Onboard Promise on OS drive?

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Originally Posted by constructor

Is it fair to say that we should not depend on Raid built into motherboards because it is still at the gimmick stage?

Comments Please

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As I said, it worked for me in RAID 0+1 on the exact same motherboard. For that matter I have installed RAID 0 and 1 on three other systems with Promise, nVidia and Intel RAID S-ATA controllers without any problems.

I don't consider it a "gimmick" - if you properly install the drives, set up the RAID array in the hardware configuration, then use the correct driver diskette it works. Or anyway it has worked for me, first time, every time; but I have been exceedingly careful to do it right.

YMMV. Obviously. :devil:

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Originally Posted by rgharper

As I said, it worked for me in RAID 0+1 on the exact same motherboard. For that matter I have installed RAID 0 and 1 on three other systems with Promise, nVidia and Intel RAID S-ATA controllers without any problems.

I don't consider it a "gimmick" - if you properly install the drives, set up the RAID array in the hardware configuration, then use the correct driver diskette it works. Or anyway it has worked for me, first time, every time; but I have been exceedingly careful to do it right.

YMMV. Obviously. :devil:

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Ok
Not suggesting it fails every time just that the results can be variable. Judging by the number of viewings of this post and ones I see of a similar nature elswhere it is apparent that many people find this task problematic.

Some report that the Raid although installed proves to be unreliable in that it is unstable.

One major factor seems to be that it is not practical to use a slipstreamed OEM CD but I have not found out why this fails.

As ever I'm confus-ed .. & maybe a bit too lazy to read it all properly ! :eek2:

But err umm what's wrong with just feeding windows the sata drivers, when it says press f6 if we want to install a single sata drive ? If any Raid options in bios are off, it'll just install (or it ought to, where folks slip up usually is getting confus-ed between raid drivers & sata drivers).

Now if you are talking about an existing install, the way to do that is by restoring a backup to a freshly done install (untick the bits about backing up hardware, you only want data), just in exactly the way M$ tell you to do a motherboard change, folks often confuse the hell out of themselves by trying to use image tools for this, but backup is what you want ..

..Is it really a windows issue? and is billy keeping quiet?..

Its a 'windows hasn't got a driver for this stuff' problem & your 'rubbishing' of the make a slipstreamed copy answer earlier, would infact fix things up (but all its doing really is saving you pressing f6 & making a floppy)

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Originally Posted by confus-ed

As ever I'm confus-ed .. & maybe a bit too lazy to read it all properly ! :eek2:

But err umm what's wrong with just feeding windows the sata drivers, when it says press f6 if we want to install a single sata drive ? If any Raid options in bios are off, it'll just install (or it ought to, where folks slip up usually is getting confus-ed between raid drivers & sata drivers).

Now if you are talking about an existing install, the way to do that is by restoring a backup to a freshly done install (untick the bits about backing up hardware, you only want data), just in exactly the way M$ tell you to do a motherboard change, folks often confuse the hell out of themselves by trying to use image tools for this, but backup is what you want ..

..Is it really a windows issue? and is billy keeping quiet?..

Its a 'windows hasn't got a driver for this stuff' problem & your 'rubbishing' of the make a slipstreamed copy answer earlier, would infact fix things up (but all its doing really is saving you pressing f6 & making a floppy)

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Hi
OK
SATA not really a issue to me but the customers seem to struggle

You confused me about slipstream bit - or perhaps I confused you.
The Nvidia 3,4 chipsets seems to be problematic. - or is it the drivers.
Anyway many whoever they are suggest this is a issue and the solution therefore was to slipstream the drivers and therefore avoid the floppy issue.

particularly with regard to a RAID install.

I was not convinced.

There are many suggestions that attempting to use my OEM Slipstream copy of windows results in the floppy drive "drivers" not being recognised.
Tomorrow I will repeat the exercise on a new Raid 1 configuration following all the rules with a OEM XP CD and see if it gets past stage 2 of the floppy install.
I am not convinced that it is a error on my part.

You may well appreciate that if you look at a lot of Manuals the refer to none existant instructions and any RAID support is well buried in their web sites.

I have also noted that when asking the questions about such issues there is a total lack of consistency to the responses. - not you, not me, but it it is apparent that there is much confusion HENCE my suggestion for a STICKY :drink:

I think Noo had a good point earlier which was never properly addressed: What file doesn't the installation find? If you are using diskettes made from a download, Promise in particular has some some diskette creation software which may fail to create an oem.txt file.

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..HENCE my suggestion for a STICKY ..

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What you want a whole load of confusion 'stickified' ? :confused:

I'm really confus-ed just what you are asking, & why - tacking onto somebodies else's thread isn't helping any either - I think slgrieb just turned up, intent on answering the opening poster & I'm trying to answer you !, & there's also much confusion in this thread about RAID & SATA as various folks seem to be using the two phrases interchangeably, when they aren't.

Words of one syllable required if you would please ..

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Originally Posted by slgrieb

I think Noo had a good point earlier which was never properly addressed: What file doesn't the installation find? If you are using diskettes made from a download, Promise in particular has some some diskette creation software which may fail to create an oem.txt file.

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Good point will also check out the fileset on the floppy to ensure it is complete.

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Originally Posted by confus-ed

What you want a whole load of confusion 'stickified' ? :confused:

I'm really confus-ed just what you are asking, & why - tacking onto somebodies else's thread isn't helping any either - I think slgrieb just turned up, intent on answering the opening poster & I'm trying to answer you !, & there's also much confusion in this thread about RAID & SATA as various folks seem to be using the two phrases interchangeably, when they aren't.

Words of one syllable required if you would please ..

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I can hardly be accused of hijacking this, all posts on this topic (and as far as I can see it is the only detailed topic on the subject) are relevant. Slgrieb made a very valid point which directly relates to my previous post

A reply on the issue as to whether you used a slipstream Windows install CD or a new microsoft CD would do at this stage.

If I resolve this a new post detailing the results and or issues may well be on the cards.

Ok
Thanks for the reply

In a nutshell slipstreamed installs do not like RAID with the exception of SP1
Even that is not guaranteed

So there is a problem here
with both Nvidia and Via Chipsets

I have tested this on 4 pcs
It is a windows issue

What a chew on

Fabulous I'm on a thread that is two years old with no solutions.
Someone made comment earlier about getting ASUS only..........well on someone else's suggestion to do just that replacing a burnt Soyo Dragon I bought an ASUS that just so happens to have that Promise controller. I swapped out the Soyo and the old chip for the ASUS and a new chip and did a Repair install to avoid a clean install with a bare version of XP no service packs. Yes there were some issues and I knew I was on borrowed time. NYE I'm moving about 5GB from the C drive to the D drive and this reboot and deleting of orphan files had started blanking out 60GB of data. So I research the prob and wind up here with the Promise driver issue I cannot get around.
Recently I grabbed a version of XP with sp2 on the disc and some of the files will not copy as we have heard..........I contacted the vendor and they are resending the disc which I thought was a nic or scratch keeping me from copying the setup files. This does not sound like it will be fixable unless I get rid of the board and get something without the Promise drivers. Tell me I'm nuts.
I am NOT running RAID or using the serial ports. All of my drives are on IDE.

ASUS P4800E
2.6 Prescott
1.75GB Corsair
200GB Seagate Barracuda
250GB Seagate Barracuda
40GB Maxtor as Photoshop scratch disc
NEC DVD-RW 3550A
UltraX 500W PS
ATI Radeon 9550 256mb

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Originally Posted by emkaydist

Fabulous I'm on a thread that is two years old with no solutions.
Someone made comment earlier about getting ASUS only..........well on someone else's suggestion to do just that replacing a burnt Soyo Dragon I bought an ASUS that just so happens to have that Promise controller. I swapped out the Soyo and the old chip for the ASUS and a new chip and did a Repair install to avoid a clean install with a bare version of XP no service packs. Yes there were some issues and I knew I was on borrowed time. NYE I'm moving about 5GB from the C drive to the D drive and this reboot and deleting of orphan files had started blanking out 60GB of data. So I research the prob and wind up here with the Promise driver issue I cannot get around.
Recently I grabbed a version of XP with sp2 on the disc and some of the files will not copy as we have heard..........I contacted the vendor and they are resending the disc which I thought was a nic or scratch keeping me from copying the setup files. This does not sound like it will be fixable unless I get rid of the board and get something without the Promise drivers. Tell me I'm nuts.
I am NOT running RAID or using the serial ports. All of my drives are on IDE.

ASUS P4800E
2.6 Prescott
1.75GB Corsair
200GB Seagate Barracuda
250GB Seagate Barracuda
40GB Maxtor as Photoshop scratch disc
NEC DVD-RW 3550A
UltraX 500W PS
ATI Radeon 9550 256mb

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If you are using IDE only disable the SATA/RAID in the Bios
You can use a slipstreamed XP Disk.
Ignore the F6 to load the Drivers and do a repair install.
You can possibly disable the Promise controller on the motherboard.
No reason why that should not work.