Problem with clean install on RAID setup

Hey guys, I am trying to setup my RAID0 setup (2xCrucial M4 64GB) but I am running into some trouble. I installed the drives and setup the RAID array and everything was going great until I tried installing Windows. The installation keeps freezing at "Expanding Windows Files" at random spot. On several ferries, it will pause at 7%, 10%, 14%, etc. The DVD drive will just atop spinning...what can I do?

I am using the OEM Windows disk that came with the Alienware. I have used it once before with no problems whatsoever.

 

i personally only use USB install method, not only is it faster, it never gives me any issues. i also practice not using any of the cd's provided by dell as they seem to not work properly and when they do you get a buggy windows install most of the time. this is of course just based off my experiences, as i Ive owned about 10 different Aw computers. Its really easy to setup the USB drives to install windows, and equally as easy to find an OEM image that isn't tainted by Dell.

since you have tried it several times i would advise a different method, and using different media.

 

I just made a bootable USB with my external hard drive. Got to the exact same point as I did with the OEM CD before it just froze, "Expanding Windows Files". It made it to 18% this time before just hanging. I don't know why...with the CD, the DVD Drive just stopped spinning. With the USB drive, the activity lights stop blinking.

This is really frustrating.

 

I had this but Dell replaced the machine before I figured it out. Had to leave it overnight and do a bunch of stuff (that I can't remember - sorry) for them to give up. Maybe try breaking the raid as a test? I've had installation probs when switching between RAID and AICH.

Forgot to add, I had a factory raid on that machine, not the same as I have now

 

After trying for hours on end last night to install Windows on my RAID array, I simply gave up. I broke the array and went back into my BIOS and changed it back to AHCI...tried installing Windows on one of two of my drives and of course...it installed on the first try in record time.

I don't really know why it wouldn't install on my RAID array as everything seemed okay with the two drives paired up.

I am having a problem with my current setup though. I can only see one of my SSDs, and not the other. It doesn't show up in "My Computer", only my boot disk. The 2nd drive is detected by everything else though (Device Manager, Intel RST, BIOS, etc.) How do I get the 2nd drive to show?

 

Maybe that's why it wasn't installing?

I think you have to do something in Disk Management, but I just don't remember what.

 

Yeah, I was able to add it in Disk Management, thanks! I'm going to run some benchmarks with both SSDs to confirm they are both working.

Considering they are both working, does anyone have any idea why Windows wasn't installing when the two SSDs were RAIDed together?

EDIT: Just ran benchmarks on both drives and everything checks out...

 

Did you try installing with the Intel RST F6 drivers at the start of the Windows installation process? If not, that is probably where things were going wrong.

You could have just broken the array, left the BIOS set to RAID and reinstalled Windows. (I never use AHCI settings in BIOS on any of my computers with RAID as an option, including those with only one drive.) Once Windows and RST are installed, you can create the RAID0 setup from within Windows using RST. It works great... I've done it that way several times.