Using an Intel RAID Controller IRST Matrix on an older Mainboard (ASUS P67 Sabertooth with an Intel i7 CPU 2700K).
When using Windows 11 23H2 Build 2263x the Installation of Windows is done with no Problem on the onboard RAID System.
When using Windows 11 24H2 Build 26100 or higher the Boot even from the USB Boot Media fails with the early stage message „A disk I/O error occured. Press CTRL, ALT and DEL to reboot.“
This is not a driver or BIOS issue. I think, that MS has changed something in the instruction set.
This makes it impossible to boot from the older RAID System.
By disabling the RAID and going back to AHCI the Installation of Windows 11 24h2 Build 26100 or higher succeeds even on Hardware which is not 100 % compatible with Windows 11.
The Processor (CPU) is able to „understand“ the SSE 4.2 instruction set.
Any suggestions?
Microsoft hasn’t taken much care about Intel RAID users since several years.
My recommendation is either to boot off a disk drive, which is not a member of a RAID Array, or to use an older Windows OS.
Booting off an NVMe SSD is the best alternative for users, who want a very performant and stable working system drive.
Best Solution for me was a PCIe RAID-Controller Card from DAWI-Controll 624 which offers 4 SATA Ports with RAID 0,1,5 and 10.
Problem solved. The performance isn´t that high as the onboard intel Chipset RAID 0, but it´s okay for me…
And yes as i have metioned before, it is not a driver issue, it is an early boot stage error!
This can be marked as solved for me!
And yes… it is working on Windows 11 Build 26100 and Build 26200 and also on Server 2025 on the ASUS P67 Mainboard !
Further I have to say and I can only repeat my self… It was the best solution for me. What other people think and want to do about it is not in my hands!
The purchase of a DAWI PCIe RAID-Controller Card may be an alternative for users, who want to boot off a SATA RAID Array, but it is not a solution for the reported Intel SATA RAID Boot Problem with the latest Win11 Builds.
The DAWI cards have their own BIOS and their specific DAWI RAID Controller, which needs the related DAWI RAID driver and will not accept any Intel one.
This is true… it is only an alternative.
Even Dino Nuhagic, maker of NTLite has no solution to offer.
He reported this to me via emal.
Quote begin: " The BOOT.WIM is the Problem in the older Intel IRST RAID Controllers.
Mircosoft has removed these older RAID Controllers similar like the older Intel CPUs,
which don´t support the SSE 4.2 Instruction SET!
Boot sector certificate complication can also be the effect to this behavior"
Quote end