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Setting up a RAID System
A list of Intel® Desktop Boards that support RAID is found HERE.
Intel® RAID Technology for Serial ATA is supported with Microsoft Windows Vista*. The following steps outline how to build a RAID system with Microsoft* Windows Vista* installed on a RAID Volume using two SATA hard drives.
- Assemble the system using a motherboard that supports Intel RAID Technology and attach two SATA hard drives.
- Enter System BIOS Setup; ensure that Intel RAID Technology is enabled. When done, exit Setup.
- Upon re-boot you will see the Intel RAID BIOS status message on the screen – press CTRL-I to enter the Intel® RAID Option ROM user interface. Within this UI select option #1 ‘Create RAID Volume’. Enter a volume name, press enter, select the strip size (128KB is the default), press enter, press enter again, then press ‘Y’ to confirm. Once this is done, exit the Option ROM user interface.
- Install Windows Vista.
- Install the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager software via the CD-ROM included with your motherboard or after downloading it from the Internet. This will add the Intel Matrix Storage Manager user interface utility that can be used to manage the RAID configuration.
For additional RAID information, refer to Troubleshooting Serial ATA / RAID Issues.
Intel® Chipset Software Installation Utility (INF Update Utility)
There are resources in Intel chipsets that are not automatically recognized by Windows. It is critical that the INF utility is installed in order to enable chipset features and optimize performance with Intel® processor-based systems.
Note: It is also critical that the INF utility is installed first before any other drivers. The INF can be installed from the Intel® Express Installer CD or you may download the latest Intel INF utility from Download Center.
Integrated LAN
The drivers for the on-board LAN adapter can be installed from the driver CD or you may download the latest LAN adapter driver from Download Center.
Integrated Audio
The drivers for the on-board audio can be installed from the driver CD or you may download the latest audio driver from Download Center.
Integrated Graphics
The drivers for the on-board graphics can be installed from the driver CD or you may download the latest audio driver from Download Center.
Loading Un-Signed Drivers
Windows Vista looks for a driver "signature" before loading any third party drivers. A digital signature verifies that Microsoft has validated the driver for use with Windows Vista. Device drivers that have not yet been certified by Microsoft will pop up a message stating so. If the 'Digital Signature Not Found' dialog appears, click 'Yes' to continue installing the driver.
Intel® Matrix Storage Manager (RAID)
Intel Desktop Boards that support RAID use Intel Matrix Storage Manager. If you are using Parallel ATA (IDE) hard drive(s), you should be able to use the Microsoft native storage driver built into Windows. The Microsoft native storage driver supports both Serial ATA and Parallel ATA hard drives.
Additional information:
• Intel® Matrix Storage Technology Home
• Intel® Matrix Storage Technology Quick Start Guide
Third Party Drivers
You’ll need to load the drivers for any third party hardware components you plan to install in your PC. Refer to the documentation that comes with such hardware for complete instructions on installation.
Power Management Settings
The Power Options applet in the Control Panel allows you to select a Power Plan for your computer. Power plans can help you maximize your computer's performance or conserve energy. The default power plans in Windows Vista are:
Balanced - automatically balances performance with energy consumption
Power Saver - saves energy by reducing your computer's performance where possible
High Performance - favors performance but may use more energy
Click here for operating system troubleshooting.
This applies to:
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