SATA Mode: RAID causes Windows 7 BSOD/reboot

[brimley]

Subject says it mostly. Whenever I switch SATA mode to RAID on my mobo, Windows won't finish booting before it blue screens and instantly reboots. It does the same thing on AHCI mode.

This has happened for me across Windows installations/reinstallations, boot hard disks, AND motherboards. I just don't get it.

The purpose of this is to Intel RAID 1 my two storage drives, and then after that is successful, RAID 0 my two SSDs and reinstall Win 7 on it. But all this is happening before I can get into Windows after creating the first array, so I haven't made it to the second step.

Thoughts?

 

[alexoiu]

Try installing the SATA driver, then running the Microsoft fix: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976/
Or reinstall Windows with SATA set to RAID and load the RAID driver during the installation.

 

[brimley]

Try installing the SATA driver, then running the Microsoft fix: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976/
Or reinstall Windows with SATA set to RAID and load the RAID driver during the installation.

Perfect. I'll try this later and report back. Thanks.

 

[choucove]

When installing Windows, it will utilize specific controller drivers based on how you have your SATA operational state set AT THE TIME OF INSTALLATION. This means if your BIOS is set to AHCI, then Windows will try and load AHCI drivers for your chipset or controller and install that into Windows. Now, most of the time you have to have a specific driver that is different between AHCI or RAID. This means if you then go and switch your motherboard SATA operation mode to RAID, Windows will now not have the proper driver installed for your hard drive controller which results in a BSOD and crashes.

If you are wanting to install Windows with RAID enabled, I always recommend finding the proper RAID driver from your motherboard vendor and load that driver manually during the OS installation. This will ensure that the proper driver is installed into Windows.

 

[popatim]

Move the boot ssd to a non-raid sata port and boot up with the two storage drives on raid ports. Once booted use the intel software to create the raid 1. It will take a while to mirror the data if theres alot. When done, you can power down and move the ssd to a raided sata port with the other one and boot into the raid bios, configure the raid0 and then boot into the win7 install dvd to finish the installation.

 

[brimley]

Try installing the SATA driver, then running the Microsoft fix: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976/
Or reinstall Windows with SATA set to RAID and load the RAID driver during the installation.

Easy solution. I just was not aware of how that worked. Up and running with both arrays now. Thanks again.

When installing Windows, it will utilize specific controller drivers based on how you have your SATA operational state set AT THE TIME OF INSTALLATION. This means if your BIOS is set to AHCI, then Windows will try and load AHCI drivers for your chipset or controller and install that into Windows. Now, most of the time you have to have a specific driver that is different between AHCI or RAID. This means if you then go and switch your motherboard SATA operation mode to RAID, Windows will now not have the proper driver installed for your hard drive controller which results in a BSOD and crashes.

If you are wanting to install Windows with RAID enabled, I always recommend finding the proper RAID driver from your motherboard vendor and load that driver manually during the OS installation. This will ensure that the proper driver is installed into Windows.

Thanks for the further explanation. I was able to edit the registry setting to enable the RAID driver and install my storage array. Then I created the RAID 0 boot array and installed Win 7 on it without specifically loading the RAID driver. I think because it was Intel RAID, Windows recognizes it. With a random RAID board, I think that might be necessary.

Move the boot ssd to a non-raid sata port and boot up with the two storage drives on raid ports. Once booted use the intel software to create the raid 1. It will take a while to mirror the data if theres alot. When done, you can power down and move the ssd to a raided sata port with the other one and boot into the raid bios, configure the raid0 and then boot into the win7 install dvd to finish the installation.

I can only set SATA ports to all IDE, RAID, or AHCI, so I wouldn't be able to do this exactly. Is that an artifact of cheaper mobos? I have never been able to set SATA mode independently for ports, but I have never had an upper echelon mobo.