Change BIOS to RAID-ON without buggering up Windows 7?

[makeluv247]

Hi

I have Windows 7 x64 installed on my Dell SPX 420. I was dual booting with OSX 10.5.8. However, I have since upgraded to 10.6, and the only way to make it run due to lack of specific kexts (mac drivers) is to set the BIOS to 'RAID-ON'. This doesn't change anything to RAID. The intel storage manager on boot detects all my hard drives as NON-RAID disks. However, When I try to boot 7, it briefly freezes on the moving startup logo, flashes blue and restarts. I recorded it and slowed it down, and there is no useful information on the blue screen.

I've already read that switching to raid-on in the bios can stop windows from booting, but is there any way around this? At the moment I switch between raid-on and off in the bios. it works, just a bit inconvenient. Could I reinstall WIndows 7 over my current one? Or install it on another drive and copy my current 7 onto it without losing the ability to boot with raid on?

Any help would be, erm, helpful

Thanks
Daniel

 

[Jonathan_King]

Welcome!

If you reinstall Windows over your existing installation, that should solve the problem.

 

[makeluv247]

Yeah I thought that might get it working, but at the same time I'm worried. I've never installed Windows over Windows before... will it bug up all my drivers and settings? Will all my programs still work?

Thanks
Daniel

 

[Jonathan_King]

No, your programs will not work anymore.

It will be a clean install. Your pictures, videos, desktop, program files, etc will be saved in a folder on your C drive, Windows.old. However, you will still need to reinstall your programs.

 

[makeluv247]

Yeah I'm trying to avoid that, it takes a solid day to install all the software I have installed

 

[Jonathan_King]

You can try a startup repair on the Windows installation. I can't guarantee it will work, but it's worth a shot.

 

[makeluv247]

tried that, but with RAID-ON on the bios, although it showed me the option of my 7 installation, when I click next it says it's the wrong version or something, even though this is off the disk I originally used to install it...

 

[stormy13]

It may or may not take, but have you tried installing the RAID driver in Windows before enabling it in the bios?

 

[makeluv247]

I think I did. I found some people had 'SM Bus' as unidentified in device manager. I followed it up even though I didn't, and it led me to intel's website for the chipset instal package. So i've installed that with no success. I presume RAID drivers was included in the chipset installation package, but I'm not positive :S

 

[stormy13]

I don't think they would install from the package without the RAID controller being enabled, why I said may or may not take.

Another that may not work, but have you tried booting to safe mode after enabling the raid controller? If not and you can get it to boot to safe mode, see if it will then let you install the raid driver.

 

[makeluv247]

I tried booting in safe mode. It didn't last long... Only a couple of seconds into loading the drivers it reached 'CLASSPNP.sys' and crashed. Tried it twice, both times on the same driver. I've had a google, and it seems that driver has caused a lot of people problems, but I can't find a solution. Does that mean the driver disagrees with my RAID? It doesn't really make sense, as other people get stuck on the same driver but the cause is totally different, nothing to do with raid. Any ideas?

 

[WindowsStar]

This might help if it is the Intel Matix Driver:

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology — How to load the driver during OS installation using F6 when in AHCI/RAID mode

The one below is hard to read but if you cut and paste it has a lot of good information.

How to Enable Intel ICH RAID After Installing Windows Vista | The Dr's Office

How to enable AHCI/RAID mode without reinstalling windows (P35/ICH9/ICH9R) - Page 5 - HEXUS.community discussion forums

Let us know.

 

[makeluv247]

thanks for the links back to school tomorrow, so will give it a go in the next few days and will post back results. thanks!

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Geez at least you guys could look here first!

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/61869-ahci-enable-windows-7-vista.html?ltr=A

 

[makeluv247]

but it doesn't say AHCI in the bios, only RAID. is it the same thing?

 

[Jonathan_King]

The truth is, we believe you will need to do a clean install. We are beating around the bush, trying to find an alternative solution.

RAID and AHCI are not the same thing, but there is a chance enabling AHCI will let the RAID work also.

If you can't get into Windows to make the change, you will need to do a clean install, unfortunately.

 

[makeluv247]

I'll try the method BFK linked to once my ICT coursework's finished printing, fingers crossed!

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello makeluv247, welcome to Seven Forums!



I hope you can get it sorted, be sure to keep us posted.

 

[makeluv247]

Well, changing the registry entry from 3 to 0 didn't work. But I gave RAIDfix a go, turned RAID on, and it booted fine. Downloaded and installed Intel Rapid Storage Technology, and rebooted. Now all's working perfectly! Thanks all!

 

[Jonathan_King]

Wow, great to hear it!

I thought you couldn't boot into Windows; that's why I thought you had to do a clean install. Please forgive my misunderstanding!