RAID 0 - unmountable_boot_volume

[Redbeaver]

clear disk on Nvidia RAID doesnt reformat the drive at all. it just clears the partition table. do a clean format. get teh windows cd, boot, go to recovery prompt, and format. both of them.

 

i use 04/06/2006 bios, and 6.8* (forgot) driver. worked like a charm.

[douirc]

well, i downloaded 04/06/2006 bios direct from DFI's website and now xp doesn't see the drives at all. I'm using the same slipstreamed CD i used with the previos bios that worked just fine. what the heck is going on!

[Redbeaver]

after u install the new BIOS, u have to recreate the array. just go F10 and delete the array and create a new one. then install ur slipstreamed CD to it.

 

and if u still have a non-slipstreamed, might as well use that one and use F6 to load the drivers from the floppy that comes wit the mobo....

[douirc]

i'm pretty sure i recreated the array, but i'll do it again when i get home. i'll also try using the floppy instead of the slipstreamed cd. another question, this whole time i've been trying to use the nvidia raid adapter because its performance is better than the Sil 3114, but Sil should work too, right? I was thinking maybe i'd try it with the Sil chipset to see if i have the same problems.

 

question - to use the Sil chipset, I have to plug the drives into sata 5-8? 1-4 is for nvidia raid only, right?

[loggan26]

Yes your right but very few use the SIl for the OS, they usually use SIl for Data or backup etc, it slower than the Nvidia, so that is why the majority go with or will advise you to go with Nvidia.....

 

Logan

[red930]

After a BIOS flash you should clear the CMOS and Load Defaults as part of the operation.

 

You will then need to make the settings in the BIOS so you can see the RAID array again.

[douirc]

ok, i'm finally making progress. i'm currently running the released bios off dfi's website and i'm scoring around 207 in hdtach. that sound about right?

 

to get here, i used my reg xp pro disk (not the slipstreamed) and the floppy disk that came in the box (not the one i created from latest nforce drivers from nvidia's website). that seemed to do the trick.

 

next, i want to go back to merlin's bios and see if i can get the same success using my std xp pro disk and the floppy that came in the box.

 

i think my problem is i'm missing info on my floppy vs the floppy that comes in the box. the instructions i found on creating a floppy seemed straight forward. it suggested downloading the latest platform drivers from nvidia and running the file with -x flag to extract the content. included in the content is an IDEWinXPSATARAID directory, which you simply copy to the floppy. This is what I used for the slipstream too, so i'm not sure why it works sometimes and others it doesn't.

 

either way, i have more testing to do until i get this right.