XP won't Boot after Install (RAID 0)

[imported_promtbr]

I had to format my PC because of IE conflicts. I am running XP pro on a home-rolled MSI K8Neo4 SLI mobo and using two SATA WD Caviars set-up in RAID 0. I had no problems installing XP and setting up RAID the first time and the system ran well for several months. I had two partions, the operating system was on C: drive and the Game Program files were on the second partition
I used the Xp Cd to format the C: and re-installed XP and hit the F6 as before and used the NVidia SATA/Raid drivers as before. During the install, Windows would stop and ask for a file "IDECOI.dll" like it couldn't copy it from the Floppy. I did a search and that file is indeed on the Nvidia SATA/Raid driver floppy. (I think it asked me this the first time I loaded windows XP , but I don;t remember if I just skipped the file or what.)
The installation will keep proceding until the finish, like everything is OK, but it won't boot into Windows, the screen goes into the SAFE mode options and when I try SAFE mode it , the screen fills with lines like "multi-partition disk...." or something.
I tried to go to NVIdia's site to find another copy of the NVIDIA raid/sata driver but no luck. What sould I do? Give up on RAID and just hook the two drives up separately on SATA? This mobo aslo has 4 more SATA ports using SILOCON Image chip and a I have a floppy for that. Should I try that instead?
THanks for any input!

 

[ohnnyj]

Are you saying that you created two partitions on the RAID array? I'm not sure if this is a wise choice as RAID0 spreads the data across the drives and creating multiple partitions on the array may be causing issues. Usually you create partitions on large volume hard drives or systems with a lone drive.

 

[FlyingPenguin]

Let me just make sure I understand. You already setup the RAID 0 array with the SATA Controller's utility, right? Now you want to install XP on it?

You're certain all the files for the SATA controller are on the floppy?

Maybe the heads on the floppy drive are dirty (most of us hardly ever use them and they get dusty). Use a floppy drive head cleaner (any office supply store should have one).

Sometimes all you need to do is just eject the floppy and re-insert it and Windows will proceed.

Hope this helps...

I'm not sure if this is a wise choice as RAID0 spreads the data across the drives and creating multiple partitions on the array may be causing issues.

It's not an issue at all ohnnyj. You can have as many partitions as you like in a RAID array. There's a lot of valid reasons not to use one large partition (data integrity, redundancy, ease of backups and defragmentation). While a striped array does indeed multiply your risk of a drive failure by two, using multiple partitions in no way inceases the risk any more than that, and actually can limit the amount of data lost due to a head crash.

For instance losing MFT (Master File Table) on one large parition would be a disaster - good chance you'd lose all your data. Losing one of the MFTs on a drive with several partitions would at worst lose all the data in that one partition, leaving the other partitions unaffected (although the data needs to be backed up immediately as head crash on a modern HDD will propogate throughout the entire drive in short order due to particles being released inside the drive).

I also recommend multiple partitions on single drive (non-RAID) systems for the same reason.

I keep nothing in my boot partition except the Windows files. All apps go on a seperate partition, all data on another, games on another, etc. Makes it VERY easy to Ghost your boot partition prior to doing something risky.

At the very least ALL your data should be on a different partition than the boot drive on a mission critical system (it's easy to re-locate your Documents folder).

 

[ohnnyj]

Originally posted by: FlyingPenguin
Let me just make sure I understand. You already setup the RAID 0 array with the SATA Controller's utility, right? Now you want to install XP on it?

You're certain all the files for the SATA controller are on the floppy?

Maybe the heads on the floppy drive are dirty (most of us hardly ever use them and they get dusty). Use a floppy drive head cleaner (any office supply store should have one).

Sometimes all you need to do is just eject the floppy and re-insert it and Windows will proceed.

Hope this helps...

I'm not sure if this is a wise choice as RAID0 spreads the data across the drives and creating multiple partitions on the array may be causing issues.

It's not an issue at all ohnnyj. You can have as many partitions as you like in a RAID array. There's a lot of valid reasons not to use one large partition (data integrity, redundancy, ease of backups and defragmentation). While a striped array does indeed multiply your risk of a drive failure by two, using multiple partitions in no way inceases the risk any more than that, and actually can limit the amount of data lost due to a head crash.

For instance losing MFT (Master File Table) on one large parition would be a disaster - good chance you'd lose all your data. Losing one of the MFTs on a drive with several partitions would at worst lose all the data in that one partition, leaving the other partitions unaffected (although the data needs to be backed up immediately as head crash on a modern HDD will propogate throughout the entire drive in short order due to particles being released inside the drive).

I also recommend multiple partitions on single drive (non-RAID) systems for the same reason.

I keep nothing in my boot partition except the Windows files. All apps go on a seperate partition, all data on another, games on another, etc. Makes it VERY easy to Ghost your boot partition prior to doing something risky.

At the very least ALL your data should be on a different partition than the boot drive on a mission critical system (it's easy to re-locate your Documents folder).

Thanks for the clarification, I did not know you could do this but it makes sense. A RAID array affectively makes the disks look like one drive anyways, so I assume that it makes no difference to the OS whether the disk space it sees and drive letters it assigns are for one drive or a RAIDed array that looks like one drive and is partitioned into multiple drives.

 

[FlyingPenguin]

Exactly - as long as you're running a hardware RAID (raid array managed and maintained by the controller) as far as BIOS and Windows is concerned it's one drive.

The only problem I have with RAID is that arrays are created using encoding unique to the controller chip manufacturer. THere's no standard. You usually CANNOT plug the drives from an array into a different controller chip and see the array. Even different model chips made by the same manufactuer usually can't read each other's arrays.

This is another problem with RAID. If your mobo dies then you CANNOT copy the data off your drive to another drive easily, or install the array on another mobo UNLESS it's the same model mobo.

For mission critical system - like clients with servers that have RAID 1 mirror arrays - I ONLY use add-on RAID controller cards and I make them buy TWO cards and keep the extra card as a spare.

Mobo dies I can move the controller and array to another mobo. Controller dies I can pop in the spare.

 

[imported_promtbr]

Yes, I have already created the array and have previously installed XP and used it without problems for months. It is in two partions, one active (C: drive) and the system was on that one. I had to format the drive because I had endless Internet Explorer issues. I am trying to re-install XP on the already created Array (is that my problem?'
should I re-create a new raid array?)
The RAID drivers are on a floppy provided by MSI.Evidently a file on that floppy is not being copied when doing the install, as Windows asks for that file, even though IT IS on the floppy. I am not sure this is even the issue, as I do remember that Windows also asked for this same file on my first install and it booted and worked fine.
I may try to create a new RAID array, or try and connect the sata Hard Drives to the other SATA ports that are run of the Silicon Image controler, though I seemed
to remember that the Silicon SATA controler on this MOBO had issues back when I first got the mobo new.

 

[ohnnyj]

Are you recreating both partitions as well? If you want to wipe the entire array it does not hurt to simply delete the array and recreate it, then go through the Windows setup again. And as for the missing file, have you tried another floppy? Another floppy drive? You could even go as far as slipstreaming the RAID drivers onto a WinXP CD -> click me. Then Windows had better find them

You may want to use the latest nVidia Forceware drivers as well -> click me. These include updated RAID drivers, you may have to copy the files manually to a floppy after you extract the package.

Have you updated the BIOS on the motherboard?

 

[FlyingPenguin]

Having an existing array is not a problem. You need to get those drivers to load.

 

[Smilin]

Originally posted by: FlyingPenguin
Having an existing array is not a problem. You need to get those drivers to load.

Yep.

Snag a copy of the drivers from their website. You may get an update as well as a fix to your problem.