Raid on Maximus IV Extreme Z

[wadgra]

Hey, I was trying to get 2 of my 3 Identical WD Caviar green drives set into a Raid 0 array, but no matter what I do, I get screwed...


First, I made sure I had the 2 disks I wanted striped, together on the intel ports... I had already previously installed the newest IRST drivers and Marvell drivers... Booted up, and during post did the whole ctrl+I thing, computer just froze on boot logo... waited till after the logo, and it boots up fine (but still doesn't acknowledge that I pressed ctrl+I).

Then, Tried connecting the 2 sata drives to the Marvell Sata connectors... If I press ctrl+M it freezes on boot logo, as before...
If I press it after logo flashes,it just goes to startup menu (os boot screen w/ memory diagnostic)... If I don't press anything at all, it very quickly BSOD's and restarts...

Any help?

(yes, I have my sata controller set to raid in bios, Intel and Marvell)

 

[itzdanielp]

Have you tried updating the BIOS?

 

[jaquith]

Hmm...I am a little confused here as to 'how' you setup the RAID. First IMO use the Intel SATA ports, the Intel SATA -> RAID, and then the Ctrl + I to pair the RAID, I would recommend a 128K stripe.

Further, I really don't recommend 'Consumer' lines of WD since they lack TLER and aren't very good for ANY form of RAID. Instead I would recommend e.g. Samsung Spinpoint F3's or IF you want WD then their Enterprise editions - http://www.wdc.com/en/products/internal/enterprise/

 

[wadgra]

Yes. That's what I said I did first... I used the intel ports... And there was no specific Intel Raid setting in bios, just A collective Raid setting, I used that. Ctrl+I did nothing.

Whether they are any good or not, is fine with me, but I think I should still be able to get the raid window to pop up with Ctrl+I right?

 

[wadgra]

Have you tried updating the BIOS?

Yea, update my BIOS about a month ago


Just checked, new bos update, will get back after updating

 

[foscooter]

SATA ports set to RAID in BIOS: check

Boot into RAID <Ctrl>+<I> during RAID post: check

Choose which RAID (0), stripe size (128k), and which drives to included in tthe array: can't get there? This is the problem?

Now, if the drives in RAID are for the OS, you will have to reinstall the OS! Did you know that? Setting to RAID, and removing RAID jacks everything on the drives.

P.S. Don't use the Marvell ports for the OS. If you don't have any drives hooked into them, unistall the drivers, and disable them in BIOS. I ALWAYS have problems with Marvell or JMicron SATA controllers!

 

[jaquith]

Whether they are any good or not, is fine with me, but I think I should still be able to get the raid window to pop up with Ctrl+I right?

Lacking TLER is the root cause for excessive 'pausing' especially if there's an error(s). If it were me and I had no intentions of exchanging the drives I would opt for a FULL Formatting from the Widows Custom (Advanced) screen.

Correct there's only SATA -> RAID option in the BIOS and don't use 'Hot-swap' for a non-redundant array, save, and boot into the Ctrl+I Intel RAID control panel and set up as RAID 0 then save the RAID. Boot off the DVD or USB Flash Drive and re-install Windows formatting first.

I noted the following:
"*Note: For proper operation, please ensure to update Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver to version 10.6.0.1002 and BIOS to version 0403 before enabling Intel Smart Response Technology."

What you 'could' do is a modified version of my X79 RAID installation guide but simply substituting the Intel RST driver (Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology Driver Software V10.6.0.1002 for Windows XP/Vista/7 32bit & 64bit.(WHQL)).

See - http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/303873-30-wont-resume-sleep-booted-raid#t2068879

--

BTW - I inadvertently made a typo on the Stripe size in my prior post, it's corrected now.

 

[wadgra]

SATA ports set to RAID in BIOS: check

Boot into RAID <Ctrl>+<I> during RAID post: check

Choose which RAID (0), stripe size (128k), and which drives to included in tthe array: can't get there? This is the problem?

Now, if the drives in RAID are for the OS, you will have to reinstall the OS! Did you know that? Setting to RAID, and removing RAID jacks everything on the drives.

P.S. Don't use the Marvell ports for the OS. If you don't have any drives hooked into them, unistall the drivers, and disable them in BIOS. I ALWAYS have problems with Marvell or JMicron SATA controllers!

Finally got far enough to set up the Raid (0) and 128k stripe size, but no matter what (i've messed with everything in BIOS relating to it) When win 7 start up prior to log in screen, when the colored dots form the windows logo, thats when it BSOD's on me.

Ive tried moving the SSD with the OS on it to marvell controller, and back onto the intel ports, to no avail... it always just BSOD's when trying to enter windows, and it happens as soon as I set anything to RAID in the BIOS...

 

[wadgra]

Lacking TLER is the root cause for excessive 'pausing' especially if there's an error(s). If it were me and I had no intentions of exchanging the drives I would opt for a FULL Formatting from the Widows Custom (Advanced) screen.

Correct there's only SATA -> RAID option in the BIOS and don't use 'Hot-swap' for a non-redundant array, save, and boot into the Ctrl+I Intel RAID control panel and set up as RAID 0 then save the RAID. Boot off the DVD or USB Flash Drive and re-install Windows formatting first.

I noted the following:
"*Note: For proper operation, please ensure to update Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver to version 10.6.0.1002 and BIOS to version 0403 before enabling Intel Smart Response Technology."

What you 'could' do is a modified version of my X79 RAID installation guide but simply substituting the Intel RST driver (Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology Driver Software V10.6.0.1002 for Windows XP/Vista/7 32bit & 64bit.(WHQL)).

See - http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/303873-30-wont-resume-sleep-booted-raid#t2068879

--

BTW - I inadvertently made a typo on the Stripe size in my prior post, it's corrected now.

I did make sure hot-swap was not enabled on everything... This is so gay, I followed the instructions word for word in the manual, looked online, tried all the tricks I found, Even messed with it myself... I don't think my *** is gonna work.

But I'm still open for advice, cause I'm never gonna stop with this until I either make it work or destroy my computer... It's getting vindictive now!

 

[jaquith]

While you 'can' don't mix SATA3 and SATA2 Intel ports. I generally prefer the RAID if (2) drives to run off the same 'bank' i.e. top + bottom ports.

Also, I make certain to unplug all but the primary drive(s) when installing the OS. Generally, setting-up a RAID (0,1,10, and even 5) is pretty straight forward and "IF" there's a problem it's generally the HDD(s)/SSD(s) IF everything else is working.

Try the USB Flash Drive installation as I linked and try loading the Intel RST drivers as I described. Further, don't try to install the OS with the CPU OC, instead F5 (Load Defaults), SATA -> RAID. Break the RAID in Ctrl + I the redo the RAID if re-installing the OS. IF using Intel then IMO Marvell SATA -> Disable.

IF you continue the have issues the go to WD and test drives with Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for DOS (CD) - http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=608&lang=en

Use ONLY Windows to Format and NOT any other application(s).

 

[wadgra]

While you 'can' don't mix SATA3 and SATA2 Intel ports. I generally prefer the RAID if (2) drives to run off the same 'bank' i.e. top + bottom ports.

Also, I make certain to unplug all but the primary drive(s) when installing the OS. Generally, setting-up a RAID (0,1,10, and even 5) is pretty straight forward and "IF" there's a problem it's generally the HDD(s)/SSD(s) IF everything else is working.

Try the USB Flash Drive installation as I linked and try loading the Intel RST drivers as I described. Further, don't try to install the OS with the CPU OC, instead F5 (Load Defaults), SATA -> RAID. Break the RAID in Ctrl + I the redo the RAID if re-installing the OS. IF using Intel then IMO Marvell SATA -> Disable.

IF you continue the have issues the go to WD and test drives with Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for DOS (CD) - http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=608&lang=en

Use ONLY Windows to Format and NOT any other application(s).

Sigh... I did only use sata 3 ports to start, then just sata 2, I did use a combination of ports (every combo possible)
I really don't want to re-install windows again, thanks to OC'ing and being a dumbass, I've already done that a few dozen times in the last 6 months... I did only try to do the Raid configuration with no OC (stock settings) As I do anytime I mess around with hardware.

I know that you know what you're talking about Jaquith, this isn't the first time you've helped me out with PC issues

If you know of any way I can try more without re-installing windows I'm all ears! If there is no other way, then I think I'll just go with windows software Raid (disk partition manager) at least until I absolutely have to re-install win 7 for another reason.

 

[wadgra]

I don't know if I had mentioned, but this Raid 0 setup is not for Primary (OS Boot) drive, that one is an SSD and fast enough, that's why it's killing me, this should be easier to do for drives that are just gonna be storing games right? Or at least I thought that would be the case...

 

[jaquith]

If this is a data drive then it's not advised to run RAID 0; if either drive fails then poof you loose ALL of your data.

It just occurred to me, IF you're exceeding 2TB then you need GPT since MBR is limited to ~2TB -- I didn't say anything earlier because your config mentioned "3x 500 GB WD Caviar Green."

 

[wadgra]

If this is a data drive then it's not advised to run RAID 0; if either drive fails then poof you loose ALL of your data.

It just occurred to me, IF you're exceeding 2TB then you need GPT since MBR is limited to ~2TB -- I didn't say anything earlier because your config mentioned "3x 500 GB WD Caviar Green."

Yea, I realize that risk of losing all the data, that's why I picked up the 2 TB for backups, and the 3x 500 GB's are all I wanted to set up in RAID, and the drives were/are set up as GPT... *sigh* I'm thinking that I'll never buy cheap HDD's again...

 

[aannor]

How did you end up getting into the raid setup screen with ctrl + I ? It's not working for me it's as if my keyboard isn't working. (it is working tho)

 

[wadgra]

It never did end up working. I updated all the raid drivers for Intel and Marvell, and tried everything possible, but as soon as I press the ctrl-I it freezes into an unrecoverable state, and the same goes for the Marvell connectors... So I just said to hell with it, and just lived without it... *** Asus and *** Intel for not having reliable programming... Sorry bro, if you figure it out, let me know! :S