Comments on: Help me install boot drivers from CD or within Windows!

Question: Help me install boot drivers from CD or within Windows!

mhuckaba — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 08:51:00 -0800

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.

By: Ateo Fiel

Ateo Fiel — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 09:48:34 -0800

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?

By: mhuckaba

mhuckaba — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 10:46:16 -0800

I can start booting into safe mode, but it errors out.

By: aznhalf

aznhalf — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:37:23 -0800

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.

By: mphuie

mphuie — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:14:14 -0800

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.

By: mhuckaba

mhuckaba — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:52:17 -0800

I just plugged in a floppy... let me see if it will pick up the drivers just from booting into the install.

By: mhuckaba

mhuckaba — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:20:53 -0800

It looks like the drivers are not sticking. Jesus I don't want to have to reinstall Windows.