Questions about GIGABYTE products > Motherboards with Intel processors
Building RAID 1 (mirroring) array on AORUS GA-Z270X-GAMING 7 - Part 2
milleniumaire:
Here I am again, 4 years on from my original PC build post (https://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=18601.0) and asking a similar question because the Gigabyte BIOS doesn't seem to be doing what it should and the Gigabyte manuals don't appear to reflect reality!
My PC has been running in Legacy BIOS mode for 4 years and I had 2 disks configured in a RAID 1 array. All drives used MBR. Everything was good!
The Windows 11 update checker, told me I needed Secure Boot and TPM 2.0, so I read up and figured out how to change these BIOS settings.
This involved converting my disks from MBR to GPT and switching from Legacy BIOS to UEFI. Eventually, I managed to do all of this, however, my RAID 1 array has been lost during the process and my PC now shows two separate disk drives, rather than the single "mirrored" drive.
So, I downloaded the Gigabyte RAID manual and followed the rather clumsy instructions. Everything went okay, until rebooting when I received an error saying "INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE". Tried again, but this time switched the Sata Mode back to AHCI (which the instructions don't mention) and it successfully booted into Windows. However, the RAID 1 array hasn't been created!
I have tried following the instructions 3 times and although everything appears to work, the RAID 1 array is never visible in Windows, so something is going wrong. I even tried changing my BIOS settings back to use Legacy BIOS, but still can't get the RAID 1 array to build.
What is going on Gigabyte?
My PC is on the latest version of the BIOS: F9e, dated 3/9/18
I am fully up-to-date with Windows 10, build 19044.
For what it's worth, the Gigabyte RAID manual I followed can be found here: https://download.gigabyte.com/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_200series-raid.pdf
I followed this manual, with a few additions (to ensure things worked) as follows:
B. Configuring SATA controller mode in BIOS Setup
Step 1:
In Peripherals\SATA And RST Configuration, change SATA Mode Selection from "AHCI" to "Intel RST Premium With Intel Optane System Acceleration"
Step 2: Follow UEFI RAID Configuration steps in C-2.
C-2 UEFI RAID Configuration
Step 1: (this was previously done as part of setting up Secure Boot)
Step 2...: In Peripherals\ Intel Rapid Storage Technology create the RAID array as required. Note this Peripherals option is only shown if I reboot and go back into BIOS after changing the SATA Mode (as far as I can remember).
After saving changes and restarting, the PC wouldn't boot, presumably because it was no longer in AHCI mode. No mention of this in the instructions. So, changed back to AHCI and rebooted again (the BIOS was showing the RAID 1 array had been created). In Windows, no sign of the RAID array, just two separate disks!
Tried the above again, but this time used the EZ RAID facility to create the RAID 1 array. Again, after creating the RAID 1 array and checking it via the Intel Rapid Storage Technology, changed the SATA Mode back to AHCI and rebooted into Windows. Still no RAID array.
I'm now at a loss as to what I'm doing wrong, having followed the instructions and apparently creating the array each time, only to find it doesn't exist in Windows!
Note: My PC comprises of a NVME, onto which the OS is installed and this is what is used for booting when SATA Mode is set to AHCI. While set to AHCI, it isn't possible to create a RAID array. When SATA Mode is set to "Intel RST Premium With Intel Optane System Acceleration" I can create the RAID array, but if left at this setting, I cannot boot into Windows as the NVME isn't listed in the boot list. So, in order to create the RAID array, I have to change SATA Mode to "Intel RST Premium With Intel Optane System Acceleration", then create the array, then change SATA Mode back to AHCI, then reboot.
I recall having to do something similar to this when I first built the PC, but back then, the RAID array was created successfully. Now, although BIOS implies the array has been created, it doesn't exist in Windows.
Any thoughts on why this isn't working?
shadowsports:
Greetings,
I'll respond later this morning.
milleniumaire:
Last night I thought I would try again. I suspected I'd get the same result, and I did, but I recorded every step with photos of my screen, so here's a record of what I did:
1. Reboot and hit Delete to get into BIOS. This screen shows the bootable drive is the M.2 Samsung SSD:
2. Go to Peripherals menu:
3. Note, there is NO Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology option shown because SATA Mode is currently set to AHCI. Click on SATA And RST Configuration.
4. Change SATA Mode from AHCI to "Intel RST Premium With Intel Optane System Acceleration":
5. Save and Exit BIOS:
6. At this point, the PC reboots, however it then displays the following error. I believe this is because AHCI mode is no longer being used, which means it doesn't recognise the M.2 drive:
7. Reboot and hit Delete to re-enter BIOS.
8. Now go to the Peripherals menu and click on the Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology option that has appeared as a result of changing the SATA mode (and restarting):
9. Click on Create RAID Volume:
10. Select the RAID level and the two disks:
11. Click on Create Volume and confirmation of the RAID1 array is shown:
12. Select Save and Exit:
13. On attempt to boot into Windows, the same error is displayed as before, due to AHCI setting:
14. Reboot and enter BIOS again. Go to the Peripherals menu and change SATA Mode Selection back to AHCI:
15. Select Save and Exit:
16. This time the PC attempts to boot, but an screen is displayed indicating there is an issue. NOTE: I wasn't fast enough to snapshot that particular screen, but here is the next screen in the sequence:
17. After a short time, the Automatic Repair is displayed. Click Restart:
18. This time the PC boots into Windows without issue. Start Disk Manager, which displays a message indicating the two drives that were supposed to have made up the RAID 1 array are still being seen as individual drives:
19. There's no real choice but to click OK, which then initialises both disks so they can be used i.e. partitions created. However, Disk Manager initially shows only Disk 1, rather than both disks:
20. Exiting Disk Manager and restarting then shows the expected 2 disks. No sign of a RAID 1 array. The Gigabyte RAID creation facility has failed or caused a problem, requiring windows to fix it at step 16!
So, what went wrong? Why wasn't the RAID 1 array created and if it was, why wasn't it acceptable to Windows, resulting in it being destroyed?
PS. I really hope you can see all the embedded images as it took me ages to make them available as shared links!!!! Gigabyte don't make it easy!
sygnus21:
I've no answer for why your failure other than a BIOS update for your board
I did however post a reply to your post back in ten forums on how to get better BIOS images. You might also use the snipping tool to get better Windows images :)
Edit: From your 2017 post...
--- Quote ---I suspect this has something to do with having a mix of M.2 storage, from which the OS needs to boot and SATA drives.
--- End quote ---
I was always under the impression both drives needed to use the same interface - NVMe or SATA. Never knew you could mix. That said, are you still mixing? Have you tried using the same ports - SATA and SATA instead of NVMe and SATA?
Another question - did you disable CSM in the BIOS. The RAID instructions for "UEFI RAID Configuration" clearly stated CSM must be "disabled". I saw nothing in your posts indicating that. You also need to reboot, and enter the BIOS again, for step 2.
milleniumaire:
--- Quote from: sygnus21 on December 14, 2021, 08:01:09 pm ---I was always under the impression both drives needed to use the same interface - NVMe or SATA. Never knew you could mix. That said, are you still mixing? Have you tried using the same ports - SATA and SATA instead of NVMe and SATA?
Another question - did you disable CSM in the BIOS. The RAID instructions for "UEFI RAID Configuration" clearly stated CSM must be "disabled". I saw nothing in your posts indicating that. You also need to reboot, and enter the BIOS again, for step 2.
--- End quote ---
I can confirm CSM Support was already disabled prior to me starting to create the RAID. This is shown on the very first BIOS screen dump. This, and some other BIOS options, as well as converting MBR to GPT was done last week as part of preparing for a Windows 11 upgrade as this needs to be done to enable Secure Boot functionality.
I suspect it was some of these earlier BIOS updates that actually broke the RAID 1 array, which has been in place and working for 4 years. During this time, the PC has had the same 3 drives; 2 for the RAID and the M.2 for Windows boot. They have always been mixed and are still mixed i.e. no hardware has been changed, only BIOS settings and the conversion to GPT.
I have notes from when I originally built the PC, explaining I would need to set the SATA mode to "Intel RST Premium ....." to create the RAID array, then change it back to AHCI so that the PC could boot from the M.2 drive. This hasn't changed.
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