raid newcomer: partitioning through xp installation cd

[Giamber]

Mobo m2n32-sli
Hallo to everybody.
I'm stacked for now.
I'm going to assembly a pc with a mobo asus m2n32-sli deluxe, 2 hd
sata just configured in raid1; and I would like to partion the volume
and install wxp pro.

To get here I have been following the steps:

1) from setup bios -> main -> sata1 -> enabled
sata2 -> enabled

2) again from setup bios -> advanced -> serial ata config -> nvidia
raid ->
enabled;

3 )from setup raid config (press F10 while post is running))
raid mode -> select mirroring
clean disk data
create raid volume

4) creation of nvidia 32-bit raid floppy driver from asus system
cd-rom

At this point I started the xp installation cd:
I am asked to format the volume C: . (the only possible);
I choose ntfs format.
Going ahead installations files are loaded;
when next boot starts I push F6 to install raid nvidia drivers;
the operation is performed correctly.
going further are shown the available partitions to continue the xp
installation:

- disc scsi 0, id0, bus 0 on atapi.mbr
c: partition1 ntfs 131.072M
- disc scsi 0, id1, bus 0 on nvidia.mbr
space not partitioned 152.626M

How would you read that?
Actually before installing XP I would like to partition the raid
volume to prepare it for successives installations.
But seems to me that the xp installation disc allows to partition and
format only unpartioned spaces.
But the unpartitioned space on the unit Id1 of the raid has to be
managed (I think) by the unit Id0; therefore I need to know haw to
partition the first unit.
I hope to have been clear... hard stuff!
Thanks for reply

Giamber

 

[Andy]

Mobo m2n32-sli
Hallo to everybody.
I'm stacked for now.
I'm going to assembly a pc with a mobo asus m2n32-sli deluxe, 2 hd
sata just configured in raid1; and I would like to partion the volume
and install wxp pro.

To get here I have been following the steps:

1) from setup bios -> main -> sata1 -> enabled
sata2 -> enabled

2) again from setup bios -> advanced -> serial ata config -> nvidia
raid ->
enabled;

3 )from setup raid config (press F10 while post is running))
raid mode -> select mirroring
clean disk data
create raid volume

4) creation of nvidia 32-bit raid floppy driver from asus system
cd-rom

At this point I started the xp installation cd:

When dealing with the raid array, you always have to load the nvidia
raid driver via F6.

I am asked to format the volume C: . (the only possible);
I choose ntfs format.
Going ahead installations files are loaded;
when next boot starts I push F6 to install raid nvidia drivers;
the operation is performed correctly.
going further are shown the available partitions to continue the xp
installation:

- disc scsi 0, id0, bus 0 on atapi.mbr
c: partition1 ntfs 131.072M
- disc scsi 0, id1, bus 0 on nvidia.mbr
space not partitioned 152.626M

How would you read that?

Your raid array is screwed up.

Actually before installing XP I would like to partition the raid
volume to prepare it for successives installations.

You can't do this.

 

[Giamber]

Thank you for replying.

When dealing with the raid array, you always have to load the nvidia
raid driver via F6.

Infact I did it again and this time and, once loaded the raid driver
and controller, there was a lone volume c: defined as partition1.

You can't do this.

Why? There is a tecnichal reason for that?
In the meanwhile I made the following steps:
by using the xp recovery consolle, before starting the installation,
I eliminated primarily the partition1 getting then an unpartitioned
space where I could create different partitions.
Successively I installed xp on partition 3.
I must say at this moment that I have a pseudo boot problem as the
system freezes as long as the windows logo appear.
However iI can open windows by emergency booting.

Cheers