTR/ Highpoint HPT372 RAID controller...Can use as regular IDE?

[roboninja]

I'm new to the whole RAID thing, so I was wondering if you can use the RAID IDE slots just as regular IDE channels. If so, do I need to install the RAID software (I would guess I do)? I would like all 4 of my IDE devices (DVD, CDRW, 2 HDs) to all be on separate channels if possible. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[techietam]

I have that board and I have 3 hard drives and CDR running
on separate channels with no RAID configuration.
That same question bothered me before I bought
mine. I was very satisfied after I found that it works
fine in regular configuration

 

[CoDerEd]

You do have to install the driver not the Raid software and also you cannot install CD ROM in there
you can only install ATA66,100,133 device on the RAID (your hard drive)
but if you want to do clean install the windows installer cannot read the HPTA device
yet since you haven't install the driver

my suggestion is : you install one CD and one HD first on the regular
IDE port and do the clean install from your CD(make CD as the firts boot on the bios)
and after you finish you can rearrange everything like you want
probably like: Primary IDE 1 - DVD
Primary IDE 2 - CDRW
Primary RAID 1 - HD(with the OS)
Primary RAID 2 - 2nd HD

and then go to the bios again and change the firts boot to the HPT Raid Controller

good luck

 

[Wolfiesmith]

I'm also new to this raid thing and decided to get involved in order to get away from the "interference" problems between hard drives and cd/dvd or cd and dvd on the same IDE channel.

As I have the classic set up 2 x hd and 1 x dvd and 1 x cd rw is it true as CoDerEd that I cannot connect the cd and dvd to the raid card