Un-Raiding a M17x R3 ?

I have recieved my R3 setup with two 750GG hard drives in RAID0. Now this is not how I wanted it setup What I want is a SATA 3 SSD as my boot drive and a 750GB drive as my data.

I don't have my SSD yet but I thought I would un-raid the computer and set up Windows on a single drive and start copying some of my data to the data drive. So I have altered BIOS to ACHI and tried to format the drives to install Windows and this is where I have met my first problem. During the Windows install (from the Alienware Windows disk) it only recongised one drive and when I tried to install Windows it wont do it.

So I removed both HD's installed them in a USB caddy and formatted them on a separate machine. Both drives format okay and both are recognised by the second computer. So I reinstalled the drives in my new R3 and check BIOS and both HDs are listed but are greyed out ACHI is set and the Boot Priority lists the second HD as an option.

So I install Windows disk, select my language, "Install Now", Custom / New copy of Windows, it offers me Disk O Partition 1 - 698 GB and that is as far as I can go. When I try to create the partition I get an error message "Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing partition".

So what am doing wrong?

UPDATE:

Problem seems to be solved. I removed the current 0 HDD and swapped the 1 HDD into its place. I checked BIOS and only one HDD is listed and the option to start windows from the second HDD is not there. I boot from the disk and Windows won't install, so I delete and reformat and this time during the reformat it says it Windows may install additional partitions. It never said this before when I reformatted before and now it is installing Windows on the single disk. So was the problem the original HDD or the fact I had two HDD's ? I don't know but I will update after Windows installs here and I will try and install it on the other HD as well.

UPDATE 2

The problem was I would crash when installing the RST drivers and the computer would hang for a long time at the Boot Screen. I removed the BIOS A09 and installed A08. The RST Drivers installed ok and now it boots so fast if you blink you miss the boot screen. I will now install the other drivers.

Update 3

well things aren't all rosy at the end of the yellow brick road. The A08 BIOS fixed a lot of problems and now I have the Crucial C4 SSD in and Windows installed. I have also installed Steam and tried playing a couple of games and the computer is playing like a dog. There is lag on the mouse and while it is barely evident in MS Office as soon as I play something it is almost unusable. I tried playing Civ V and spent most of the time moving the mouse and then waiting for the cursor to catch up. Unfortunately my problems don't stop there. I tried to play Battlefield 2 and it plays for short periods but then gets really choppy and laggy. I also tried to play Crysis but for some reason it won't start. It goes through the verification process but doesn't launch the game and the next time you select the game it goes through the verification process again. Does anyone have any suggestions? I haven't changed the graphics drivers or BIOS yet.

 

The win7 install disc should have the option to delete the drive. Then format it and then create new partion to install on.

 

Hi Wingman, I have tried that. I can delete and format but not install Windows.

 

Hi dbxd, check my update. I am installing Windows on my new R3 as I type.

Well Windows would not recognise the other HD so I guess that was my problem. So I refitted the HD that I had installed Windows on and fitted the disk that Windows did not recognise into HDD 1. But now when I restarted Windows (I haven't installed any drivers yet) it opens the second HDD as a folder and it behaves exactly as if I had just connected a thumb drive????? Does anyone know what is going on here?

My Problems are getting deeper. When I installed the Intel RST driver my computer will not start. I get the Windows starting screen then a brief flash of blue and the computer attempts to restart. It will continue to do this until I do a Restore and uninstall the RST drivers. Bythe way my BIOS is A09 but on the Dell site the latest is A08. I have tried using a different HD but I am getting the same problems.

 

The a09 isnt released to the public yet. Only with newer models bought in the last few months. Although the last time I checked, the bios is saved on the cmos battery, not the hd, so you should already be on A09.

 

Hi Zoolian,
Yeah I know the BIOS is stored in the computer but I guess I was wondering if the BIOS may have been a part of the cause of my problems. I started installing the drivers from the CD and the CD highlights the drivers that it thinks should be installed but the RST and Free Fall drivers aren't highlighted while the AMD Radeon HD 6870 and HD 6890 drivers are and that is rubbish because I have the Nvidea 580M. I just noticed that the CD doesn't have any Nvidea drivers on it?

 

Sorry for the late response.

You might consider going back to A08 for now. Newer doesn't always mean better. Especially from dell and bios'.

 

Thanks for the advice. I might give that a go today although playing with BIOS always me a bit nervous

On a another note: I would like to wish everyone at NBR a very Happy New Year, especially the moderators who give up their time to aid, assist and make sure NBR is a weloming place for all of us. Happy New Year Guys!

well things aren't all rosy at the end of the yellow brick road. The A08 BIOS fixed a lot of problems and now I have the Crucial C4 SSD in and Windows installed. I have also installed Steam and tried playing a couple of games and the computer is playing like a dog. There is lag on the mouse and while it is barely evident in MS Office as soon as I play something it is unusable. I tried playing Civ V and spent most of the time moving the mouse and then waiting for the cursor to catch up. Unfortunately my problems don't stop there. I tried to play Battlefield 2 and it plays for short periods but then gets really choppy and laggy. I also tried to play Crysis but for some reason it won't start. It goes through the verification process but doesn't launch the game and the next time you select the game it goes through the verification process again. Does anyone have any suggestions? I haven't changed the graphics drivers or BIOS yet.

I am using a Bluetooth mouse and the mouse lag is my biggest problem.

I just had a look at the System Information / Problem Devices and it lists two devices ACPI\SMO8800\1 and PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1C22&SUBSYS and says the drivers are not installed. does anyone know what these two devices are?

 

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1C22&SUBSYS is the Intel HM67 Cougar Point Chipset drivers. The Dell support site still shows the original version (R289402), but there is a more recent version (R298407) which I have been using for some time. Drivers and Downloads | Dell [United States].

Also be sure that your M4 is using the 0009 Firmware for the 256GB drive. Crucial.com Product Downloads - Firmware Updates. Your issues sound a lot like the problems encountered with the older firmware release(s).

I believe that the ACPI\SMO8800\1 device is the accelerometer/free fall sensor. Drivers and Downloads | Dell [United States].

 

Thanks Revelator. Since posting the question I found out about the Free Fall Sensor but I was stuck on the Cougar Point Driver. I will install the cougar point driver and check the Firmware and update if necessary.