Hi - first post so please be gentle 
Just setup a Samsung 840 Pro ssd to run my operating system having cloned from a 2 disc hdd RAID 1 setup. The 2 former hdds now safely tucked away.
Having a 60 sec delay at the Windows Startup screen (black screen with windows logo).
Samsung Magician software suggests the ssd is not running in ACHI mode as bios set to RAID. Research tells me to ignore Samsung as the ICH9R operates in ACHI when in RAID mode, yes? - but this delay is bugging me and has brought me here.
Nothing I do prevents the delay but wonder whether updated Intel RAID drivers may help. Obviously changing the bios setting to ACHI knocks out my storage RAID array so need to keep bios in RAID mode. But is the “Non-RAID” Samsung ssd confusing windows at startup?
Once the Wecome Screen appears the rest of the boot process is blistering fast compared to my former RAID 1 hdd’s.
Any chance this forum could assist me? Btw there are no delays during Post or during the subsequent RAID setup screens.
I will gladly supply any further information that may identify my issue.
TIA
roz
@ rozel:
Welcome at Win-RAID Forum!
That was not a good idea.
It would have been far better, if you had done a fresh OS install in AHCI mode onto your Samsung 840 SSD.
I suspect, that this delay is caused by the Master Boot Record data, which have been cloned from the former RAID1 array onto a single SSD, which is not member of a RAID1 array.
No, that is not correct. If you run your single SSD in RAID mode, some typical AHCI features may be supported as well, but not all of them.
My suggestion: Do a clean fresh installation of the OS in AHCI mode and all your problems will be gone.
Regards
Fernando
Thank you for your quick response - much appreciated.
Yes I think you are right but have one query.
If I install in ACHI mode, I will loose RAID and so will not be ablr to run my RAID 10 setup?
Just wondered if more up to date or modded drivers would improve matters
That is correct, if you want or have to connect the system drive (Samsung SSD) and the RAIDed HDDs with Intel SATA ports.
In this case I recommend to do the following:
- Backup your important personal data from the Samsung SSSD.
- Unplug all HDDs from the Intel SATA ports.
- Set the Intel SATA Controller to AHCI mode.
- Let a tool like Samsung’s Magician or Parted Magic do a secure erase of the SSD.
- Set the Intel SATA Controller to "RAID".
- Do a fresh install of Windows 7 x64 onto the Samsung SSD.
- Once the OS is properly installed, turn off the PC and reconnect the HDDs.
- Enter the Intel RAID Utility and create the RAID array (if not already done). Let the SSD stay as a single drive outside the RAID array.
No.
Thank you for your help.
I simply have too many programs on my SSD to consider a fresh/clean install of Windows 7 followed by the re-installation of all my Program apps.
But I appreciate your advice that new or modded drivers cannot help me.
I will put up with the 1 minute delay - the ssd works flawlessly otherwise and is super quick even on my SATA ll controller
roz
@ rozel:
Another idea: Maybe your boot delay is simply caused by a wrong SSD alignment or by the “wrong” partition table.
a) SSD alignment
SSDs need another alignment than HDDs. Please check >this< tutorial.
b) MBR or GPT partition table
Please check the partition table of the SSD. Is it MBR or GPT? For details look >here<.
If needed, you can convert the partition table type (MBR to GPT) without a loss of data by using >this< guide.
Thanks again for your continued support.
I have read through those articles and checked. My SSD is correctly aligned and the Partition Table is MBR, which I also believe is correct as my motherboard does not have an embedded UEFI Bios.
I am starting to wonder though, using the Windows Recovery Environment (the c:/bootrec command) whether I should bite the bullet and see if deleting the MBR completlely and rebuilding/re-writing it could improve things - what do you think?
I have my former 2 RAID 1 hdd’s safely tucked away as a backup if I run into difficulties. I have been chewing on whether to do do this or not for the last 48 hours.
@ rozel:
Thanks for your feedback, which verifies, that it is neither a wrong alignment of the SSD nor a "wrong" partition table, which causes your extreme boot delay.
It is your decision.
This is what I recommend to do:
- Check the BIOS regarding the BOOT and OPTION ROM settings (maybe the boot delay is caused by a wrong BIOS setting).
- If the BIOS settings are ok, but the boot delay persists, you should do a complete backup of your current system drive (inclusive the hidden boot partitions), a secure erase of the SSD and then a fresh Win7 x64 installation onto the SSD in RAID mode (the HDDs should be unplugged before).
After having done that, you will see, if the issue is gone. If not, you can recover your system drive with all your current data within a few minutes.