Help setting up raid array

[faZZter]

Ok I have never used the RAID feature of my mb before so here goes....

I have a 15GB disk with XP pro installed on IDE 1.

I have 2 40 GB drives configured as master and slave on raid IDE 1.

I am using an IWILL KK_266-R motherboard. The jumper is enabled for RAID. In the RAID manual supplement it says to hit cntl-m to access the hyperdisk setup screen. I have tried this a zillion times (along with any other combo I could think of) and it just boots on in to WinXP, no raid setup utility.

So any ideas why I can't get it up? (errr uhhh, you know what I mean!)

Any other pointers? Do the disks already have to be formatted? (I am guessing yes) Should they just be one primary partition, extended or what? Maybe I don't need to format them....is that what the raid utility does?

Any help appreciated....thanx.

 

[Nothinman]

If you don't see the RAID BIOS and ctrl+M doesn't work the RAID BIOS isn't enabled or functioning.

And it shouldn't matter if they're formatted or not, except that any data on them will be overwritten.

 

[Smilin]

FIRST! split those two 40's. Put each as the sole master on each raid channel. Use the jumpers, no cable-select. This is not optional.

Check in bios - the raid probably needs enabled there.

You don't need to format the drives or do anything to them individually. Use your raid software (via windows program from the raid manufacturer OR your control-m)and setup your array. It probably has some "auto" kind of option that should work fine.

After the array is setup, windows will detect a new (single) disk. Use disk administrator to partition and format it like normal and you're good to go.

 

[faZZter]

Update: Ok I got the raid bios working, I think my problem is in fact (like you said) that the drives aren't split on their own channels. I will try that and see how things go. Thanx....

 

[faZZter]

Update:

Ok I have seperated the drives, the bios says the striped array is online, they are both masters.

I went in to partition them with partition magic v7.0 and I get a write error 43. I also tried formatting them in dos and the drive(s) don't even show up as a valid disk to format?

Any more ideas how to get windows to format/recognize this array?

 

[Fuzznuts]

have you tried using fdisk? when i build a new array on highpoint controllers nothing is seen until they have been set up using fdisk. the windows install program will also fail with the error inaccessable boot device.

Hope this helps

 

[Smilin]

Yep, what fuzznuts (hehe) said.

Even if the drives were partitioned and formatted before they will be seen as a single unpartitioned drive now. Just use fdisk (or skip it altogether and let the setup program for your new OS handle it)