Installation help with M4 SSD

[digitalraven]

My SSD arrives today and i had a couple questions before it goes into my pc, My plan is to install my OS on this drive while keeping my OS on my raid 0 setup just to make sure i dont lose my boot drive if this SSD doesnt work.

1. After verifying the latest firmware, once connected up in the system do i have to pre install any drivers like the RST on this disk before the OS goes on it?
2. Is it possible to have my OS on this SSD without touching my current setup (2x 120 raptors in raid 0) for dual boot option? (just to make sure this thing works)
3. Once i install this and verify it works for a week, im going to delete my raid setup on my 2 raptors and re raid them for storage, im guessing i will have to pre install the raid drivers on the SSD first before attempting this or can i do it after i get the raid 0 setup up and working?

Any other things i could do before hand in getting rdy to install this beast? like and tips or suggestions?

thanks.

 

[sneeks83]

From what i understand if you just un hook the raptors and just hook the ssd up. Then insert windows disc and with only ssd hooked up will automatically load windows. Then go to bios and make sure you primary Boot disc is your ssd and you should be able to reconnect the Raid.

 

[sneeks83]

I think if you have a problem read the post a couple slots down called:Can't boot SSD Windows 7 with RAID 0?

 

[digitalraven]

Well i cant seem to install windows on my ssd. Set to ahci and its recognized on boot but when i click on next on the screen where it asks me where u want to install windows i get an error saying setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition?

 

[digitalraven]

Fixed my previous issue, disconnected everything including any usb drives. How do you get around windows creating a 70mb partition for system files and whatnot? is it really something to worry about with the SSD? I like all my space on a HD but if it wont harm anything ill just roll with it.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

http://www.mydigitallife.info/how-to-avoid-200mb-hidden-system-partition-from-been-created-during-windows-7-installation/

 

[digitalraven]

Thanks, is it bad to format an ssd before windows install?

 

[digitalraven]

Im up and running and AS SSD bench shows Seq Read / 268.74 MB/s and Seq Write / 175.04 MB/s. are these normal speeds for Sata 2 ports? connected to port 0 with latest intel drivers loaded. HIB is disabled and page file set to 512mb with 6gigs of ram.

thanks