How do I do RAID on a clean install of Win7?

[toronado]

I'm a Win7 RAID noob and I have many questions on how to do this. I'm hoping someone could answer my questions for my specific system setup scenario or just point me to a source where this has all been explained.

I am going to be doing a clean install of Win7 (64bit) on a single SSD OS drive, and I have two 500GB hard disks for data storage which I'd like to have in a RAID 1 array.

For this install, the system has a GIGABYTE GA-H77M-D3H (Intel-based) motherboard.

First question...
1. In the BIOS, should I set SATA mode to RAID before installing the OS?

My understanding is that the single SSD OS drive will operate in AHCI mode when the SATA mode is set to RAID mode.


Second question...
2. During the clean install of Win7 to the single SSD, should the two 500GB hard disks (the disks that will form the RAID 1 for data storage) be connected or disconnected?

Normally (when not using RAID) I'd have only the OS drive connected when installing Windows. Then after installing windows I would connect the data drive(s).


Third question...
3. How to I go about actually installing the Win7 drivers for RAID? Do they get installed automatically if the all the hard drives are connected during Win7 installation and I have the SATA mode set to RAID in the BIOS, or do I need to load them manually during the Win7 setup?

Assuming for the time being that I need to install them manually during Win7 setup, I have downloaded the "Intel SATA Preinstall driver (For AHCI / RAID Mode)" for Win7 64-bit for my motherboard from Gigabyte. This is a self-extracting archive called "mb_driver_intel_bootdisk_irst_64_7series.exe" which unpacks to a folder called "iRST_64Bit" which contains 6 files.

The Gigabyte download page includes the note: "Note: Press F6 during Windows setup to read from floppy." Is this for Windows XP?

For Win7 do I need to put the "iRST_64Bit" folder (unpacked) onto a USB stick? If so, when do I plug that in?

 

[mauller07]

you need to enable raid on your sata port that the HDD's are connected to and after post you should get another option to setup a raid array before windows starts to boot, you enter the raid options and then create a raid 1 array on the 2 hdd's.

it does not matter when you setup the raid on the hdd's before or after os install since the os is on a seperate SSD to the raid.

 

[ingtar33]

lots of questions.. and the problem is the answers change depending on your mb raid controler.

generally in my experience, i like to set up the raid array in the bios. so start there. your bios will likely have some sort of utility to create the raid array, do that first. Then install windows7 on your ssd, generally it will work better if your ssd is set to IDE mode, but i know you can have little issue with AHCI depending on your hardware, so it's a crapshoot.

Windows should figure out the raid array on it's own, worst case scenario you'll need to go to your mb's install disk to install the raid drivers for windows. Doubtful you'll need it though.

and yes, have that raid 1 array plugged in during your install.

 

[Dereck47]

1.) Correct
2.) Disconnected
3.) Let Windows install its own default drivers. The only time you really need to pre-install drivers is if Windows does not see a drive to install on. If that is the case then pre-installing drivers normally fixes that problem.
After Windows install is complete you can then reboot and install the latest RAID drivers.

 

[alexoiu]

Hi,
an option:
- Connect the SSD to an Intel SATA 3 port and the HDDs to 2 of the Intel SATA 2 ports.
- Set SATA to RAID in BIOS, save and restart,
- Ctrl+I at restart and configure the RAID array. Leave the SSD as non-member.
- Exit, plug in the USB drive, start installing Windows.
- Load the driver during Windows installation (from the folder saved on the USB drive).
Select the SSD for installing Windows.

a second option would be installing Windows on the SSD, SATA set to AHCI, installing the RAID driver, then connecting the HDDs, switching to RAID in BIOS and configuring the array.

 

[FireWire2]

Here is another way to do

1_ install windows as AHCI - will give you the BEST performance - SATA3 host/ drive all the way prefered.
2_ After done the install, connect your TWO 500G to MB, Fire up WIn7
3_ Go to Disk Manager convert this TWO disk as Dynamic Drive
4_ Create a mirror volume out of these TWO drives.

Later on you can move your RAID to ANY MB, as long as it runs Windows, there won't be compatible issue. You just CAN NOT use it as OS drive.

and there won't be different CPU load between MB's RAID and OS's RAID.

 

[toronado]

Thanks for the responses. Wow, everybody has their own favorite way to do this.

Here is another way to do

1_ install windows as AHCI - will give you the BEST performance - SATA3 host/ drive all the way prefered.
2_ After done the install, connect your TWO 500G to MB, Fire up WIn7
3_ Go to Disk Manager convert this TWO disk as Dynamic Drive
4_ Create a mirror volume out of these TWO drives.

Later on you can move your RAID to ANY MB, as long as it runs Windows, there won't be compatible issue. You just CAN NOT use it as OS drive.

and there won't be different CPU load between MB's RAID and OS's RAID.

Hey, thanks! I had no idea that Windows Disk Management supported this sort of software RAID. Seems like a pretty cool way to do this.

I can think of at least one possible advantage over the motherboard RAID... One of my 500GB drives already has data on it. I believe I would need to delete that partition and set it to unallocated space to build the RAID array (and then restore the data from a backup after creating the array), but using Disk Management software RAID-1 I might be able to set both drives up as dynamic drives without deleting data from the one that already has data, and then tell Windows Disk Management to mirror to the blank drive. Not sure about that though!

However, I did a little reading up on this, and it seems my version of Windows 7 (Home Premium) does not support the mirroring. However, this also made me realize I made a major boo boo in my original post. This isn't going to be for the system I mentioned but actually a different one with a different Gigabyte Intel motherboard (specifically B75M-HD3). And it so happens that system will be running Windows 8 Professional 64-bit, not Windows 7 Home Premium, so maybe I can do the software RAID-1 in Windows 8 Professional.

One other thing... you mentioned that AHCI mode is best, but my understanding is that when using the RAID SATA mode in the BIOS, any non-RAID member single disk would actually be AHCI. So for example, my system drive would be AHCI even with the RAID SATA mode on. However, are you saying that using the software RAID approach (and BIOS set to AHCI mode) is actually better because ALL disks (including the disks in the software RAID array) would have AHCI?

1.) Correct
2.) Disconnected
3.) Let Windows install its own default drivers. The only time you really need to pre-install drivers is if Windows does not see a drive to install on. If that is the case then pre-installing drivers normally fixes that problem.
After Windows install is complete you can then reboot and install the latest RAID drivers.

Thanks. If I wanted to do it this way, could you just clarify one thing please... are you talking about allowing Windows to install its own default drivers, but only temporarily for the purpose of the Windows installation, and then after installation installing the Intel RAID drivers from Gigabyte? Why would this better than preloading the Intel drivers during install (from USB drive)?

EDIT: One more question...
Between the two above methods (motherboard RAID vs. software RAID in Windows), which is going to be better performance-wise?

 

[Dereck47]

... are you talking about allowing Windows to install its own default drivers, but only temporarily for the purpose of the Windows installation, and then after installation installing the Intel RAID drivers from Gigabyte? Why would this better than preloading the Intel drivers during install (from USB drive)?

I like to have Windows do everything without any intervention from me strictly for troubleshooting purposes. If any errors or BSODs occur then I know it wasn't because of anything I did. I like to have a "baseline/stable" system before I begin to upgrade drivers for better performance.

But that's just a personal preference. 99.999% of the time you won't have any issues pre-installing drivers, so go for it if you want to.

EDIT: One more question...
Between the two above methods (motherboard RAID vs. software RAID in Windows), which is going to be better performance-wise?

Firmware (motherboard) RAID has better performance than software RAID.
Software RAID has better portability than firmware RAID. You can move your RAID drives to any Win 7 system.
With firmware RAID if you move your drives to another motherboard the RAID BIOS will probably have to be the same in order for your RAID array to be recognized.

 

[toronado]

I like to have Windows do everything without any intervention from me strictly for troubleshooting purposes.

OK, I get it now. That's an excellent point. Thanks.

Firmware (motherboard) RAID has better performance than software RAID.

That's what I thought too, until I saw this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQiZVoJqyqo
Do you believe it?

 

[FireWire2]

Firmware (motherboard) RAID has better performance than software RAID.

That is debate-able statement.
There are lots of MB's RAID does not support NCQ and enhance features that AHCI supports, some of them can't event support HDD greater than 2TB. (not in this case)

The best is test the set up. It wont take long, because all MBs are not the same

 

[toronado]

Firmware (motherboard) RAID has better performance than software RAID.

That is debate-able statement.
There are lots of MB's RAID does not support NCQ and enhance features that AHCI supports, some of them can't event support HDD greater than 2TB. (not in this case)

The best is test the set up. It wont take long, because all MBs are not the same

Thanks. Being noob on this subject, some of this terminology is unfamiliar. However, I can't argue with "test the setup".

Overall though, I like the software RAID approach for not just ease of setup, but also some of the aforementioned advantages such as portability of the RAID array.

 

[Merlin1716]

Just went through this problem - -
and for my ASROCK X99 WS-E MoBo, THIS was the solution:
I have 2x512GB SSDs as Vol 1 in RAID1, and 4x3TB HDD as Vol0 in RAID5
Both are controlled by the Intel X99 controller and were set up through Ctrl-I during POST
OBTW - you first have to set the SATA-3 controller to RAID mode for your HDDs in BIOS
-
THEN - - during Win7 setup - it will ask where you want to put the system
Win7 doesn't know how to talk to your RAID arrays - so you have to go to the Intel site
Download the FLOPPY RAID Drivers for your computer (mine is 64-bit)
and put them on a USB drive
Plug the USB drive into your computer
Tell the Windows installation to Load Driver - and select the one on your USB drive
NOW you should see your RAID volumes - - but Windows says: Can't Install Here - -
THAT'S because the disk hasn't been partitioned and formatted yet!!
Select "Advanced" - -
Highlight the RAID drive you want as your Boot Disk and then click NEW
That Partitions the drive
Then select FORMAT - - and SHAZAM !!! NOW you can install to the drive !!
-
OBTW - -
I discovered that you MUST connect the 2 SSD drives you want for the RAID1 system
to the FIRST SATA slots on your MoBo (IE SATA3_0 and SATA3_1)
The Intel RAID controller then configures THAT as Vol-0
And your RAID5 HDD volume will be Vol-1
Winblows ALWAYS puts partitions on your Vol0 and if THAT is your RAID5 volume,
will prevent you From formatting your HUGE 12GB data drive as GPT
instead of the Winblows default NTFS
NTFS will segment the drive into a 6TB and a 2TB partition
GPT will let you use the whole thing as an 8+ TB drive