Epox 8k5a - 4 drives - no raid - advice please

[l333]

I have the epox 8k5a with raid.
I have 3 hard drives and 1 cdrw
I would like to run them seperately {not raid} each on it's own channel

I believe I have ide 0,1,2,3

The two "primary" are blue
The two for raid I believe are red

I would just like to run these drives as simply as possible - the fewest drivers etc. just as simple as I can make it. I have done a search and am still confused as to easiest way to take advantage of my extra IDE's the easiest way.

I am going to do a clean install of XP.

Would someone who has done this please tell me how?


Thanks

 

[Mikki]

To use the raid channel as a normal ide channel, just create an array using a single drive. Do whatever you want with it and then do the second drive with the first already established. Or just put everything on the two ide channels and forget about it....with newer boards/drives and WinXP, splitting your drives up like that offers no advantages. HTH

 

[overclox]

I333....when you do the clean install of XP, when it asks you if you need to install RAID drivers, you DO need to do that at that time......even if you aren't setting up a RAID array, the Highpoint drivers need to be installed or your OS won't see the HD's on the RAID controllers.

 

[l333]

Thanks Mikki and overclox

I have the latest raid "controller" file and the latest raid "drivers" - in separate files

I assume that overclox refers to are the "drivers"

I also assume I will have to "enable" raid in the bios -

Questions
Will I ever have to install the "controller" program or just the drivers?

If just the drivers, when exactly will XP ask for them on the clean install - when it does - just put in the floppy with the drivers and let it handle it?

Is there any more to it than this?

Thanks

 

[Mikki]

All you need is the drivers, hit F6 to load them during Windows setup and that's it. After you enabled the raid the bios will automatically detect drives and enable you to create an array.