Install Windows 7 64bits on RAID1 disk

[Warluck]

Hi, I am a little bit desperate here. I am trying to install Windows 7 (Complete) 64bits on a RAID 1, Controller JMicron.

I've tried almost everything with no success.

My mobo is a GA-965P-DS3, I have two Western Digital 250Go hard drives. The RAID controller is a JMicron chipset.

I've tried to use mobo drivers with no success, I've downloaded the drivers directly from JMicron with the same result. My bios is set to boot on my hard disk first (I use F12 to boot from CDROM).

The only drivers that "almost" worked was the 32bits driver found on the Gigabyte website and it worked until the first reboot and then failed to boot saying that the driver was no good.

I don't know what to do to get this raid functionning under Windows 7.

Please, I need help here.

Regards,

 

[torrentg]

Get RAID driver as opposed to SATA driver, if that was issue. It has to be x64.

 

[Brink]

Hello Warluck,

You can download the RAID drivers from the Gigabyte link below. Afterwards, run the exe file and extract the files onto a USB flash key. During the installation of Windows 7, you will need to click on the Load Drivers option (step 7 here) and select the RAID drivers on the the USB flash key. It should then see the drives after the RAID driver is installed.

GIGABYTE - Support&Download - Motherboard - Driver - GA-965P-DS3 (rev. 3.3)

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Warluck]

Thanks for your time sirs, it is really appreciated.

But, the drivers I tried are already the RAID ones. Windows Installation keeps telling me it won't load unsigned drivers for windows 64 bits and that I should grab the drivers from my mobo manufacturer.

I did use the RAID drivers from Gigabyte and the ones provided directly from the RAID chipset manufacturer which is JMicron with no success.

So far I wonder if it is even possible for Windows 7 to work with my RAID setting.

I do not know if the is relevant but in my BIOS I can set the controller to three options :

AHCI
IDE
RAID/IDE

I am not sure if I understand correctly but I think when I use the RAID option my drives runs in IDE emulation but I may be wrong, anyway the drivers don<t work.

Does this help figure out what my problem is?

 

[DeaconFrost]

I had a DS3 at one time, and I remember avoiding the JMicron controllers at all costs. Can't you use the Intel SATA ports for RAID1 instead? Or, just do without RAID, and use one drive as your system volume, and one as your data drive.

 

[Warluck]

I do not know, I was talking with some colleagues this morning and they were saying the same thing about the JMicron. From what I remember I got pretty much trouble installing my drives on the Intel SATA ports and have them working in AHCI native but this was with XP at the time. I will try that tonite, at home.

Besides, what I want is a way to pretect my sensitive data and I heard about other way to do that like with Robocopy (which is available with Win7). I don't really care about the OS so I think I'll go with a something like that.

BUT I hate things that don't work as they should....!

I am not even sure I can do RAID control with the Intel controller of that board (which is as near as perfect if you ask me, a great product).

Thanks and I'll keep you inform of any development.

Regards,

 

[DeaconFrost]

Besides, what I want is a way to pretect my sensitive data and I heard about other way to do that like with Robocopy (which is available with Win7). I don't really care about the OS so I think I'll go with a something like that.

RAID1 is definitely not what you want then. You'll want a good backup process, that allowes encryption or password protection.

 

[Warluck]

Here is the answer (finally) from Gigabyte :

Answer : There are no Windows 7 drivers available for this board, you an try using the Vista drivers for OS installation

But ... I heard of someone who modified drivers and they appear to windows as signed. Don't know if it is relevent since I changed my mind about RAID but anyone having the same probleme and reading this thread can follow up there :

http://forums.amd.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=383&threadid=120079

Good luck.