Windows doesn't see my RAID (except in Device Manager)???

[Matt_Stevens]

Okay, I was very careful to follow the instructions given me by everyone here. I have created the RAID 0 (Stiping) array and when I finished and booted into Windows, well, it doesn't see the drive(s).

Device Manager does show it under Disk Drives. Intel Rapid Storage Technology software that is installed sees it. But not Windows. I cannot access the actual drive(s) and use it for storage, etc.

I'm a little clueless about what to do next. You can read about my insanely loony build over here (RAID stuff on pg 2).

My system is an i7 2600k 3.4GHz, MSi P67A-GD64 (B3). I installed the drivers mentioned and recommended by others in system thread.

No idea what I should do now though. Advice?

By the way, my hardware defaulted to 128kb for the Data Strip Size. Is that too large?

 

[hennessy1]

Right click on computer click manage. Click Disk Management. It will show you your drives and most likely come up with a box asking you if you want to initialize the disk choose either MBR or GPT. Then right click on the drive with no partition and create a partition and you will be all set.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Okay, I follow some of this, but which do I choose? I have no idea and do not want to choose the wrong on. It's been nearly two weeks since I started putting this system together and I really need to be done with it. I'm thinking since this is an all new system, Windows 7 64bit, I can go ahead and use the newer GPT?

My Intel SSD is my OS drive. The RAID 0 Samsungs will be my scratch disk(s).

 

[hennessy1]

MBR (master boot record) is for drives you either want to boot off of or are less then 2TB in size. GPT (GUID partition table) is for drives larger then 2TB. If you have larger then 2TB array then GPT is your choice if not then either is fine.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Okay, this makes sense. I guess the only other confusion I have is when I right click on it (after choosing MBR as these are two 500GB drives) I only get the option to create New Simple Volume, which is for a single disk. But since my MB is handling the RAID and Windows thinks this is a single drive, that is the correct choice, right?

Sorry, this is my first ever RAID set up by myself.

EDIT: Hennessy1, thanks for your help. I'm good to go.

 

[hennessy1]

Yes you are correct Windows will only see it as a single drive.

 

[the_ub]

Right click on computer click manage. Click Disk Management. It will show you your drives and most likely come up with a box asking you if you want to initialize the disk choose either MBR or GPT. Then right click on the drive with no partition and create a partition and you will be all set.

OMG. Good sir, thank you. i had the same situation as OP and i have been lookin around for like 3 days now. the ONLY thing i saw was people saying "drivers, drivers, drivers." I done did the damned drivers! I am now in the middle of formatting my newly discovered RAID 0 drive. I just wanted to make an account and thank you!

I hope you see this.. where ever you are...

 

[hennessy1]

Thanks to the subscription feature here i did see your response and you are very welcome and was glad i could help.

 

[Morg.]

If windows doesn't see it, then it does not exist ! (like a linux logical partition nested within a should-be-dead windows primary partition)

 

[taltamir]

GPT is the successor of MBR and is much better. Windows cannot boot from GPT yet though, only from MBR. It can use GPT drives as storage though.