I need help re-installing windows

[Kitomaru]

Straight from DXDIAG:

Time of this report: 10/7/2007, 23:09:24
Machine name: ANDY
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: NVIDIA
System Model: AWRDACPI
BIOS: )Phoenix - Award WorkstationBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 4000+, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.4GHz
Memory: 2046MB RAM
Page File: 664MB used, 7366MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

My situation:

I have had this rig going for a good 2 years or so, got the parts from newegg and got my neighbor to build it. Everything has been running smooth since, but I've been having some problems with my computer and I figured I'd just reinstall windows for a clean slate (I'd prefer this method because the mess I've created would take hours to organize/sort through).

My only issue is my neighbor has moved since then, and I have no idea how he set up my dual hard drives (Two 70gb raptors I believe?)


Is there any reading material out there/step-by-step guide/software I need?

Thanks!


-Kito

 

[mechBgon]

Go to the motherboard manufacturer's website and download the RAID drivers for your disk controller. Depending on how they've packaged them, you may need to run their utility to generate a floppy diskette with the drivers on it, or simply unzip the driver files onto a floppy diskette.

Now back up all your data. If you encrypted anything, decrypt it now.

Next, start Windows Setup from the CD-ROM and press the F6 key (preceded by the F-Lock key if your keyboard has one) when you see the prompt at the bottom of the blue screen. Later, Windows Setup will ask for your floppy diskette and then will be able to show the RAID array. Delete all the partitions on the RAID array, exit from Windows Setup by pressing F3 twice, and begin the routine a second time and follow through to the end.

If your WinXP CD doesn't have SP2 pre-integrated, you'll want to be extra-careful not to expose the system to network worms.

 

[Kitomaru]

I went to the DFI web site to locate the raid drivers like you recommended, and this is the one I selected:

Revision 1.0.0.16
Driver RAID Driver
OS Window XP
File NF4 RAID F6.ZIP
Size 545,515 bytes
Date 2006/01/27
Description nForce4 RAID0/1 Driver & Silicon Image 3114 RAID0/1/5 Driver (Self-Extract to floppy for F6 Installation).

It didn't come with any kind of utility, just three folders:

nvidia
silicon
silicon5

and one file:
TxtSetup.oem




What should I do with this? :S

 

[mechBgon]

Try pasting all of the folders and the file onto a floppy diskette, and then try the setup routine using the floppy to supply the RAID drivers with the F6-key trick.

 

[Kitomaru]

Another quick question before I do this, how should I partition/format the drives? Do I reformat each drive and then partition off? Or partition them off, and then format? What raid option do I need? :/

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: Kitomaru
Another quick question before I do this, how should I partition/format the drives? Do I reformat each drive and then partition off? Or partition them off, and then format? What raid option do I need? :/

As long as you don't deliberately break the array by going into the RAID configuration utility and messing with it, it should remain in whatever RAID mode it's in now. Windows Setup will regard the array as a single hard drive, basically. If it were me, I would partition the entire array as one partition and definitely format it in NTFS.

Actually, if it were me, I wouldn't use RAID at all, I'd run the two drives as independent drives, but I'm just crazy like that

 

[Old Hippie]

Here's a really stupid question. How did you come to the conclusion these drives were in a Raid configuration?