Can't Install Win 7 RC 64 bit on K8N-E Deluxe

djtnt · 09 Aug 2009

Can't seem to get the Win 7 RC 64 bit to install on my K8N-E Deluxe MB!
I am attempting a clean install onto a RAID 0 array attached to the nvidia SATA ports on the MB, and no matter what I do, I can't get it to create or recognize the two disc array. I have tried multiple driver loadings from the installation menu, and the Legacy NF RAID boot patch, and still install only recognizes one disc in the array, and also says that it can't even install to that disc, as is is not a valid boot device.
I have enabled the RAID option ROM in the BIOS, and set the Primary Master and Slave as RAID. Here are the system specifications:

MB: Asus K8N-E Deluxe
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 2GHz 3000+
Memory: 2Gb
Chipset: nforce3 250Gb
Video: nvidia GeForce 6600GT
BIOS: AMI 1011.004
Storage: 2-WD2500JS SATA drives on SATA1&2 on the MB

I just wanted to test the 64 bit version on my hardware so I could make the decision to install the 32 or 64 bit Home Premium in October.
Has anybody had any luck installing Win 7 64 bit on a K8N-E using the nvidia onboard RAID?

Thanks for any help.

crnv88 · 07 Jan 2010

Attach your drives to the Silicon ImageSATA ports instead. I have the exact same motherboard and could not get the nVidiaSATA ports (drivers) to work properly and so attached my drives to the Sil ports. Of course load the drivers during your Windows setup.

I have since added some drives to the nVidia Sata and IDE ports and of course installed the drivers. Windows 7 does not see the RAID Array for them...sees them as two different hard drives.

Been searching this forum for an answer but haven't found anything.

Good Luck.

Night Hawk · 07 Jan 2010

When going to set up an array with the 64bit RC last summer with a different Asus board of course I set the Raid array option and proceeded to repartition the drive(s) note with GParted. From there 7 went on without the need for any driver disk. Once 7 was running the MS updates included the necessary sata drivers there.

With the two drives nuked first before enabling the array mode nothing was left on either drive to interfere. Then with both drives insync with each the new primary tieing both drives together acted like a single drive. That was the easy part there.

The fun began later when going to break apart the array to use each drive separately where each drive had to be renuked with the other unplugged in order to break the sync bonding that takes place. But basically you want both drives "raw" when going to create the new primary.