RAID Array not recognized cant install OS

[LiquidSwords]

Hi everyone !

I have a big problem!

Here's my setup : Gigabyte GA-7VT600-P Motherboard with onboard serial-ATA raid controller with 2 Maxtor 120 gig S-ATA in RAID0, a Highpoint RocketRaid 1540 PCI RAID controller with 3 200 gig Maxtor S-ATA in RAID5.

Now the motherboard is flashed with the latest bios (F8) and the RAID0 array is set to boot device in the onboard raid controller. In the Bios I also set the RAID0 array as the first HDD boot device.

I then start the installation of Windows XP SP2 Corp. I press F6 in the begining and load the Via RAID controler of a floppy disk. then installer procede to the partition selection for installing windows. The Array is recognized and I can partition it and setup my windows install. Windows then procede to format and copy the files it needs. When it restarts after copying the files I get "Disk boot failure, Insert system disk" error

I tried reinstalling with different settings with no luck so far...

I tried taking off one of the drive of the RAID0 array and pluged it into the PCI controller's fourth (empty) slot and I was able to install windows on it then.

But now I want to add a fourth drive to the raid 5 array so I need to be able to install windows on the onboard controller's array

Any help appriciated

Thanks

 

[LiquidSwords]

update : I ran Maxblast 4.0 and I think I pinpointed the problem... Maxblast says the Array is not set as a boot device even tough I set it to boot device in the controller setup screen at bootup.

Any idea ???

 

[dakarpsi]

maxtor is wierd like that, I had to do something similar with my intel raid. I decided not to go with maxtor again for raid drives. because of maxblast

 

[LiquidSwords]

Sunnavabicth !!!! I took the Highpoint controller out of the comp. and now it's working ! I hope it boots after I reinstall it after windows install

 

[LiquidSwords]

damnit it doesn't work !
Somehow it gives priority to the PCI controller even tough its set to second boot device

 

[LiquidSwords]

Humm just noticed the RocketRAID PCI controller is set as SCSI-0 while the VIA onboard is SCSCI-1 even tough the Via controlled array is set to boot first this might be the problem

 

[LiquidSwords]

How could I have the onboard cotroller set to SCSI-0 (they're not scsi devices) manually setting the IRQ maybe ?

 

[Kraptor]

I have a similar problem too though mine is with an onboard nforce 4 sli(ultra) chip. I have 2 disks setup as a Raid 0 array on the nf4 and after I format the drives in Win XP it just wont recognizes them. It will give me a msg that the disk or cd inserted maybe damaged, or try with a diff driver, etc.

When I hit F6 during install it will load up both the nvidia storage controller and raid controller it will show up during the partition phase but after that I will alywas get the msg that disk maybe damaged or try diff driver.

I have tried with various floppies and diff drivers but so far have no luck. Also for soe reason it recognize the drive as an SCSI and not SATA

The Raid 0 is with a maxtor and a samsung 120g HDD

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: LiquidSwords
Sunnavabicth !!!! I took the Highpoint controller out of the comp. and now it's working ! I hope it boots after I reinstall it after windows install

This happens on an Nforce 4 MB I have with onboard Silicon Image raid contoller. Every once in awhile the damn thing somehow manages to be set as the boot device and craps windows.

I really have no idea how or why it did it and solved the problem by not using the NVRaid solution at all with my two boot drives.

I have 2x80GB drives for boot and 4x200GB drives on the SI controller.

It sounds like you are having the same problem except with completely different RAID devices. Could it be a windows feature that is somehow messing with the bios? If so, I didnt know Windows had the ability to modify bios settings without a 3rd party app?

 

[Kraptor]

Genx,

How is the SI performance on the board? I have an nf4 sli board too and having the exact same problem. Cant install xp when my raid 0 is on the nv satas. I can manage with SI but the performance is not that great. I used to had a IC4 with a RAID 0 witht he same HDDs and that one perfomed better then the SI on this board. Here are some pics:

INterl Raid 0
Silicon image Raid0

Both setup uses the same HDDs, 1 Maxtor and 1 Samsung 2x120

 

[Kraptor]

Originally posted by: Genx87

Originally posted by: LiquidSwords
Sunnavabicth !!!! I took the Highpoint controller out of the comp. and now it's working ! I hope it boots after I reinstall it after windows install

This happens on an Nforce 4 MB I have with onboard Silicon Image raid contoller. Every once in awhile the damn thing somehow manages to be set as the boot device and craps windows.

I really have no idea how or why it did it and solved the problem by not using the NVRaid solution at all with my two boot drives.

I have 2x80GB drives for boot and 4x200GB drives on the SI controller.

It sounds like you are having the same problem except with completely different RAID devices. Could it be a windows feature that is somehow messing with the bios? If so, I didnt know Windows had the ability to modify bios settings without a 3rd party app?

Found ur solution for nv problem. It seems that there is a bug in som emotherboards BIOSes. You have to set all ur SATA/IDE channels to auto detect in BIOS so it can actualy detect ur drivers, the easiest way is just to do a CMOS clear. If you do enable/diable SATA/IDE channel manually it for some reason grey out ur drives and will display them as NONE. Just leave all ur channles on auto and xp isntall should work fine on nv satas. It did solve my problem.