Install problem: OS SSD drive & Seperate HDD mirror

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Aug 27, 2011
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Fresh install....

I cant seem to properly install windows on my SSD (1xSamsung 830) and configure a seperate Raid 1 mirror on my HDDs (2xRaptor 600gb).
I want SSD to have AHCI enabled and like I already said, the HDDs to be mirrored in RAID 1. All just on the Intel sata ports.

How do I do this on a ASUS P8P67 mobo?
Motherboard has latest BIOS and SSD has latest firmware.

If OS installed on SSD in "Raid" BIOS setting (to implement raid for HDDs) the SSD drive appears to be in IDE mode.....want AHCI benefits. :??:

When do I install Intel RST & how do I setup raid to be recognized in windows (I can setup in Ctrl-I bios screen just fine)?



Thnx all. :pt1cable:
 
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Clear the CMOS on your motherboard and perform another fresh install with just your SSD connected to port SATA6G_1 or SATA6G_2 in RAID mode.

Any drive that is not part of a RAID array automatically defaults to AHCI mode.

Install Windows on your SSD.

After successful installation of Windows shut down your pc and connect your Raptors to any of the Intel 3Gb/s ports (SATA3G_3 thru SATA3G_6).

You can then go into RAID BIOS (Ctrl-I), select the 2 Raptors, and set up your RAID-1 array.

You can install Intel RST after you’ve installed Windows and installed all of your motherboard drivers.
 
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Thank you...i will try in about 1 hour (when I get out of work)...will let you know.

When I clear the CMOS (I assume I remove the battery from mobo to do so...it also has a "reset or clear" button)...does that get rid of my BIOS? Just trying to do everything to the "T".

Also...to confirm that SSD is in AHCI mode after raid is setup I can just look in Device Manager for AHCI controller right?


Thank you for responding!!!!!!
I have posted my issue now for 2 weeks (before I started the install last night) to get the right info so this seneria wouldnt happen......and you are the first to actually help....Well one guy tried to tell me to raid 0 my SSDs (I only have one....he totally missed my issue).
SO THNX!
 
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It just resets all settings to default values. It's not absolutely necessary that you do that step but I suggested it just ensure a smooth installation of Windows. If you don't do it the Windows installation may still happen problem free.



Yes




No problem!
 
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Oh, and now that I have installed Win7 twice on this SSD....whats the best way to wipe it fresh?
While in install screen select drive, then select "format"? Its so quick that I almost believe it did anything (HDD at least make some noise to confirm).
Just checking...gracias again.
 
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You have to Secure Erase the drive to restore it to fresh-out-of-the-box condition.
Go to Samsung's website for proper instructions on how to do it. You will probably have to connect the drive to another pc as a secondary drive in order to secure erase it.

Don't select format; just install Windows and let it format it automatically.
If you ever have to format a SSD, never "Full Format" it; only "Quick Format" it.
 
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Ok, so I did what u said. Unfortunately it partially worked.
SSD has win7 on it and raid mirror is configured in bios (Ctrl-I).

However, windows it doesn't see raid. I went to disk management because the drives/raid 1 wasnt in My Compture and it said I must configure drive to MBR or GPT. I went with MBR (guess). Unfortunately after that...nothing.
Only one single hard drive is present in Disk Mangement and no raid. I confirm this by seeing that the disk doesn't show up in My Computer and by only getting the option to create a "New Simple Volume" (everything else is greyed out) in Disk Management.

In case it helps, at one point last night disk managment said I had a "drive signature collision". So in DiskPart I tried to fix it.
Now windows only sees my SSD and one HDD even after installing Win7 on SSD & setting up raid in bios with both identical disks per your instructions.
DiskPart's "List Disk" command only shows 2 disks:
Disk 0 online 238GB (SSD)
Disk 1 online 558 GB (1x Raptor HDD)
Where's my other Raptor drive (it shows up in BIOS)?

Also, in Device Manager under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers I see no AHCI for the SSD. Only "Standar Dual Channel PCI IDE Contoller". Maybe this is because the HDD raid isn't seen yet so the SSD is in IDE mode still.
Help.
 
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Alright let us recap here. You installed your OS on your SSD in AHCI mode. Then you configured your two raptor drives in RAID 1 correct? Assuming I read this post correctly, you should only see the two drives as 1 in your OS not as two. Seeing as it seems you are making your raid functional by hardware on your mobo. This means that you have according to the OS two drives the SSD and it sees the RAID 1 (Mirroring) as 1 drive. Because you setup the two drives in RAID 1 which is disc mirroring which mean if your store something on one disc it is then replicated on the other.

Correct me if I am wrong but this is what you seem to have did and I think I gave the explanation to you. From the sounds of it you need to just install your two drives as a RAID 0 (Striping) No fault correction but I am guessing you just want maximum space to backup your SSD (Guessing). Personally that is not a good option either to me. I think you should just install all 3 drives regularly and backup the really important data to both raptors. That way at least you have some sort of backup as with RAID 0 if one drive fails both do.

Anyways I hope this helps. Respond if it doesn't maybe I did not understand the post completely.
 
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Thnx....

I thought RST got installed after SSD OS & Raid was configured.
I think im going to try and return the HDDs for fresh ones (bought warranty on stuff)....think one of them got messed up some how...if the return works then I will setup Raid in BIOS (ctrl-I) and see if it works/shows up in Win7

After Bios Raid setup what do I need to do in Win7 to get it to see these drives? I go to disk managment and setup raid after partitioning and assigning a letter?
 
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Ok I got the Raptors recognized as a RAID 1 in Intel's RST....did a "create simple volume" in Disk Managment and now I can see the Raid in My Computer.....finally!

Now my issue is still with that pesky AHCI mode not being correct:

SSD has OS (installed & still set to "RAID" in BIOS)
2XRaptors set on same Intel controller
So all 3 drives r set to "RAID"
Only raptors are actually raided.
In Win7 I go to Device Manager and then to IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers & then open that to check for AHCI setting.....and all I see is
ATA Channel 0
ATA Channel 1
Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller

No AHCI :??:
 
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....But in Device Manager my IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller should say something like, "Standard AHCI 1.0 Serial ATA Controller"....it doesnt. So Im a bit worried the SSD isnt getting AHCI benefits.

Also, I tried to check in registry for "0" values in msahci & iastorV which indicate AHCI is on, but only one was set to 0 the other to 3....
 
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