Installing Vista on a RAID 0 hardware

Hi,

No one will argue that Vista is greedy and heavier than its predecessor, Windows XP. The constant evolution of technology has allowed motherboard manufacturers to integrate the RAID on the majority of their products and allows most of us to enjoy the benefits of this technology that translates literally Vista.

Indeed, the OS installed on a RAID 0 performance is a common measure responsiveness with a single disk, very efficient, low offer.
Vista is "cut" to the RAID ... And it's so simple to install and only constraints have a compatible motherboard and two SATA hard drives at least.

This article will describe how to set up a hardware RAID 0 and install Windows Vista. The motherboard used is equipped with a Nvidia RAID controller, the description thus refers specifically to this type of equipment. The manipulation may be applied to any motherboard with Nvidia chipset, regardless of the socket.


Step 1: Choosing and Installing hard disks

To mount a RAID 0, two SATA II at least, all is called "cluster" (Array or matrix in English). To optimize the use of the volume of records, it is strongly recommended to use disks of identical sizes.
Indeed, if two 250 GB drives will allow us to obtain a final volume of 500GB, the use of a 250GB disk combined with a 80GB disk will give a final volume of 160 GB (170 GB on the 250 of the first disk will be unusable.

In this demonstration, we will use two SATA II 160 GB (Samsung and Hitachi).
I draw your attention to the fact that RAID 0 offers no safety data, failure of one disk, the entire cluster is lost.
Therefore, it is better to make regular backups of your personal data.

Step 2: Implementation of the controller

On the capture below, we find that hard drives are detected, connected to SATA ports 1 and 2 of the motherboard (it is advisable to follow the order established by the manufacturer for connection records, we return at the end of the article), they are identified as "IDE Channel 1 Master" and "IDE Channel 2 master" (the reference to the IDE is a feature of the BIOS, in this case, some motherboards, the term IDE will be replaced by SATA).

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/bios00.jpg

Not active by default, we will implement the RAID controller on the motherboard.
It is in the menu "Integrated Peripherals" which we find this function, then "SATA II RAID config":

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/bios1.jpg

The next screen provides access to the validation of the controller (on the need to "Enabled"), and each SATA port on this motherboard and driven by the controller.
Set "Enabled" each of the ports used for RAID.
Attention, not sure that the ports that will be used for the RAID, (1 and 2 in the example).

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/bios2.jpg

Save the changes made in the BIOS (usually F10 key), then restart the computer.

Step 3: Configuring the cluster

Following the post BIOS, a new screen will appear, this is the page to access the RAID controller.
A button must be pressed at this moment to enter the configuration mode (F10 in this example):

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/bios3.jpg

The following image shows the configuration screen is where we create the cluster.

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/bios4.jpg

Moving from one screen to another is done using the "up / down and left / right"

In "RAID Mode", select "Stripping for a RAID 0 (mirroring will be selected for a RAID 1)
In "Stripping Block", you can leave on "Optimal" (this is the cluster size to be generated on the RAID volume, you can manually set the size)

Choice discs

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/bios5.jpg

In the "Free Zone", you can view the free disk to mount the cluster.
In the "Array Disks", you can view the selected disks to the cluster.
Once selected, simply drag the drive from one area to another (key "→" and "←") in order to obtain the equivalent of this screenshot:

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/bios6.jpg

Validation and preservation of the cluster are made by pressing the "F7" (Finish)

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/bios7.jpg

The screen that appears is a summary and allows you to make it bootable (or not) the RAID volume

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/bios8.jpg

Make sure the volume is of course "YES" in column "Boot" and the final volume is consistent with that expected (in our example, 2 disks of 160 GB are equal to 298Go formatted)

To exit this screen and restart the PC: Ctrl-X "(exit)

Enter the BIOS again to verify everything is OK:

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/bios9.jpg

There is on the capture above that both disks have disappeared, and two ports, it is normal, they are now controlled by the RAID controller

In the menu "Hard Disk Boot Priority", the cluster should appear on the 1st line and in the form of a single-disk type SCSI with a volume of 298 GB (in our example).

http://gallery.techarena.in/data/513/bios10.jpg

Step 4: Install Vista

Once past the initial stages of installing Vista, you will arrive at the selection screen of the destination disk.
And it is here that all the advantage of using Vista: the galley finished loading the RAID drivers via the floppy drive! (When one has the right driver!)
Indeed, vista natively recognizes the majority of existing RAID controllers.
Despite this, and if by chance your RAID volume was not visible in the screen below, it is always possible to load drivers using the "load a driver"

If all went well, your volume is visible to its value (298 GB in our demo) as "unallocated space on disk 0."

Here, two options:

Installing Vista on all of the available space (to do this, select the drive and click "next")
Create partition to install Vista on one of his choice, it is this scenario that we will choose. (Click on "options for readers (advanced)" to display options for partitioning and formatting)

Click on "new", then in the "size" select the volume size that you want to install Vista.
Click "Apply" to take into account the changes.

At this point you can either continue the installation by clicking on "next" or to create one or more partitions and format them
I advise you to continue the installation directly, creating partitions and formatting can be done once Vista is installed via the disk manager.

The installation of Vista will continue, just follow the wizard to install Vista.


Appendix: key points

We will finally address two important points:

First point

Perhaps will you a days facing a reset of the BIOS. Several reasons can lead to this situation.

• Mishandling in the bios (voluntary, involuntary, caused by the son for example).
• The battery backup bios HS.
• An automatic reset after a heavy overclocking or setting an error during the tests.
• The list is not exhaustive.

What is your RAID volume and your data?

In effect, resetting the BIOS will have the effect of disabling the controller on the motherboard (remember, we have used in step 2) and you will see with horror that Windows no longer starts!
Do not panic: Just to resume operations in steps 2 (and possibly 3), to summarize: to use the controller, validate the SATA ports on which the disks used for RAID are connected, on the next startup, enter in the configuration of the RAID controller and verify that the cluster is always formed (this precaution is not necessary).
What he must remember is that whatever the type of RAID you use, your data will not be lost in this case.

Second point

I reiterate the importance of using the SATA ports in the order of the numbering used by the manufacturer of the motherboard to connect the disk reserved for RAID.
First, because the engineers who created these materials are quite pragmatic and do not imagine that on a motherboard with 8 SATA ports, for instance, will choose to connect your drive on ports 3 and 7 (it an example)
Then, as in this case, in 2 months, 6 months or a year, you'll remember the ports that you have connected your drives?
And if you experience a reset of the BIOS, you'll be good to open the case and see how your drives are installed.

Connected to ports 1 and 2 (in the case of two discs), the matter will be settled soon, because human memory retains much better order than disorder.