ASUS and RAID with SATA question

10-09-2005, 05:59 PM

I have always used ASUS, and always built my own machines, but am not a really knowledgable computer person. I do not game with my computer, using mainly business apps and Photoshop. So "speed" and storage capacity is important to me. So, though I am very used to computers, I have always been conservative, and therefore a step behind (where it seemed safer!). I always used SCSI before. It, though expensive, made drive setup a no-brainer. Now I am lost.

My last machine, which still works, was retired whan I built my new ASUS
P5AD2-E premium machine. It has worked flawlessly for several months.

However (there is always something, isn't there). I used the included Intel RAID utility to set up a pait of 120Gig SATA drives as my system drive, and it works well. The conections I would up using (because the others would not work, as I remember) are the 4 SATA connectors near the center of the board on a square pattern. SATA 1 and 2 (red) are the master, and SATA 3 and 4 (black are the slave, but for some reason (and I really can't remember), only 1 and 3 worked with the RAID. As I said, it worked well. Then I used a single 160 gig SATA non RAID drive on plug #2 for data and backup. Worked well. This was all done when the machine was built, but I have always wondered if I was right (The ASUS manuals, I am sure all will agree, leave a bit to be desired.).

I have tried to install another drive, a 300gig SATA non RAID, and though is shows up in the bious and the intel utility (in DOS), windows cannot find it. If I connect it to the original non RAID # 2, it works well, and can be formatted and used in wondows, but the 160gig drive that was there now does not work on #4 either, though it also does show up in the DOS intel utility and the bIOS.

So basically, I am back to my doubts about the original setup. The RAID works, taking 2 plugs, and a third plug works but not the fourth. I have not ventured to see if any other arrangements would work (for example, if I put the RAID on #1 and #2, which is where it seems it should go), because I don't want to risk my entire system (I do have backup). at least not until I can set aside a lot of time.

So is there anyone out there, obviously more experienced that I, who can describe how to use 4 SATA drives, with a matched pair as RAID, and the other 2 as non RAID, effectively making 3 drives.

I hope I have described the situation well enough to be useful, and I thank you in advance.

Thanks again,
Art in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

PS If I have to re-arrnage the wiring (ie-plug the RAID drives into 1&2 for example, will I lose my system? And if that is the case, as I suspect, how did I make the RAID work on #1 and #3 in the first place?

10-09-2005, 05:59 PM	#1
ZR1991 Guest Posts: n/a	ASUS and RAID with SATA question I have always used ASUS, and always built my own machines, but am not a really knowledgable computer person. I do not game with my computer, using mainly business apps and Photoshop. So "speed" and storage capacity is important to me. So, though I am very used to computers, I have always been conservative, and therefore a step behind (where it seemed safer!). I always used SCSI before. It, though expensive, made drive setup a no-brainer. Now I am lost. My last machine, which still works, was retired whan I built my new ASUS P5AD2-E premium machine. It has worked flawlessly for several months. However (there is always something, isn't there). I used the included Intel RAID utility to set up a pait of 120Gig SATA drives as my system drive, and it works well. The conections I would up using (because the others would not work, as I remember) are the 4 SATA connectors near the center of the board on a square pattern. SATA 1 and 2 (red) are the master, and SATA 3 and 4 (black are the slave, but for some reason (and I really can't remember), only 1 and 3 worked with the RAID. As I said, it worked well. Then I used a single 160 gig SATA non RAID drive on plug #2 for data and backup. Worked well. This was all done when the machine was built, but I have always wondered if I was right (The ASUS manuals, I am sure all will agree, leave a bit to be desired.). I have tried to install another drive, a 300gig SATA non RAID, and though is shows up in the bious and the intel utility (in DOS), windows cannot find it. If I connect it to the original non RAID # 2, it works well, and can be formatted and used in wondows, but the 160gig drive that was there now does not work on #4 either, though it also does show up in the DOS intel utility and the bIOS. So basically, I am back to my doubts about the original setup. The RAID works, taking 2 plugs, and a third plug works but not the fourth. I have not ventured to see if any other arrangements would work (for example, if I put the RAID on #1 and #2, which is where it seems it should go), because I don't want to risk my entire system (I do have backup). at least not until I can set aside a lot of time. So is there anyone out there, obviously more experienced that I, who can describe how to use 4 SATA drives, with a matched pair as RAID, and the other 2 as non RAID, effectively making 3 drives. I hope I have described the situation well enough to be useful, and I thank you in advance. Thanks again, Art in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. PS If I have to re-arrnage the wiring (ie-plug the RAID drives into 1&2 for example, will I lose my system? And if that is the case, as I suspect, how did I make the RAID work on #1 and #3 in the first place?