Which were your issues?
How/where did you create the RAID array?
Is "RAID" mode enabled within the BIOS?
Are you sure, that the sSata ports of your mainboard support the RAID mode at all?
Did you install the OS in UEFI or Legacy mode?
By the way: Intel RAID driver and Intel RAID BIOS module should belong to the same platform.
Is seems he is right, from his manual:
"SATA Connections (I-SATA0~5, S-SATA0~3)Ten Serial ATA (SATA) 3.0 connectors (I-SATA0~5, S-SATA0~3) are sup-ported on the board. All SATA 3.0 ports are supported by the Intel C612 PCH chip. RAID 0,1,5,10 are supported on all SATA ports. These high speed ports support transfer rates of up to 6Gb/s. See the table on the right for pin definitions."
And the quick guide…
QRG-1643.pdf (715 KB)
I thought by upgrading the Bios to 2.1a windows would finally be able to see my raid array with the new bios update, this was not the case as the issue still persisted. I have Sata and sSata tabs listed in the bios, I changed sSata from AHCI to RAID in the Bios and after reboot Ctrl+i now brings up the IRSTE Menu, this is where I am able to create my raid array. Motherboard manual said All ports are used by the Intel C612 PCH chip, & Raid 0,1,5,10 is supported on all SATA ports, I have all 4x HDDS on the S-SATA0~3 side, I-SATA0~5 ports are unused. I used Windows ISO tool to make a bootable USB, I am also trying to load the RAID driver off of a separate USB. Are you saying I download the wrong RAID driver?
Yes, and additionally your mainboard BIOS doesn’t contain the best/latest Intel RAID ROM/EFI RaidDriver for your X99 chipset mainboard. My suggestion: Upgrade the Intel RAID RSTe BIOS module(s) to the v5.5 platform and "downgrade" the in-use Intel RSTe RAID driver to the v5.5.4.1036.
Furthermore I believe, that you will get better results by using the SATA ports (instead of the sSATA ones) and an Intel RST driver (instead of an RSTe one) for an Intel RAID array.
Anyway I recommend to install the OS in UEFI mode (using the GUImode Partition Table). This requires some other BIOS settings.
Apologies I am confused, Should I “Upgrade the Intel RAID RSTe BIOS module(s) to the v5.5 platform and “downgrade” the in-use Intel RSTe RAID driver to the v5.5.4.1036.” Or use “an Intel RST driver (instead of an RSTe one) for an Intel RAID array.” Also if you could link files/attachment to use that would help a lot as I don’t quiet understand all of the differences between RST vs RSTE and V5.5 vs V7.5
@Gara2013 :
Since I don’t have a system with an Intel X99 chipset, you should better ask our Forum member 100PIER for help.
These are the main questions:
- Is it a good idea at all to boot off an Intel RAID array?
- Would it be better to connect the RAID members to the SATA ports and to create an Intel RST RAID array by using the related Intel RST platform RAID driver and BIOS RAID module (before you do that, you will have to break your current Intel RAID array!)?
- If the answer to question 2 would be “Yes!”, which Intel RAID driver version and which Intel RAID BIOS module would be the best for your chipset?
@100PIER Hello! Can you chime in/assist? The Raid Array shows “YES” under the Bootable column in the IRSTE menu. I’ve always ran my server boot drivers off of of a raid array. If this is not a good idea I would like to know. (I could always get another drive as my boot drive and then use my raid array for storage) I can swap the drives from the S-SATA0~3 to the I-SATA0~5 but why if they all support raid equally? I loaded this file to get windows to see my raid array “>Intel RSTe RAID Drivers & Software Set v7.5.0.1991 for Win8-10 x64< Windows was able to load the driver from the iaStorB+iaStorE Folder” Fernando said this was the wrong driver? This driver allows windows to see my raid array and begin installation but after the setup it requires a reboot to complete it seems to lose sight of the drives as it reboots to the flash drive trying to install windows again. Is it an issue to be installing Windows from a USB and trying to Load the Raid driver off of a separate USB? Not sure if they need injected into the Windows Bootable ISO so it doesn’t lose sight after the reboot? Not sure if the raid driver does not stay loaded after reboot and that’s why its dropping sight or if I have the wrong drivers installed.
@Gara2013
I am not familiar with your mboard.
On my side I do use a ASUS Sabertooth x99 platform with this quite and strong and stable configuration described on this screenshot:
As Fernando does recommend it is not a good idea to boot off W10 from a RAID0 drives volume.
It is more performant, stable, quite easy to install to use a simple NVMe SSD (512GB size is sufficient).
Have a look on the screenshot for the Intel driver versions used to handle the SATA RAID0 volumes and the SATA AHCI devices.
On my system SATA Controller1 does support "RAID Mode" and SATA Controller2 does support only "AHCI Mode".
My Mobo does not have a NVMe slot, however I did pick up an PCIe to NVME riser card in hopes of getting one. So if I get a NVME drive and get my OS put on it what would you do with my raid array? Should I leave it on the S-SATA0~3 or switch it to the I-SATA0~5 if all ports support Raid per the mobo manual, I’m not sure what changing them over to the i-sata side would do? Also regarding Fernando’s post I’m not sure what method I should do as he gave two:
"Upgrade the Intel RAID RSTe BIOS module(s) to the v5.5 platform and “downgrade” the in-use Intel RSTe RAID driver to the v5.5.4.1036.
OR
Furthermore I believe, that you will get better results by using the SATA ports (instead of the sSATA ones) and an Intel RST driver (instead of an RSTe one) for an Intel RAID array.
The only file I downloaded was the “>Intel RSTe RAID Drivers & Software Set v7.5.0.1991 for Win8-10 x64<” and I loaded the driver in the iaStorB+iaStorE folder to get windows to pick up my raid array. (Fernando said this was the wrong driver)
As you can see on the screenshot for my X99 machine two Intel RAID arrays are handled by the Intel RST driver v17.7.1.1010 and two SATA devices are handled by Intel sSATA AHCI v6.3.0.1022 driver.
Update of the start post
Changelog:
- new:
- Intel RST Drivers & Software Set v18.3.0.1003 dated 03/26/2021 for Win10 x64
Enjoy it!
Dieter (alias Fernando)
@all:
Update of the start post
Changelog:
- new:
- 64bit Intel RST AHCI-RAID-NVMe drivers v18.34.0.1000 WHQL for Win10-11 x64 dated 04/12/2021
- 64bit Intel RST VMD Driver v18.4.0.1000 WHQL for Win10-11 x64 dated 04/12/2021
Enjoy it!
Dieter (alias Fernando)
@all:
Update of the start post
Changelog:
- new:
- Intel RST Drivers & Software Set v18.4.0.1004 for Win10-11 x64 dated 06/02/2021
Enjoy it!
Dieter (alias Fernando)
Interesting note on these. This is the first 18 family RST driver that does not install via .inf file on my NUC8i7HVK. Other 18 family drivers do but there seems to be a more strict lack of compatibility now.
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_282A&SUBSYS_20738086&REV_31
18.34.0.1000 is currently installed. Maybe this is considered newer?
Running RAID 0 BTW.
@nosirrahx : It is hard to believe, that you were not able to get the Intel RST RAID driver v18.34.0.1004 installed manually. Which message did you get from the OS, when your update failed?
Maybe the same Intel RST version was already installed, when you tried to update it. Note: The "pure" Intel RST drivers v18.34.0.1004 have already been offered by me on 27th of June. Today I have just added the related complete Installer and Software Set.
@Fernando :
No error. I right click the .inf and install, nothing happens. I point the updater in device manage to the folder and it says I have the best version installed already.
EDIT by Fernando: Unneeded fully quoted post replaced by directly addressing (to save space)
@nosirrahx : I bet, that the Intel RST driver v18.34.0.1004 was already in-use (due to a previous install), when you tried to update it.