AMD RAIDXpert does not work

[TeraMedia]

I am trying to setup a Win 7 x64 system on a Foxconn A9DA MB w/ a Phenom II X6.
Completed:
- Went into BIOS and setup RAID arrays for my boot drive.
- Installed Win 7 x64 and it is recognizing all of the RAID arrays.
- Installed AMD chipset, NB, SB, Sound, CCC and GPU software up to 2010-12-14.
- Installed RAIDXpert, and got the web page to launch.

The problem I am having is that the pull-down in RAIDXpert that is labeled "AMD RAIDXpert" (as opposed to the one labeled "Administrative Tools") and is supposed to show my arrays, shows nothing.

In researching on the web, I have found that there may be a driver that didn't install correctly, namely the "AMD RAID Console" driver. It is supposed to appear under the "AMD AHCI Compatible RAID Controller" when you set Device Manager view mode to "Devices by Connection". I have the RAID Controller entry, and I have my RAID arrays listed, but the AMD RAID Console device isn't listed.

Looking at the install software from AMD, it seems that the required (?) device is installed through the nodrv.inf file located in C:\ATI\Support\10-12_win7_32-64_raid\Packages\Drivers\SBDrv\SB7xx\RAID\W764A by default. I have not been able to figure out how to manually install that device. When I try to install the nearby msi file, I get a message saying that I need to install using Catalyst Installation Manager... which then does not try to install the necessary device driver. One thing I noticed is that the setup information for the RAID driver that came in that installation is an older version (DriverVer=07/01/2009, 3.1.1540.151) than the one CIM reports as installed (09/23/2009, 3.2.1540.14). So might that be causing the NODRV device to be ignored?

Any ideas? How can I install this device? If I can do a "force" install of just this device using CIM, without it trying to reinstall all of the drivers that come with it, that would be great.

 

[TeraMedia]

I know there must be someone out there who knows how to force-install AMD drivers and components using Catalyst Install Manager.

 

[TeraMedia]

I saw that this got quite a few views, so since I just got it working I thought I would provide an update.

I had installed the Win 7 x64 RAID drivers version 3.2.1540.14 when I installed the O/S. Those drivers apparently fail to install the AMD RAID Console driver. I had also installed RAIDXpert version 2.something

What WORKS is the following:
1) Get the WHQL_SB8xx_RAID_VistaW7_3.2.1540.75.zip file from the AMD website (I found a link to it on their gamer forum). Upgrade your drive controller to that.

Note: After you reboot, the O/S should now find the AMD RAID Console device.

2) Get the SB8xx_RAIDXpert_3.2.1540.15 install. I wish I could tell you where I found it, but I don't remember. Probably also the AMD website, however.
3) Uninstall RAIDXpert (this, too, can be a very fun experience... try using command line and /removeonly or /x flags on C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Installations\{....}\RAIDXpert.msi if all else fails. e.g. "MSIEXEC.exe /x RAIDXpert.msi"
4) Install the newly-downloaded RAIDXpert.

Bingo. It works. At some future point in time I reserve the right to tell Promise Technology to rot in h.ll.

 

[c5f8]

What WORKS is the following:
1) Get the WHQL_SB8xx_RAID_VistaW7_3.2.1540.75.zip file from the AMD website (I found a link to it on their gamer forum). Upgrade your drive controller to that.

Teramedia:
I found the AMD link:
http://wwwd.amd.com/AMD/SReleaseF.nsf/85a5bd877288a89c87256f330051687b/436236e7fbf316ba8725771f005e302e/$FILE/WHQL_SB8xx_RAID_VistaW7_3.2.1540.75.zip

However the above link requires a user name and password;
I can't find where to setup a user name. I went to the AMD developer Center but that user name/password did not work for the RAID file.

Anyone know where else the above file is located at?

 

[c5f8]

Problem solved:


"AMD AHCI Compatible RAID Controller"
AMD FORUM
http://forums.amd.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=319&threadid=108381

Above link gives a link to the required drivers.

 

[TeraMedia]

I haven't looked at this thread in a while...

When I originally installed the O/S over a year ago, AMD wasn't posting the latest drivers on their main driver download pages. They had ones for the 7xx series SBs, but not for the SB850. So the software didn't recognize the chipset properly and didn't install the necessary components. As noted I was able to find things on a forum somewhere, but not through normal channels or through the MB manuf's site.

Since then, AMD is now posting the current drivers for SB8xx on their website. You can go to www.amd.com, click on the "Find a Driver" link, select Component Category "Motherboard/Chipset", select Product Line "AMD 8-Series Chipsets", and select Product Model "All 8-Series Chipsets". Then choose your O/S (Win 7 x64 in my case), and it brings you to a page with the right drivers, which are currently 3.3.xx (mine were v3.2.xx when I DLed them).

This is really no longer an issue for someone installing today.