[ajcool123]

Hey all,

I got my computer installed with 2x80 gig hdds in a non-mirrored form so that it made 1, 160 gig hdd in a raid configuration. I would like to reformat the computer with windows xp but I am not sure exactly how to go about it. I have reformatted countless PCs with no raid configuration to worry about, but I don't know exactly what steps to take to perform a successful reformat. Any steps or tutorials would be great.

Thanks

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installing windows xp on a raid is just like installing it on a single drive machine with the exception that you need to press f6 at the beginning and then insert a floppy disk with the raid controller driver,

This assumes the RAID is already set up in hardware. Usually, you enter the RAID controller hardware setup by pressing f3, creating the raid, then saving it, and then at that point is when you install windows. Since this is a reinstall, you do not need to do this step.

If you've done countless installs, you will have no problems

[gerryf]

installing windows xp on a raid is just like installing it on a single drive machine with the exception that you need to press f6 at the beginning and then insert a floppy disk with the raid controller driver,

This assumes the RAID is already set up in hardware. Usually, you enter the RAID controller hardware setup by pressing f3, creating the raid, then saving it, and then at that point is when you install windows. Since this is a reinstall, you do not need to do this step.

If you've done countless installs, you will have no problems

[ajcool123]

Okay thanks. Also, you said i need a floppy disk with the raid controller, this I am pretty sure I do not have. As I am sure this software is available on the internet, where do I find out what kind of controller I need to keep it the same as what I am using now?

thanks man

[gerryf]

on the controller makers website, or if the raid controller is integrated, on the motherboard maker's website

[ajcool123]

Okay so I have been researching this more and I am still very confused. My motherboard is an ASUS A8N SLI Deluxe and from their website I have no idea what driver I need to get. Also when I look at my programs installed I have this thing from silicon image called SATARAID5. Now am I supposed to be installing that to after the reformat or what exactly is that. Basically when I open it it shows the health of the 2 drives with green bars. Anyway I hope I am making sense and someone can point me in the right direction with exactly what drivers I need and from where. Just want to make sure I don't mess this one up.

Thanks!

[gerryf]

you need the Silicon Image 3114 SATA RAID driver V1.1.9.9 for Windows XP

You need to create a boot driver floppy, which is discussed in your manual (which I cannot download right now, as the servers are creeping along at a speedy 1.47kb per second)

When Windows setup begins, you will see PRESS F6 to install drivers....you will then insert your floppy and it should install them if you have the driver disk created properly

[ajcool123]

Okay so that 15 mb silicon file is just the driver that I install once windows is already loaded up right? What files do I download to create the floppy disk? those are located on Asus's website or do I create that through windows xp. you said its described how to do that in the manual, I am assuming this is also on ASUS's site? Thanks for your help bud.

[gerryf]

download the 15mb file and extract it.

put a floppy disk in the drive and run
makedisk.exe

It will create the floppy for you

[ajcool123]

oh okay cool! thanks man. ill let you know how i make out with this reformat!

[ajcool123]

Okay cool so I am finially refomatting the hard drive right now, but I just wanted to give some specific advice for anyone reading this in the future that was having the same problems I had with reformatting a 2 hard drives in a RAID 0 configuration.

1) First once you use the Silicon Image software to make the RAID disk, you then put in your Windows XP disk into a drive, restart your computer, then when the "press any key to load windows" appears before it boots into windows, press a key to bring yourself fully into the windows setup.

2) Now this step is important, as soon as you enter the windows install screen when it says "press F6 if you want to install a raid configuration" do it because even though technically you are not installing it, the problem with Windows XP is that it doesn't recognize the windows install like it would if it were on just 1 hard drive. I have done countless reinstalls with XP on a regular hard drive but I didn't realize you had to press F6 and go through the process just to get it recognize the RAID.

3) Now once it finished load it said it could not recognize the hard drive. What i didn't understand is that you had to press "S" which allows you to specify your raid configuration and attempts to read from the floppy disk. Now select your raid driver (XP) from the install list and boom there you go, windows install starts up again, then when you get to the next screen press F10 to get into the "restore windows" screen and from there it will recgonize your C:\ drive.

4) proceed to hit enter when it asks for an adminstrator password if you never set one, and type "format c:" and press "Y" when it asks are you sure.

Simple yet if you don't have detailed instructions can be brutal.

thanks again gerry we are all here to learn!