Solution: Install Intel X25-M G2 SSD, fresh win7 RC1 on x58 ICH10R

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zervun

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I was pulling my hair out trying to do a fresh install of win7 on a EVGA x58 SLI mobo with a new 80gig intel g2 SSD. I tried a variety of combinations without success. Finally I figured it out and thought I would share. I wasn't sure if this should go in the OS, or DSS forum, but since this is more specific to HD types that I would post it here.

My setup:
Evga x58 SLI mobo, 920 i7, 6gigs Corsair 3x 2gig.
5870 XFX
Audigy 2ZS

Drives:
2x raptor 80gig (raid 0 and yes that is 80gig it was put into some OEM systems) TLER on 7s
2x raptor 76gig (raid 0) TLER on 7s
1x external usb maxtor 320
1x Intel 80gig X25-M G2
1x Sata DVDRW

Due to port density I decided to just remove my older 76gig raptors. To have the SSD as primary OS, and Raid0 the 80gig raptors for games, DVDRW on Jcraptron controller.

Basically on the hard drive section, after partitioning and reformating in windows7 setup, it would say that win7 cannot be installed to the partition, doesn't recognize it etc etc. You will notice that when you partition it, it will not make the 100mb windows7 special partition thingy.

I tried it with hard drives in IDE, AHCI, and Raid.

This is how to NOT ride the failboat

1. Download ICH10R drivers, I got mine off of evga site, they were old but worked. For whatever reason the other drives I could install too, but the SSD required the ICH10R drivers.
2. I'm not sure whether it is the mobo, or win7 but remove all but your really needed USB drivers. I had the issue before the SSD, that win7 install borks when having certain USB devices in at install time on the x58/ICH10R combo chipset. So I had keyboard and mouse plugged in and thats it.
3. Of note this chipset combo, does not like USB win7 stick install, so I used the DVD.

Configuration Steps:
1. Put raid mode on in the bios, not ACHI, not IDE.
2. Plug HD's into ICH10R ports, SATA DVDRW on jmicron ports.
3. Set boot to DVD.
4. hit ctrl-i after bios for the Raid setup. If the SSD is single drive just leave as "non-raid". My other two raptors I put them in raid0 in this screen.
5. Boot in and install win7 clickies, until you get to the HD configuration screen.
6. Insert USB stick with raid drivers and load them, it should recognize them, click next.
7. REMOVE USB STICK (I can't stress this enough, it bugs out if you don't).
8. Partition drives, format drives and proceed with installation.
9. Winnar

You will notice if the drive loading works, as when you partition the SSD drive as your OS, it will make a 100mb windows partition, along with the main one, it's a win7 new thing. If the drivers don't load you will just get the one partition, and then it will barf when you try to install with the "can't find partition" thingy.

Also of note. The 80gig SSD was reporting as 74.5, and when creating the partition it said the max was 76xxx. It still worked, but was strange.:cool:

-------

I really love the SSD, it's such a different feel. I was a little bit skeptical, but it really trounces my raptors at least judging by feel. The whole experiences is just snapper and very noticable.
 
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Got my new build in at 8pm, got it all setup and put together by 1am, still up as of 6am trying to install the SSD in ACHI (accidently did it in IDE mode first which worked perfectly). Been slamming my face into a wall repeatedly trying every trick on the internet. Just unplugged my USB HD's as per your suggestion, and NOW it wants to find the drive just fine and install Win7. If this completes and works fine, I will bow to you good sir :D
 
Interesting that you had this problem, maybe because of using RAID and not ACHI settings?

I say this because I am using the exact same setup (motherboard,SSD) and did not have this problem.

I am also aware that if you do not use native drivers for Win7 that TRIM feature of the x25-M's will not function properly. I would reccomend to verify TRIM is working, or you may be able to just use the Intel SSD Toolbox downloaded from Intels website.
 
Yes, this is because you're using the RAID mode. Windows does not include the RAID drivers as far as I know, so you need to install them during Setup. Assuming that you don't want anything from the install going to the RAID array during Setup, you should be able to install just to the SSD in RAID mode first, then add the array after the installation completes as well. The main issue is that Windows Setup requires you to supply the RAID drivers (just like you usually need to provide SATA drivers for XP).

And yes, since you're not using the default MS drivers for your controller, TRIM will not get passed through to the SSD. Intel can come out with updated drivers that support TRIM any day now...


80,000,000,000 / (1024*1024) = 76,293.95
76,293.95 / 1024 = 74.5

It's the old kibibytes vs. kilobytes thing. http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1347640
 
As far as I can tell, and as far as everything is reporting, the drive is working with TRIM just fine. Everything worked out just fine, except now for whatever reason, whenever I hookup my brand new 1TB drive it doesn't show in windows at all, and it makes my post go extremely slow. Is it possible I got a bad one?
 
Does it show up in the bios? If so, then it probably needs to be formatted. I just got a 2TB drive that did the same thing. It showed up in the bios, but not in Windows. I ended up booting my Win 7 install disk and the drive appeared there. After I formatted, then it shows up in Windows.
 
Just tried it, and no it's not recognized in BiOS either. I've tried moving it to different SATA ports, including the red ones, and I get same result. Bios will sit on Port 00 then flashes something really quick and nothing shows up in windows. I have it hooked up to my hotswap bays on my 800D and i've tried reseating it while in windows and that doesn't help either. I'm literally out of ideas.
 
I never had any trouble with my SSDs on the ICH10R on my X58 board. I just setup the two as a RAID volume and everything loaded as normal.
 
Yeah, i've got the SSD working perfectly now. It's just my new 1TB drive I got with my build just isn't recognized at all, I suspect it's either dead or i'm really blind and missing something obvious here.
 
Starting a new thread, doesn't really pertain to topic anymore :)
 
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FuNiOnZ said:
As far as I can tell, and as far as everything is reporting, the drive is working with TRIM just fine. Everything worked out just fine, except now for whatever reason, whenever I hookup my brand new 1TB drive it doesn't show in windows at all, and it makes my post go extremely slow. Is it possible I got a bad one?
Click to expand...

The only simple way to tell that TRIM is working is to download and run CrystalMark's CrystalDiskInfo, when you open up the app it'll stay if TRIM is enabled and working within the Attributes section. If it doesn't state so there then it isn't working. The Win7 console command that's floating around just tells you whether the OS and/or drive support TRIM but not whether it's working, and if you're using Intel's drivers I'm 99% sure that TRIM isn't working for ya... Unless they just released updated drivers w/TRIM support and I'm not aware of it (they've been dragging ass on this for months).

The only other way to be sure that TRIM is working, or the only other way you'd even notice that it's not working would be to benchmark the drive, fill it up to capacity, delete stuff, and then benchmark it again (to notice the performance degradation under real world usage you'd probably have to do that several times, which is why people that run SSD RAID arrays are usually content to just wipe their drives every few months until TRIM support is made available).
 
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