RAID0 Alienware Help

TheGeekFreek

Supreme [H]ardness
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Joined
Mar 31, 2005
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Ok,
So ive decided I want to try to setup a RAID0 array.. This is the first time ive ever set up a RAID, and as close as I followed instructions ive still managed to fail at getting it to work, and id like to see if someone can tell me what ive missed..

EQUPIMENT:
Alienware m9750 (w/ newest BIOS)
Dual 250gb Western Digital SATA
Intel Storage Matrix Controller for RAID (Onboard)

In BIOS, I have RAID enabled for the 2 drives, everything is recognized properly..
After setting RAID there, I use the ISMC to set the raid array to RAID0 for the two drives, everything completes successfully. I pop in my windows XP Pro disc, it copies files, does everything, and when it gets to the first reboot to start the install it just keeps telling me " A Disc Read Error Occurred - Press CTRL+ALT+DEL "


I have set my boot order to
RAID - Drive 1
RAID - Drive 2
DVD Rom


What am I doing wrong?
And oddly enough, when I went back and made an attempt to undo the entire raid array, deleted it and set to no longer be in raid, and disabled it in BIOS, I get the same error when I try to install normally..

Any clues?
 
I have no specific experience with your platform but usually you would want to boot from the storage array controller and not the individual disks.
 
wierd double post.. anyhoo..

So I finally got it to detect the array and not individual drives..Got it to actually install windows... and now its bluescreening while loading windows..

From what I hear, you need some kind of patch to do more than 137gb in RAID.. anyone know where I can get a bootable patch?
 
slipstream the raid drivers into your supplied windows install cd using nlite and burn to a DVD, I had that exact same issue with a clone of the 9700 and that was the only thing that fixed it :D. Something is b0rked with doing it the 'normal way' ie select raid drivers on the windows install part.
 
slipstream the raid drivers into your supplied windows install cd using nlite and burn to a DVD, I had that exact same issue with a clone of the 9700 and that was the only thing that fixed it :D. Something is b0rked with doing it the 'normal way' ie select raid drivers on the windows install part.

/thread

good info
 
I have an m9700. The original XP disk from Alienware contained the RAID drivers. If you are using a different disk, you will not have the RAID drivers. Vista has the drivers included.
 
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