Need help with Raid-1 for GA-990FXA-UD3 board...

[elevated420]

I've spent way too much time on this. It is such a simple problem.

I have a GA-990FXA-UD3 board. I need to install XP in Raid-1.

I setup the BIOS. Had a friend smarter than I verify all was good.

I use the AMD SB950 drivers from the boards CD, located: \BootDrv\SBxxx

I load up XP Setup, hit "F6" for special drivers, time comes for the drivers, I put in the floppy into the USB floppy drive, XP finds the drivers...

Here's the problem I had, as well as my friend...

Near the end of the XP install, just before it is supposed to reboot into GUI mode, XP asks me for the same damn drivers! I put in the disk into the USB external floppy, and it does not read! The light on the floppy drive doesn't even turn on! This is the exact driver request I get:

"AMD AHCI Compatible Raid Controller Driver"

Again, I have already hit "F6," waited, installed the drivers, and near the end of the XP install (still on the install blue screen) I get a request for the above driver. The drive doesn't read, so I "F3" and the setup fails.

I know the answer to this problem is too simple. I really hope someone, anyone can help me with this!

ELEVATED

[MarkJohnson]

you may need newer drivers.  Try Gigabyte's website or AMD's Webite.

If you have a third drive to install XP onto, it is easier to install to the single drive, then setup the raid and clone the single drive to the RAID.  I see a lot of people using Clonezilla for this task.  I user Acronis True Image, but it cost money.  Mine was free with a hard drive purchase a while back.

http://clonezilla.org/

 also, not sure how well USB floppies are compatible with XP.  If you can, try nlite or similar to create anew boot cd with raid drivers pre-installed. This is what I did for XP.
http://www.msfn.org/board/forum/89-nlite/

-=Mark=-

[elevated420]

My friend used the drivers from Gigabytes site, no luck.

So, you are saying it is easier to just clone XP, right?

I assume this is how to do it...

1) Reset BIOS settings for one drive only.

2) Install XP.

3) Clone the disk.

4) Change BIOS settings to RAID-1.

5) Reboot...

Then what do I do? Am I all done, or do I have to change some settings in "disk management?"

Thanks so much for your time!

ELEVATED

[MarkJohnson]

My friend used the drivers from Gigabytes site, no luck.

So, you are saying it is easier to just clone XP, right?

I assume this is how to do it...

1) Reset BIOS settings for one drive only.

2) Install XP.

 Install both drive, enable raid, configure raid, reboot

3) Clone the disk.

4) Change BIOS settings to RAID-1.

5) Reboot...

6) Make raid1 boot drive and 640GB drive data drive.

Then what do I do? Am I all done, or do I have to change some settings in "disk management?"

Thanks so much for your time!

ELEVATED

-=Mark=-
oh yeah, try to load raid drivers in windows before rebooting to enable raid if you can.  Just leave the single drive out of any raid.

ps 2, You do realize your raid1 will slow you drive speed in half?  Is there any reason you want raid1 anyway?  It's not very good for home systems, and is a terrible backup solution.

[elevated420]

Basically, do this...

1) Reset BIOS settings for one drive only.

2) Install XP.

3) Plug in second drive, formatted with MBR erased.

4) Enable RAID in BIOS, configure raid ("Ctrl-F to enter raid options...")

5) Reboot

I'm lost from here. Shouldn't I have the disk cloned by now?


6) Clone the disk.

7) Change BIOS settings to RAID-1.

8.) Reboot...


9) Make raid1 boot drive and 640GB drive data drive.

Who said it was a 640GB drive?

I'm lost



"oh yeah, try to load raid drivers in windows before rebooting to enable raid if you can"

How?



"Just leave the single drive out of any raid."

What?



"ps 2, You do realize your raid1 will slow you drive speed in half?  Is there any reason you want raid1 anyway?  It's not very good for home systems, and is a terrible backup solution."


I need it for "real time" backup. My data is too important. What do you think is a better backup technique? Perhaps use the second drive for backup purposes once a night? What software do you suggest?


Thanks for all the help. I really want to accomplish this for my own knowledge, even if I decide not to use Raid-1.

Laterz.

ELEVATED

[MarkJohnson]

not sure exactly your goal.  You don't specify what you are doing.  If it is just data, (Documents, video, music, Pictures) Then make 640 your OS drive and make your RAID1 your data drive.  After you install windows, right click your folders you want backed up and select to MOVE them to your data drive (usually D:).

for example.

Click the start button and select your name (top of right column).  We'll call it Elevator.
now you should be at your main users folder (my music, my videos, my etc...)

right click each folder you want then select properties.

You'll get a popup windows saysing My Music Properties (or which ever you opened)
select the "Location" tab
click the, "Find Target" button

Now you will get your folders menu, click "computer" on your side bar and double click your raid1 drive.  Click OK and you're done.

and that's it.

I would setup raid before installing windows at all.  Make sure the 640GB is in the first sata port for booting.  Put the other two in the first 4 ports except 1.  5 and 6 are reserved for optical drives.

-=Mark=-
also,

[MarkJohnson]

I'm sorry, I got you mixed up with another person.

Ignore all I said.  lol

Have you tried the newest raid drivers from the AMD site?
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/raid_windows.aspx#3

Or the ones from Gigabyte's site?  These are over a year old.
http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3996&dl=1#driver

Just make sure you're using the first two ports.  They are AMD ports.  Do Not use the marvell controller or raid driver.

Also make sure you have the latest BIOS installed.

-=Mark=-