Solved 3 Sequential Boot Crashes, now have Windows installed on 3 HDDs

[Hoggy Dog]

Interesting development: I decided to remove the 100 MB System Reserved partition on the 1TB HDD. As soon as I did, it instantly changed to a raid disk all on its own! So now I have that drive and the SSD both RAID disks. Of course, it's the wrong HDD. But now it seems clear that what is preventing the 2TB drive from being a RAID drive is the System Reserved partition. Anybody know how I can merge that partition into the main partition without losing my data on that drive?

 

[gregrocker]

As stated it may require a reinstall to follow all of the tutorial's steps.

 

[Hoggy Dog]

As stated it may require a reinstall to follow all of the tutorial's steps.

Of course, I have already reinstalled Windows twice on the new 2TB drive, as detailed in my foregoing posts. At this point, since I seem to have hit a dead end, with no new suggestions in sight, I'm just going to give up and use the computer as-is, without even touching the SSD for anything. What a waste, and what a disappointment that no solution can be found.

Thanks to all who tried.

 

[Shimshom]

You can still use the SSD for your pagefile and to move the user folders there and I still think you should buy another larger SSD if the budget permits and install Windows on it, use the 2TB as your backup drive and the existing SSD for your pagefile and user folders. If you do buy one to install Windows on, set the BIOS to AHCI before installing and as before have only the SSD connected while installing

 

[AddRAM]

Just jumping in here but.... unplug the hard drives, make sure the drive configuration in the bios is set to AHCI. Install windows on the SSD

Done.

After that, post back and we`ll continue.

 

[Layback Bear]

I would make sure I used the Intel 6.0 ports rather that the ASMedia ports.


SATA3 - 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by Intel® Z77, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel® Rapid Storage and Intel® Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug functions
- 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by ASMedia ASM1061, support NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug functions (SATA3_A1 connector is shared with eSATA3 port)

Then complete post #25 by AddRAM.

 

[gregrocker]

Interesting development: I decided to remove the 100 MB System Reserved partition on the 1TB HDD. As soon as I did, it instantly changed to a raid disk all on its own! So now I have that drive and the SSD both RAID disks. Of course, it's the wrong HDD. But now it seems clear that what is preventing the 2TB drive from being a RAID drive is the System Reserved partition. Anybody know how I can merge that partition into the main partition without losing my data on that drive?

As stated it may require a reinstall to follow all of the tutorial's steps.

Of course, I have already reinstalled Windows twice on the new 2TB drive, as detailed in my foregoing posts. At this point, since I seem to have hit a dead end, with no new suggestions in sight, I'm just going to give up and use the computer as-is, without even touching the SSD for anything. What a waste, and what a disappointment that no solution can be found.

Thanks to all who tried.

You can pre-partition the Hard Drive to avoid the System Reserved partition, to see if it allows RAID so you can achieve the IRST as described in tutorial. The commands to do this are in this tutorial to Troubleshoot Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums .

The other solution to actually use rather than abandon the SSD is to unplug the HD to install the OS and most-used programs to the SSD, keep your User files on the HD linked via Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums and Library - Set Save Folder - Windows 7 Help Forums . I realize you specified you didn't want to install to the SSD but this is much preferable to just abandoning it if you can't get the IRST RAID to cooperate.

 

[Hoggy Dog]

Just jumping in here but.... unplug the hard drives, make sure the drive configuration in the bios is set to AHCI. Install windows on the SSD

Well, as I mentioned a couple of times at least in the foregoing posts, I don't want to run Windows on my SSD. What I want to do is make the computer do what it is supposed to do with the equipment I have instaled, i.e. cache the 2TB HDD using the 64GB SSD. And in order to do that, I definitely do not want to set the SATA controller to AHCI.

 

[Hoggy Dog]

OK, I finally got this to work as I want it to work. There were 2 problems:

1. The new 2TB HDD was connected to the first SATA3 port, labeled SATA3_A0, which didn't exist at all on my previous Gigabyte mobo, and which is not explained at all in the documentation for my new ASRock mobo. I switched it to SATA3_0 and it instantly changed to a RAID drive, which is a requirement for Intel Rapid Storage Technology/Intel Smart Response SSD caching to work.

2. Even so, IRST did not offer the option to accelerate the drive as it should have. So I spent another 3 hours online and finally dug up this astounding guide: How to: Set up Intel Smart Response Technology (SSD caching), which led to this little mini-guide: How to: Change SATA Modes After Windows Installation. Amazingly, two reboots later (after Windows installed some drivers at startup) the option to accelerate suddenly (dare I say "magically?") appeared in the IRST interface. I clicked two buttons, and DONE!

My machine boots 2x - 4x as fast now, and, unlike just installing Windows on the SSD, ALL of my apps, games, etc. are very noticeably accelerated- which is why I kept saying NO THANKS to all of those who offered well-meaning advice for me to just forget what I was trying to do and just put the OS on the SSD, or buy a 2TB SSD and put everything on it, or whatever.

So thanks for all who tried to help. I'm clicking this one SOLVED.

 

[Hoggy Dog]

I would make sure I used the Intel 6.0 ports rather that the ASMedia ports.


SATA3 - 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by Intel® Z77, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel® Rapid Storage and Intel® Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug functions
- 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by ASMedia ASM1061, support NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug functions (SATA3_A1 connector is shared with eSATA3 port)

Thank you! This little tidbit turned out to be the major issue preventing me from making the 2TB HDD a RAID drive. Sadly, if this is documented anywhere in ASRock's mobo manual, I couldn't find it... or, it's written in such arcane language that mere mortals such as myself can't decipher it.

Then complete post #25 by AddRAM.

No thanks. I didn't WANT to run the OS on my SSD, as I thought I had said numerous times. In any event, your tip above led me to the solution- I just posted what I did to solve it and get the SSD caching I want. Thank you.

 

[gregrocker]

We would have been negligent if we didn't suggest that failing IRST acceleration you at least reconsider installing to the SSD. You seem to think your programs would need to all go on the HD but most would fit on the SSD to benefit from much faster speeds than you get now with IRST caching.

I explained earlier we have helped users who wanted to install on the 32gb SSD cache on MSATA hard drives which they always report to be much faster than caching and usually spurs them to buy a bigger SSD. You had twice as much space as they did.

That said, you did excellent work here searching out the arcane solution to your problem, one which should help others for years to come. This is an example of how running down every search result can often pay off for those who take the time and effort.

 

[AddRAM]

Glad you figured it out and have it the way you want it

That`s all that matters.