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Why can't XP see my Raid Array 1HDD

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6 replies

by greg

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I just finished building a CAD system and have two Western Digital Raptor 36Gb HDD installed on an ASUS SK8V MB with SATA connectors. I have downloaded the bootable drivers from WD for the raid aray set-up. However, when I load Win XP, it gives a message that it cannot detect any hard drives. The motherboard maker ASUS, suggested to use Win XP SP1. But I can't find it on MS website because it is no longer available. But even if I do managed to find an SP1, isn't my XP version have an SP1 included on it? Why can't XP see my drives?

6 replies

by thechas

Check your XP CD. if it states that it includes SP 1, then you have SP1.

If your version of XP does not include SP1, you need to create a "slipstream" installation disk that melds SP1 into the XP installation disk.

When you start the XP installer, are you pressing F2 (?) to allow the installation of additional storage drivers?

That is what you need to do to use a storage device that is newer than the XP distribution.

SP 1 has been replaced by SP 1A.
The main difference is that SP 1A does not include JAVA.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=83e4e879-fa3a-48bf-ade5-023443e29d78&DisplayLang=en

Chas

by cg it

hummm here's the deal, when you first install Windows it will ask you if you need to install 3rd party drivers [which you need to do] and press F6 which you need to do. Then Windows will prompt you to insert your floppy disk with the additional drivers on it, then select em. You must do this step.

Further, prior to installing Windows you first have the Promise Fastrak 376 SATA RAID controller on board, you have to create an array regardless if its one disk or 2. Then configure your BIOS to boot SCSI as the SATA controller is seen as SCSI.

Once you've created your array, configured your BIOS to boot SCSI you can then boot to the Windows CD [and install drivers as I mentioned above]. I don't think you'll need SP1 to initially install Windows, your mainboard drivers and NIC drivers. Once you've got that done go to Windows Update site and start downloading everything [which will include SP 1a updates. SP 2 should be coming out sometime in August [supposedly].

by cg it

recap: the reason Windows doesn't see your array is that you didn't install the drivers [Windows asks for a floppy disk so extract the drivers to floppy] when you first installed Windows and it asks "Press F6 if need to install mass storage drivers [which SATA is]. Reinstall Windows and complete this step. You can't install Windows first then load up the SCSI drivers within Windows.

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