RAID drives not initializing.

[dbacs]

I installed and setup 2 drives for a RAID 0 in my BIOS. In windows 7 i can see the drive in my computer. I try to format it but it gets to 100% and hangs indefinitely.

The drive name is Local Disk. I try to rename it but cannot until i format it. The drives worked fine yesterday before i attempted the RAID config.

Any advice?

 

[Packet]

if you go back into the bios, has it finished initializing there?

 

[dbacs]

how would i know if it initialized?

the RAID shows up in the BIOS post screen and the bios options as a single drive.

 

[mpcrsc562]

Are you setting up RAID then trying to install Windows or is Windows already installed and you are trying to add a RAID to the installation?

 

[dbacs]

trying to add to a new RAID. windows 7 is already installed on a different drive..

 

[mpcrsc562]

Are your drives the same? I ask because it may not be a problem, but it may be a problem--different disk controllers not playing well together with the RAID driver. Happened to me once where I was using a Seagate drive with a WD drive--both the same size--but kept getting blue screens.

 

[Packet]

are you using the intel matrix raid?
if so, you can install the intel matrix storage manager and that'll show you the status - how much % done, etc.

 

[dbacs]

yes two different brand of HDD's.

Where/how do i use the intel matrix manager?

This is an asus board, do i download the manager from asus?

 

[spyknee]

yes two different brand of HDD's.

Where/how do i use the intel matrix manager?

This is an asus board, do i download the manager from asus?

No IMSM is Intel software. 8.0 is latest version.
Google Intel Matrix Storage Manager.
Make sure you choose right version for your OS.
In W7, disk management is where you would initialize the new drives. Its part of W7 OS. If you went in now, without IMSM, you would initialize each new drive and then it would be given a drive letter. I would try to initialize them both in W7. Install the correct version of IMSM, and then create the array in IMSM. I think you need to have identicle drives, however!

 

[dbacs]

Ok i am trying the "mirror" option. Is this the same as RAID? Or do i need the Intel matrix manager still? I"m doing this through disk manager in windows 7.

 

[spyknee]

Get IMSM,
Will allow better performance out of current Boot RAID array.
Will allow to make a secondary array.
Its free.
You still might have to initialize the disks first, so that W7 will see them.

 

[Packet]

what make of motherboard?
because you have to specify RAID in the bios etc.

 

[dbacs]

Motherboard is ASUS P6T. The BIOS uses JMicron RAID software.

Also found out one drive is 150gb one is 160gb. Is that not right?

 

[spyknee]

I still think the spin drives need to be identicle to RAID. IMSM will allow you to RAID them thru the OS.

 

[dbacs]

There appears to be a compatibility problem with the 150gb drive. It will not format in windows 7. Both drives worked in vista x64.

I'll try the IMSM route.

 

[spyknee]

You should fill out your system specs, theres alot of highend people in this forum, could help you if you give them easy access to your hardware specs! Your choice.

 

[dbacs]

How much system specs do you need?

ASUS p6t mobo
12GB DDR3 1600 oxz
Windows 7 x64
1.5tb sata hdd
750 gb sata hdd
400 gb sata hdd
2 x 160gb ide hdd (ide to sata adapter)
150 gb ide hdd (ide to sata adapter)
ATI x1950 pci e radeon
BD-Rom
DVD-reader writer
32" Olevia hdtv
usb external 120gb 2.5" hdd.

anything else needed?

 

[Packet]

at the risk of jumping to conclusions, i want to say that the ide to sata adapter is probably what is causing your issues...

 

[dbacs]

I thought the same thing, but that can't be it because i had 3 ide to sata adapters under vista and they all worked. Then upgraded to windows 7, now only 2 work. I decided to take one drive out, along with the ide to sata adapter because out of the 3 adapters it is different from 2 of them. But still only 1 of the 2 that are the same will format.

So the problem preventing me creating the RAID is that one of the 150gb drives, that i am attempting to put into a RAID config, will not complete format. It gets to 100% and then freezes and makes my graphics card driver fail and re-start and makes the whole system screwey (technical term).

Its got to be drive compatibility. These drives are very old anyhow. Still doesn't make sense why all would work under vista and not 7.

 

[Packet]

somehow i doubt that - because PATA like SATA is a standard - it just has to work on old/existing drivers supplied by microsoft themselves.
but continuing in the ide/sata adapter vein, as per what you said...
i'm not as intimately familiar with your hardware setup as you would be - is it possible to try just one hard drive + 1 cd/dvd drive, no other raid, no adapter, no nothing... just plain ribbon cable with 1 drive attached and see if that works fine.
because if that does, then atleast you have some starting ground...
(depending on your setup / convenience, it may have to be a new install or not...)