P4PE - Double RAIDed

[bruce willis]

i'm hoping someone can help

Here's my setup:

OS: Windows XP Pro
Motherboard: P4PE
CPU: 2.4 Ghz Intel P4
RAM: 1.0 Ghz Kingston
RAID 1: Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A Controller running two 80Gb Drives
RAID 2: On board Promise Fasttrack 376 running one 120Gb WD drive
Primary IDE Master: 80 Gb Maxtor
Primary IDE Slave: Empty
Secondary IDE Master: Plextor 48x Burner
Secondary IDE Slave: Pioneer DVD

The RAID 1 device is Striped and it's the one i boot from.

Here's where the problem is. my machine can't seem to see the SATA
drive i've connected to the RAID 2 device. Windows does see the
Promise controller card, but not the drive attached to it.

I did confirm that i do have the Promise controller enabled in the
BIOS.

Can anyone help?
thanks.
Jay

 

[RigorE]

i'm hoping someone can help

Here's my setup:

OS: Windows XP Pro
Motherboard: P4PE
CPU: 2.4 Ghz Intel P4
RAM: 1.0 Ghz Kingston
RAID 1: Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A Controller running two 80Gb Drives
RAID 2: On board Promise Fasttrack 376 running one 120Gb WD drive
Primary IDE Master: 80 Gb Maxtor
Primary IDE Slave: Empty
Secondary IDE Master: Plextor 48x Burner
Secondary IDE Slave: Pioneer DVD

The RAID 1 device is Striped and it's the one i boot from.

Here's where the problem is. my machine can't seem to see the SATA
drive i've connected to the RAID 2 device. Windows does see the
Promise controller card, but not the drive attached to it.

I did confirm that i do have the Promise controller enabled in the
BIOS.

Can anyone help?
thanks.
Jay

Did you enter the Promise controllers bios and configure it to use the
single drive as a raid array? Enabling the controller in the regular bios is
not enough. You must enter the controllers bios and configure it also.

 

[bruce willis]

Did you enter the Promise controllers bios and configure it to use the
single drive as a raid array? Enabling the controller in the regular bios is
not enough. You must enter the controllers bios and configure it also.

Thanks for the feedback RigorE,
Unfortunately, I can't get into the Promise RAID config by hitting
<CTRL+F> because i'm not presented with that option.

I'm starting to think that this motherboard can only handle one RAID
card. In other words, having the Adaptec 1200 in there, prevents the
Promise RAID controller from showing up!?

In case it makes a difference, i do get the <CTRL+H> prompt to enter
the Adaptec RAID config. I just don't get the <CTRL+F> for the Promise
card.

 

[RigorE]

Thanks for the feedback RigorE,
Unfortunately, I can't get into the Promise RAID config by hitting
<CTRL+F> because i'm not presented with that option.

I'm starting to think that this motherboard can only handle one RAID
card. In other words, having the Adaptec 1200 in there, prevents the
Promise RAID controller from showing up!?

In case it makes a difference, i do get the <CTRL+H> prompt to enter
the Adaptec RAID config. I just don't get the <CTRL+F> for the Promise
card.

***WARNING***
My raid experience goes as far as setting up my hd in a "single disk raid
array" on my p4pe. Any advice I give may well force a reinstallation of
Windows and/or a quick call for wpa.

That said, I do have a thought though. Maybe, if you removed the Adaptec
card. Set up the onboard Promise controller. Made sure the WD 120g disk is
recognized by the bios. Then install the Adaptec controller and set it up. I
think it's worth a try. I would worry about windows breaking, but.... what
the h311 ? : ) I's don't needs kno steenking backups!!! : )
Good luck!

Rich

 

[Stephen Spark]

***WARNING***
My raid experience goes as far as setting up my hd in a "single disk raid
array" on my p4pe. Any advice I give may well force a reinstallation of
Windows and/or a quick call for wpa.

That said, I do have a thought though. Maybe, if you removed the Adaptec
card. Set up the onboard Promise controller. Made sure the WD 120g disk is
recognized by the bios. Then install the Adaptec controller and set it up. I
think it's worth a try. I would worry about windows breaking, but.... what
the h311 ? : ) I's don't needs kno steenking backups!!! : )
Good luck!

Rich

Just a thought, since you say you have already confirmed the onboard
Promise controller is "enabled" in the bios, try setting "Onboard ATA
Device First" to Yes. If you can get to Promises config (CTRL-F) this
way, set up the drive as a "single disk raid array" then reboot back
to the bios and set "Onboard ATA Device First" to No.

Stephen Spark

 

[bruce willis]

Just a thought, since you say you have already confirmed the onboard
Promise controller is "enabled" in the bios, try setting "Onboard ATA
Device First" to Yes. If you can get to Promises config (CTRL-F) this
way, set up the drive as a "single disk raid array" then reboot back
to the bios and set "Onboard ATA Device First" to No.

Stephen Spark

Thanks for the feedback..
Here's an update. Having followed the suggestions and activated the
"boot from onboard controller first" in the BIOS, i now get the
Fasttrack controller message, "scanning for IDE drives".
Unfortunately, because i only have one SATA drive on that controller
it keeps telling me "no IDE drives detected, BIOS not installed".
Hence i'm never presented with the option to hit <ctrl>+F to setup my
array..
Any other suggestions? Is there another BIOS setting to tell the
Promise controller to scan for SATA drives?

 

[Stephen Spark]

Thanks for the feedback..
Here's an update. Having followed the suggestions and activated the
"boot from onboard controller first" in the BIOS, i now get the
Fasttrack controller message, "scanning for IDE drives".
Unfortunately, because i only have one SATA drive on that controller
it keeps telling me "no IDE drives detected, BIOS not installed".
Hence i'm never presented with the option to hit <ctrl>+F to setup my
array..
Any other suggestions? Is there another BIOS setting to tell the
Promise controller to scan for SATA drives?

Sorry for the delay Bruce, I'm on the road all week.
I have had a "single drive raid array" setup with a Parallel ATA
drive connected to the PRI_RAID1 connector. I've used it as a boot
drive as well as a just storage drive.
The only other thing I can add is to make sure the jumpers on the
drive are set for Master and you are connected to PRI_SATA. All drive
connected to the SATA controller must be set as Master drives.
Stephen Spark

 

[bruce willis]

Sorry for the delay Bruce, I'm on the road all week.
I have had a "single drive raid array" setup with a Parallel ATA
drive connected to the PRI_RAID1 connector. I've used it as a boot
drive as well as a just storage drive.
The only other thing I can add is to make sure the jumpers on the
drive are set for Master and you are connected to PRI_SATA. All drive
connected to the SATA controller must be set as Master drives.
Stephen Spark

Thanks for the tip Stephen. I'll double check that and report back.