Cannot install to SSD if other HDDs connected and other wierdness

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I have recently built a system with the above board, and all was well, but wanted to use the SRT caching of the z68, so bought an SSD.

I have Windows 7 on a HDD, into which I installed the Intel RAID software. This allowed me to set 18GB of a Crucial M4 64GB SSD as a cache leaving 41GB free to partition.

I then tried to install windows to the SSD, but it will NOT detect the drive in the installation unless I disconnect all other drives and supply the Intel RAID driver via USB key. If the HDS are connected it cannot see the SSD no matter what I do.

Is this normal ,or could there be problems with the SSD or Mobo? I have tried Nvidia SATA 2 and 6GB ports -no change. I have to setthe SATA controller in RAID mode to allow the SRT caching to work, so cannot set it to AHCI.

Once Windows is on the SSD it will happily reboot as the first boot device with the HDDs connected. However, if I use the MSI CD to install the NIC and mobo drivers problems start...

The system tries to boot the SSD, but then goes straight into the copy of Windows on the HDD! After this poont the only action is to reinstall to the SSD and repeat forever!

I spent all day trying to fix this yesterday and need to know if it its a known problems with the MOBO, or Z68s in general , or could the SSD be faulty.
 
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Someone on here had a working method to get the OS and the cache on the SSD with mechanical drives for storage. I used it for a bit, (since ditched the caching). I believe it went something like;

Drive A - SSD, Drive B - Storage disk (or a Storage array), Drive C - Spare drive

Disconnect A and B.

Install C. Install Windows with IRST drivers already downloaded, or flip the registry switch to enable IRST at boot. Check Windows boots with motherboard in RAID mode.

Install A and B. Configure caching. This will wipe the contents of the SSD, and make 2 RAID0's on the SSD. Reboot.

Drive Copy drive C (using Acronis or MiniTool) to the first RAID0 on the SSD.

Remove Drive C and reboot...
 
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Someone on here had a working method to get the OS and the cache on the SSD with mechanical drives for storage. I used it for a bit, (since ditched the caching). I believe it went something like;

Drive A - SSD, Drive B - Storage disk (or a Storage array), Drive C - Spare drive

Disconnect A and B.

Install C. Install Windows with IRST drivers already downloaded, or flip the registry switch to enable IRST at boot. Check Windows boots with motherboard in RAID mode.

Install A and B. Configure caching. This will wipe the contents of the SSD, and make 2 RAID0's on the SSD. Reboot.

Drive Copy drive C (using Acronis or MiniTool) to the first RAID0 on the SSD.

Remove Drive C and reboot...

thanks , I did something like this, but the questions are...

- Why can Windows installer not see the SSD if other devices are connected
- When windows is on the SSD and I connect the other drives, including the original Win 7 HDD ,and allow drivers to install to SSD does it break? Can you have a 2nd copy of Windows on HDD when it is also on the SSD?
 
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- Why can Windows installer not see the SSD if other devices are connected

This is with the "press F6 for other drivers" (or whatever the installer prompts with)? Thats just bizzare - If you can see the SSD with other drives disconnected, but cant see it with them connected. You will have to supply the IRST drivers from the USB key to get to the RAID0 made when the caching was activated. But I dont see why this would work with no other drives, and not work with other drives. The other drives would get picked up by the default IDE/AHCI drivers though unless they are also in a RAID array. Maybe check if a bios update has fixes for SSD caching.

- When windows is on the SSD and I connect the other drives, including the original Win 7 HDD ,and allow drivers to install to SSD does it break? Can you have a 2nd copy of Windows on HDD when it is also on the SSD?

You can have windows installed twice, once on the SSD, once on the HD. Depends on the boot order and which number ports the drives are connected to as to which one will boot and run (and presumably get called C: ). They should be independant of each other.
 
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This is with the "press F6 for other drivers" (or whatever the installer prompts with)? Thats just bizzare - If you can see the SSD with other drives disconnected, but cant see it with them connected. You will have to supply the IRST drivers from the USB key to get to the RAID0 made when the caching was activated. But I dont see why this would work with no other drives, and not work with other drives. The other drives would get picked up by the default IDE/AHCI drivers though unless they are also in a RAID array. Maybe check if a bios update has fixes for SSD caching.



You can have windows installed twice, once on the SSD, once on the HD. Depends on the boot order and which number ports the drives are connected to as to which one will boot and run (and presumably get called C: ). They should be independant of each other.

That's right at installation I go to advance options and insert USB key with Intel RAId drivers and it will then detect SSD- BUT ONLY IF NOT OTHER DRIVES CONNECTED.

There is no option to set individual SATA ports to RAID and others to IDE or AHCI - its all or nothing.

Tied the slightly newer BIOS and it made no difference - except not detecting my KB and Mouse on boot!!!
 
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There is no option to set individual SATA ports to RAID and others to IDE or AHCI - its all or nothing.

You're right. I had a brainfade there. As for everything else, you've already tried everything I can think of. Hopefully some one more knowledgeable will jump in.
 
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You're right. I had a brainfade there. As for everything else, you've already tried everything I can think of. Hopefully some one more knowledgeable will jump in.

Thanks,

Hoping for a callback from Crucial , wonder if its faulty?

I'll have one more go tonight, using 10.5 drivers from MSI at all stages
 
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I've tried again - if I install in AHCI mode it sees the SSD and HDDS, but after installing drivers in Windows it blue screens on reboot and want to do system restores.

Last chance is to try without cache acceleration, but I think the drive is screwed!
 
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