EP45-DS3R raid problem

[Caste]

Hi guys!

Last week I bought an ep45-ds3r mb. At the beginning I had big problems with system stability, so I changed some bios trying to solve the problem. After flashing F5 bios, I was not more able to set raid or ahci mode: after the post, when the bios checks sata drives connected, it stops and never go forward.

After this, I tried all bios (even F8 that I tried before F5, and raid worked that time) and with all of them I can't set raid/ahci mode.


I apparently solved stability problems (Too low voltage on ram), but now raid problem remains, so now I'll try to explain the problem better.


I have two sata2 hd connected to sata0 and sata1, and at the moment F8 bios. After loading optimized defaults and set raid on sata mode, the system restarts. After post mode, I have a screen that says:

"Serial ATA AHCI BIOS, version iSrc 1.07.00042006
Copyright (c) 2003-2006 Intel Corporation 23
** This version supports only Hard Disk and CDROM drives **
Please wait. This will take few seconds.


.........
Controller Bus#00, Device#1F, Function#02: 06 Ports, 02 Devices
_"


The last underscore is flashing, and the system doesn't go forward and show me "press CTRL-I...." and so on.


Every suggestion for solving my problem is welcome! (and sorry for my english )

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem

Sounds like you are trying to use AHCI and not RAID, they are two different things. And you would need to install one or the others drivers during OS install

Actually what I mean more is it sounds like you have AHCI set in the BIOS and Not RAID

[Caste]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem

No, I'm sure it's raid. Driver's for the os does't affect this because the problem happens before installing the os (at least, i suppose is so). After set raid into bios, I had to configure raid with intel matrix storage manager option, but the system stops before asking me to open the manager (with ctrl-i), and only after setting this i had to install the os (with right drivers, of course).

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem

Well that is why I said I think you have settings wrong in the BIOS. AHCI BIOS should not load or attempt to load unless you have it set or have the driver installed.

So it sounds like you have it set to AHCI, Can you post a image of your BIOS hard drive settings page for me

[Caste]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem



And this is where it stops



Yes it's strange, it seems that ahci starts even if raid is enabled...

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem

Ya that is strange

Maybe you should try a Reflash of your same BIOS with Qflash, load optimized defaults, then reboot and make the same changes.

Have you tried it with SATA port0-3 In enabled? You DO NOT have a OS installed yet correct? Do you have Hard Disk Boot Priority set to Your disk by name (In Advanced BIOS Features page?

Also, please disable Legacy USB Storage Detect if you are not using a External USB Drive as this causes random issues often

[Caste]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem

I have vista 64 on the first hd.


I tried to reflash F8 (and even F7). Load optimized, disabled legacy, set native mode on and on the priority the 2 hd are in the first two places...but no changes...

[svcglobal]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem

Only my 2 cents but I got exactly the same behavior on my first setup due memory that was undervoltage. Once adjusted (in my case, please check your mem datasheet) to +.2V I could finish my setup. Not a glitch since then.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem

Vista Installed already.... Hmmm

How did you install it? RAID or AHCI, you say "On the First HD" Then that would suggest you had Vista installed as AHCI or Normal SATA. And Not RAID.

Either way, you will have to leave it as you had it before, or reinstall Vista. You cannot switch from AHCI to RAID with a already installed system

Looks to me from all of this thread that you previously had vista installed as AHCI and it is trying to load it as such because the AHCI Driver is installed with vista. Now you are trying to do RAID which you cannot just switch to. You will need to format the vista off the first disk, and have Two formatted disks installed and then set RAID as you have in the above image in the BIOS then go in the RAID BIOS Array page and make your RAID Array

[Caste]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem

Only my 2 cents but I got exactly the same behavior on my first setup due memory that was undervoltage. Once adjusted (in my case, please check your mem datasheet) to +.2V I could finish my setup. Not a glitch since then.

I have set +0.3 for ram (2.1 instead of 1.8 that was auto). I have ocz ram, and they should have 2.1 (or 2.2, I don't remember). This solved my stability problem, but when I built up the pc (it's all brand new) and tried to set raid, it worked even with 1.8 (but it crashed forward, during os setup)

Vista Installed already.... Hmmm

How did you install it? RAID or AHCI, you say "On the First HD" Then that would suggest you had Vista installed as AHCI or Normal SATA. And Not RAID.

Either way, you will have to leave it as you had it before, or reinstall Vista. You cannot switch from AHCI to RAID with a already installed system

Looks to me from all of this thread that you previously had vista installed as AHCI and it is trying to load it as such because the AHCI Driver is installed with vista. Now you are trying to do RAID which you cannot just switch to. You will need to format the vista off the first disk, and have Two formatted disks installed and then set RAID as you have in the above image in the BIOS then go in the RAID BIOS Array page and make your RAID Array

Vista is installed as normal sata, because I was not able to set raid or ahci, so I decided to install it the same (just to see if i had stability problems).


Now I wanted to reinstall vista with raid, so I know that I have to fomat both disks, but I expected problems during boot, not before...


However, today in my country is holiday and there is no sun, so I have a lot of free time I'll try to format everything and then set raid, hoping that this will solve the problem!

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem

Good luck, If you dont have any luck I will be back in about 10-12 hours so post what you can and if you are gone I will answer you then.

Good luck, I hope you get it all fixed OK

[Caste]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem

It was as you said!


I unallocated both hds, and now it works! even with raid it launchs ahci bios, but now it goes forward and show me to press ctrl-i to setup raid.


Thank you so much for all the support! Now let's rockin' with raid 0!

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: EP45-DS3R raid problem

Glad to hear it. Ya that may be the case with AHCI BIOS loading by default when RAID is set in the BIOS. I have never set it with a disk that was not formatted and ready to setup RAID, nor had I booted past the RAID setup without setting it up so I would possibly see that if I had done it before.

Glad you got it all figured out