Help me install boot drivers from CD or within Windows!

April 12, 2007 8:51 AM

Help me install Boot Drivers from a CD or in Windows. I don't have a Floppy Drive, but I already have Windows on my Machine. I can't install the Intel Storage Matrix because it doesn't detect the RAID controller in my BIOS, because it is disabled, because I can't boot into Windows when it is enabled.

The system will restart when Windows begins to boot, when the RAID is enabled. The hard disks work fine.

The computer in question is:

Xeon Clovertown Quad Core
Supermicro 5000P Mobo
Supermicro 3U case
11 500GB HD's
8x2GB ECC FBDimms
Areca RAID 1220 (Which works fine, 8 of the drives are on it)
Windows Server 2003x64

The remaining 3 drives are connected straight into SATA plugs on the motherboard (there are 6). When mobo RAID is turned off, all 3 of the disks show up fine, and play nicely.

posted by mhuckaba to computers & internet (6 comments total)

You may need to do a repair installation of Windows and hit F6 when it starts to load the RAID drivers. although that gets difficult to do without a floppy drive because it wants to look at the A drive for the drivers.

I think I am seeing your difficulties now.

Can you boot into Safe Mode?
posted by Ateo Fiel at 9:48 AM on April 12, 2007

I can start booting into safe mode, but it errors out.
posted by mhuckaba at 10:46 AM on April 12, 2007

You can do a repair installation of Windows and slipstream the RAID drivers onto the installation CD.

If you google slipstream+windows you'll find a lot of how-tos onto how to do this.
posted by aznhalf at 11:37 AM on April 12, 2007

You can also use WinPE or BartPE to build the drivers in.

However for all the trouble, it might be easier to go out and buy a USB floppy drive.
posted by mphuie at 12:14 PM on April 12, 2007

I just plugged in a floppy... let me see if it will pick up the drivers just from booting into the install.
posted by mhuckaba at 2:52 PM on April 12, 2007

It looks like the drivers are not sticking. Jesus I don't want to have to reinstall Windows.
posted by mhuckaba at 3:20 PM on April 12, 2007