cannot install windows server 2008R2 on an ICH10 RAID1 setup

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brons2

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 16, 2008
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Hi, I am trying to install Windows Server 2008 R2 on a HP Compaq 8100 Elite Small Form Factor. It has a Core i5-760 installed with 16GB of RAM and 2 1TB WD Green drives installed in it.

I can go into the BIOS and change the SATA type from AHCI to RAID, and then access the RAID Setup during POST by pressing Control-I. Then I create my RAID1 volume, save and exit.

When I boot up from the Server 2008R2 DVD, it sees my RAID volume and offers to install Windows to it. So I let it do so. It seems to run through the setup OK until the very end, when it tells me that "Windows Setup could not configure Windows to run on this computer's hardware"

I tried a few things to isolate the problem. I updated the BIOS to version 1.07 which is the latest BIOS from HP. That didn't help. I then downloaded the Intel Matrix RAID drivers and created a floppy drive with the drivers for ICH8/9/10/DO; the setup program recognizes the drivers and proceeds, but still I end up with the same failure.

Finally I put the SATA mode back to AHCI to see what happened. Server 2008 installed fine with that setting. Of course, I want to have RAID so that doesn't really help me.

I've seen some suggestions for older server versions that you had to slipstream the driver into an nLite installation. I guess for 2008R2 you would use vLite to do that but what drivers would I use, I wonder.

If anyone has done this before I would sure like to hear from them.

TIA.
 
I recently installed WS2008R2 on RAID1 and it went smoothly. Did you erase all partitions from it? Maybe it doesn't have enough space?
 
Yes, I erased all partitions from the drive before attempting the install. I would think a 1TB mirror would be plenty to install WS2008R2.
 
Try slipstreaming the most recent RAID F6 drivers into your Windows media. It works differently than the F6/Update driver method ... at least with XP.
 
Did you make sure to check that the partition is bootable?

I made that mistake once. My partition was too large for it to be bootable.
 
bigdogchris said:
Try slipstreaming the most recent RAID F6 drivers into your Windows media. It works differently than the F6/Update driver method ... at least with XP.
Click to expand...

they aren't called Raid F6 drivers, since windows vista and up don't require you to pres F6 any more, you can install the drivers from a UBS device and it is the same if you slip stream them or add them from the disk, same as XP i believe as well..drivers can only be installed one way.
 
MrGuvernment said:
they aren't called Raid F6 drivers, since windows vista and up don't require you to pres F6 any more, you can install the drivers from a UBS device and it is the same if you slip stream them or add them from the disk, same as XP i believe as well..drivers can only be installed one way.
Click to expand...

+1 to this and the BIOS update.

OP, make sure you have the drivers installed, sometimes windows can see the device to be used, but can't fully use it without the drivers.
 
I gave that a try as well as letting the LSI card do a hardware/low level format. Problem is when solaris goes to configure devices it says label corrupt and loads the "backup" which is the old long "RAID0" target identifier I think. Seems almost as tho it is stored in the hdd in a way that formatting doesn't erase the "backup". Im sure Im just missing something here but after two days of trying to erase these drives I'm starting to wonder. BTW I did destroy the raid with the old HP smartarray card prior to installing solaris and reformatting the drives as well. No dice.
 
I found the solution on Monday:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2466753
The 2008R2 RTM build won't work on this particular hardware with RAID enabled and it's a known issue.

I was able to get a 2008R2 SP1 .iso from MS as we are a Software Assurance customer. Installing it from that build worked. Hope maybe this will help someone else.
 
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