Hi,
On a P8Z77-V DELUXE BIOS 2003, W7-64bits platform, with standard ASUS supplied OROM 11.0.0.1339 no problem.
Trying a modded BIOS 2003 with the last OROM 12.7.0.1936 a Boot Off Optical Drive problem occurs.
In bios settings no longer exist the choice to boot from an optical drive.
None optical device is recognized.
Any feedback on this issue ?
100PIER
@ 100PIER:
The issue you have reported has nothing to do with the modification, but with the version of the Intel RAID ROM resp. Intel SataDriver module of the BIOS. AFAIK all Intel RAID ROM and SataDriver modules of the v12.6 and v12.7 series have problems with the management of optical drives running in RAID mode.
Since I am using the Intel RST(e) drivers v12.7.0.1022 in combination with the Intel UEFI SataDriver v12.7.0.1936 (apart from that issue a very good DUO!), I am affected myself by this problem. Nevertheless I was able to boot off my DVD Drive in UEFI mode and to install Windows 8 x64 this way. This verifies, that it is possible with the SataDriver v12.7.0.1936 to boot off an optical drive in UEFI mode.
Nevertheless I am not able to boot off any non-UEFI supporting CD/DVD by simply changing the CSM settings of the BIOS. If I want to boot off any "normal" CD/DVD like Parted Magic or Acronis TrueImage, I have not only to set CSM to "Enabled" and the Option ROM setting to "Force BIOS", but additionally to change the SATA mode to "AHCI". After having done all that, I can see my CD/DVD ROM drive within the "BOOT" section of the BIOS and can set it as first bootable device.
@ Fernando:
yes, i understand and tested that in AHCI mode all my CD/DVD ROM drives are seen in the BOOT section of the BIOS and can set it as first bootable device.
But in RAID mode this is not working.
i tested also OROM 12.7.0.1910 : same issue.
So, seem a regression problem with all V12.6.xxxxx and V12.7.xxxxx OROM … or any V12.x ?
With the old V 11.0.0.1339 all is working !!!
Did you see something in any Intel iRST Release Notes ?
We have to wait for a next release ?
Maybe it is the latter.
No, Intel has never published Release Notes or a Changelog for their PCI ROM modules.
It depends on what is important for you. For me the Intel RAID ROM v12.7.0.1936 is the best regarding stability and features. The needed roundabout way to boot off a non-UEFI CD/DVD is less important for me.
Ok, I’d like to make my mind on this to find the easiest way to bypass the problem…
Problem 1: as I have 2 OCZ ssd in raid 0, the only way to update their firmware is using a bootable Linux utility; to make this, I should just set momentarily to AHCI, right?
Problem 2: I need to install Windows 8(.1). The easiest way should be installing 8 using old satadriver.ffs THEN replace module in bios, right? Later, in case of problem 1, use solution 1.
Correct?
Thanks…
Yes!
Not really. You should be able to boot off an USB flash drive and install Win8.1 in UEFI mode without any problem with the newest SataDriver v12.7.0.1936. Even booting off an optical drive in UEFI mode may be possible (I succeeded with it).
The most important for me is to able to do backup/restore of my full RAID 0 system using the ACRONIS CD boot (linux based) software.
To do that the CD/DVD device should be recognized by the BIOS OROM piece of firmware !!
To set temporarily in AHCI mode is not the solution because the ACRONIS software needs to recognize the RAID configuration to do backup/restore of the RAID structure …
So, at the moment the only way to do backup/restore RAID configuration is the use the OROM 11.0.0.1339 until a valid new INTEL OROM version is released !!!
Do you know if Intel is really working on this issue ?
May be OROM V 11.0.0.1339 is less performant but this old ROM version allows ACRONIS backup/restore very quickly (2 mn for 16 GB) and with a reliable way.
I suspect, that yes, but I do not know it for sure.
And what about v11.6.0.1702? The advantage would be, that this version belongs already to the Intel RST(e) branch (from v11.5 up), whereas v11.0.0.1339 is a "classical" RST OROM, which suits the best with a classical RST driver (latest version: 11.2.0.1006)…
If you need to backup, I can say that latest (from 7 above) Windows backup utility is really not very bad! I quit using Acronis since I use this (a backup once a week): faster and you can make a backup directly from Windows on a secondary drive/partition.
If you have to restore, boot from Windows CD (or USB) and choose restore.
I have not clear what booting in UEFI means… I can’t understand which BIOS settings make the difference. I have an Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe. And probably I’m a dumbass.
You will find the related settings within the "BOOT" section of your BIOS. The main point is named "CSM".
If the CSM settings allow to install an OS in UEFI mode, you have to choose from the listed bootable devices the one with the annex (UEFI mode).
My bios in boot section has the selection between Legay, UEFI or both. I have both selected, but it doesn’t affect boot devices list.
UEFI mode boot devices will only be shown, if they contain EFI bootable software. USB Flash drives additionally have to be FAT32 formatted. Otherwise they will not be shown with the annex "xy drive (UEFI mode)".
I have tested BIOS 2003 with OROM v11.6.0.1702.
The optical devices are well detected in bios.
However the performance results are less than observed with OROM v11.0.0.1339.
I don’t know why.
For instance ANVILPRO score downs from 9350 to 9018, AS SSSD score downs from 2118 to 2018, and all others benchs give the same results.
I observed also trimcheck is very less ‘quick’ than with OROM v11.0.0.1339. i ignore also why.
I expect a future OROM V 12.xx release (or V 13.xx ?) will fix the CD/DVD issue and come back at least with the ‘old’ performance level…
Fernando,
I am trying this process.
Backup operation (full system image) seems OK, i do backup on a secondary internal SSD.
OS W7 64 SP1 is UEFI RAID 0 installed.
BUT, i can’t do the RESTORE operation.
I boot well from the W7 64 SP1 UEFI USB key , select a restore image but got an immediate error.
Can you detail me the exact process to be working ?
EDIT by Fernando: Wrong quoting corrected
Fernando,
Thanks for the link to the discussion…
The discussion is too quite complex for me, however i understand the simple thing to do is to make a “system rescue” CD of the installed PC…
So, i have made this ‘personal’ System Rescue CD via the “Restore/Backup Configuration Panel”.
I booted from this UEFI CD/DVD and finally via a not friendly roll up of a series of menus founded an ‘hidden’ Restore Option named “Restore from a previous saved system image”.
I selected the proposed image (located on an internal [D:] secondary SATA SSD/HDD in my case).
Restore operation went OK up to the completion.
After reboot, i checked the restored system : it was up and running as well as it was before. Good !
Nota: The used “system image” on the secondary SSD/SSD is automatically erased by Windows ? strange MS decision !!
Other minor thing need to run a Windows Update to get the history.
Question 1:
WHY when using the original W7 64 SP1 UEFI INSTALLATION USB key used to install this PC in UEFI RAID 0 the Restore operation not possible (we get a complex error code) ?
Is there a logic ?
or a conceptual bug somewhere for W7 64 SP1 UEFI ?
Fernando, do you use yourself a CD hand made “System Rescue” ? or are you using the original Windows (8, 8.1) Installation USB key you have used ?
Question 2:
In my tests i have done two identical backup, one after the other one.
A 1st backup on the internal media, the 2nd one on an external SSD plugged in external USB 3.0 (SATA 2 SSD 2.5" Intel plugged into) RAVENSTAR enclosure).
I would prefer in the future do an external backup.
Of course the BIOS boot detects well the external device (USB 3.0) !
BUT, Unfortunatly the “System Rescue CD” process does not recognize the EXTERNAL DEVICE (and image located on) and so i can"t do the Restore.
Why this illogical situation ?
@ 100PIER:
Here are my answers:
To Question 1
I don’t know it for sure, but maybe the error message has something to do with the fact, that Win7 x64 was the very first OS, which does support GPT and the UEFI mode installation.
To Question 2
Maybe the USB 3.0 support is missing within the “System Rescue CD”.
So, on your side, in dual boot PC you have, you NEVER use any "System Rescue" CD ?
but you use 2 different medias to do your Restore operations:
1) one is the Original W8 UEFI installation for restore W8 system
2) one other is Original the W8.1 preview installation for W8.1 system