ASRock Forums : Z370 Taichi + sata RAID (not boot drive)

Z370 Taichi + sata RAID (not boot drive) : I gave up and reinstalled Windows...

Sat, 07 Apr 2018 02:03:17 +0000

Author: mgoldey
Subject: 8228
Posted: 07 Apr 2018 at 2:03am

I gave up and reinstalled Windows in RAID mode. I never could figure out whether Windows was unable to figure out the BIOS settings or the hard drive telemetry, or if there was something in the BIOS itself that kept booting me into BIOS.

For the benefit of those who read this, I went as far as to download and install the Intel RST RAID drivers from Intel and installed them manually; then deleted the AHCI drivers completely. I hoped that would stop Windows from loading the AHCI drivers and then halting when it found no ACHI devices and dumping me into the BIOS (if that is what was actually happening). No change, though. Still booted into BIOS in RAID mode, and into the generic Windows AHCI mode otherwise.

I suspect that the problem was with the way that the SSD m.2 drive was formatted by Windows in the first place during the AHCI installation. As now installed under RAID mode, the drive has three visible partitions (Recovery, EFI and the c:\ partition) plus a fourth one that is essentially the boot instructions. In AHCI mode, there were only two visible partitions. So that may be the reason for all of this.

Z370 Taichi + sata RAID (not boot drive) : Dear Mgoldey, Thank you...

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 11:08:46 +0000

Author: ASRock_TSD
Subject: 8228
Posted: 03 Apr 2018 at 11:08am

Dear Mgoldey,

Thank you for your reply.

Could you provide the screenshot of BIOS storage configuration and boot page?

We have tested in our side, setting at AHCI mode and RAID mode both works fine.

Thank you!

Yours truly,

ASRock TSD

Z370 Taichi + sata RAID (not boot drive) : Thank you for your reply. I understand...

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 11:18:05 +0000

Author: mgoldey
Subject: 8228
Posted: 30 Mar 2018 at 11:18am

Thank you for your reply. I understand what you have explained. I cannot make the change work, though.

The link you gave to social.technet.microsoft.com has a link to this page: http://www.overclock.net/forum/20-hard-drives-storage/1227636-how-change-sata-modes-after-windows-installation.html

The instructions on that overclock.net page are as follows:

If currently installed, uninstall your RAID or AHCI SATA driver (for intel, intel rapid storage technology)
Basically open msconfig -> boot tab -> check safe boot -> restart
Go into UEFI/BIOS and set SATA mode to which ever one you want
Boot up into windows safe mode
Open msconfig again -> under the main menu tab (general) click the normal startup circle - > restart
Your system should boot into windows fine and you can install your AHCI or RAID driver.

I am stuck at step #4. After I go into the Taichi BIOS and choose RAID mode, the motherboard reboots to BIOS and will not start Windows. This is, the same situation I've been having all along.

Maybe I am not uninstalling the AHCI SATA driver properly? I am using Device Manager > IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers > Standard SATA AHCI Controller, and uninstalling it. I am not removing the Asmedia 106x SATA Controller under Storage Controllers because nothing is attached to SATA 3_A1 or 3-A2.

What am I missing?

Thanks again!

Z370 Taichi + sata RAID (not boot drive) : Dear Mgoldey, Thank you...

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 10:20:00 +0000

Author: ASRock_TSD
Subject: 8228
Posted: 30 Mar 2018 at 10:20am

DearMgoldey,

Thankyou for choosing ASRock.

Regardingyour case, the system cannot boot and enterBIOS directly becauseyour system is installed in AHCI mode.

Whenyou switch to RAID mode, the system cannot recognize the AHCI boot manager.

Pleaserefer to below link to change your Windowsfrom AHCIto RAID.

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/588c6cc0-03f0-44c4-b9dc-49143db95000/changing-from-ahci-to-raid-without-reinstalling-win-10?forum=win10itprohardware

Then your system can boot into M.2 SSD when youswitch to RAID mode.

Oryou can install your Windows at M.2 SSD again inRAID mode.

Thankyou!

Yourstruly,

ASRockTSD

Z370 Taichi + sata RAID (not boot drive) : Folks:I have read a number of...

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 01:36:35 +0000

Author: mgoldey
Subject: 8228
Posted: 30 Mar 2018 at 1:36am

Folks:

I have read a number of posts about using the built-in RAID array on this motherboard, and this one is very helpful, but I'm still stuck: http://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7009&title=z370-extreme4-wont-boot-from-sata0-with-raid-on

I am migrating from an old MSI mobo to a z370 Taichi. The old MSI had a boot drive and a hardware RAID 1 which Windows 10 treated as a single drive b/c the RAID was on the mobo. I want to do the same thing with the Taichi board.

I set up Windows 10 on the new Taichi booting from a nice little m.2 drive with the BIOS set to AHCI. Easy. Works fine.

I then installed the 2 SATA HDs for the RAID and went into the BIOS to enable RAID. I was on the ASMedia ports but then moved to the Intel ports. When I save and reboot, the Taichi goes straight to the BIOS home screen, every time the boot manager is set to Intel. The box boots fine when I switch back to AHCI mode.

I think the reason is that the mobo can't figure out that it's supposed to boot from the m.2 drive, once I select the Intel RAID setting. I'm not sure why that would be, except that I cannot find any place to instruct the BIOS to boot from that drive once Intel RAID is selected. Did I just miss it?

Anyway, I don't want to boot from the RAID, I want to boot from the m.2 drive and then use the on-board RAID hardware to present the 2 SATA HD's to Windows as a single drive. How can I get there from here? This box is now in daily use, so I would rather not re-install Windows. It would certain help to understand what the problem actually is.

Many thanks.