Via SATA RAID setup on Asus A8V deluxe

[Castcall]

Just purchase Asus A8V deluxe mobo and intend installing two SATA drives set
as RAID 1 using the onboard Via chipset.

The Via driver install guide tells me to make a DOS disk and when Windows XP
is loading hit F6 and yes to installing third-party drivers, install the
floppy containing the driver...then proceed to install WinXP.

Now, when the OS is installed it appears Windows will ask for an
installation disk and then I install the RAID utility programme to configure
the RAID 1 array. But......

the step-by-step instructions tell me to enter the utility (after installing
of course) and create the RAID 1 using the <auto> selection. It then says a
window will pop up asking me to confirm I want to proceed and create the
array but the screenshot of this pop-up also says Note all data on drives
may be erased if you proceed........well, does that mean that my Windows
installation will be deleted and I'll be back to an empty drive? Surely that
means I'll be forever going round in circles!!!!

Can anyone give me a sensible step-by step routing?

Thnx

Ron

 

[RonK]

You create the array First-- then install XP on the array you created.

 

[Castcall]

So there's no need to install the windows utility as mentioned in the
manual? I just hit the tab on booting and create the DOS based array??

Ron

 

[Carlos G.P]

El Sat, 22 Oct 2005 21:16:57 +0000, Castcall escribió:

So there's no need to install the windows utility as mentioned in the
manual?

Creating an array could be similar to create a partition ..
So.. Can you install windows... if still don't create de partition ??
A: No, you can't
Fisrt create the RAID with SATA RAID BIOS of your Mobo.. after that...
install your OS

 

[Carlos G.P]

El Sat, 22 Oct 2005 20:10:21 +0000, Castcall escribió:

The Via driver install guide tells me to make a DOS disk and when Windows XP
is loading hit F6 and yes to installing third-party drivers, install the
floppy containing the driver...then proceed to install WinXP.

Creating an array could be similar to create a partition...
So.. Can you install Windows if you still don't create a partition ?
A: No, you can not.

So... first create the array....then install windows
You can do it fromn wthin windows... But doing it that way.. you will lose
ALL your data.... because you must format your new array.

 

[RonK]

Boot the computer, Create the Raid Array.
To install XP, You need the floppy with the Raid Driver ready, Have the XP
CD in the drive, Boot the computer, Press a key to boot from CD when
prompted, Hit F6 when asked to allow XP to install the Raid Driver so it
will see the Raid Array. If it is a large Raid Array you can have XP
Installation Partition the hard drive.
I have 3 Partitons on my Array.
1 for XP 64
1 for XP32
1 strickly for games - No uneccessary programs installed on the Games
Partition.

 

[Castcall]

Thanks for all your help guys. I have done it!
Easier than the instruction book would have you think!!

Ron