Argh.... This is driving me nuts.

I finally purchased 2x Samsung 850 EVO 250 GB SSD's and installed them. Created a RAID 0 array, but for some reason I cannot install Windows 8.1.
It keeps rebooting when the Windows 8.1 logo appears and says something about "Your PC ran into...." (I cannot even read the rest, because it reboots to quickly).

Things I tried so far;

- In BIOS selected Intel RAID - RSTe 3.8 > Created RAID 0 array.
- In Bios selected Intel RAID - RST 12.8 > Created RAID 0 array.

I really have no clue how I can manage to install Windows 8.1. Thought this was going to be easy... Apparantly not. And I have no clue what to do?

I even tried disabling and enabling UEFI, but that didn't work either.

I have an USB stick (UEFI compatible) with Windows 8.1. Which I tested (before installing the 2 new SSD's) on my "old" single Samsung 840 PRO 256 GB SSD.
There I didn't have a problem at all. I just could select on which partition to install. So the USB stick with Windows 8.1 on it is fine.

It seems the problem is with the RAID array for some reason? No clue though.

Also I noticed something weird, prolly just me, but nevertheless.

If select in the BIOS RAID > RSTe 3.8 I can select less space for the RAID 0 array then when I select in the BIOS > RST 12.8 for the RAID 0 array?
Is that normal. It's about 20 GB difference.

I hope someone, or Fernando, can advice how to get Windows 8.1 installed correctly on this RAID 0 array. :|

// edit

Oh, why do I get to choose to use RST 3.8 and RST 12.8 in the BIOS for RAID? I thought with X79 (C600?) chipsets only RSTe was supported anyways?

I think you misunderstood me.

Before I had a single SSD disk, which was a Samsung 840 256GB SSD. This was used in AHCI mode (not raid, since I had only one SSD).

Today I received my 2 new SSD's, which are the Samsung 850 EVO 250 GB SSD's (2x).
I removed the old (840 PRO) SSD and installed the 2 new 850 EVO SSD's.

After that I went into the BIOS and tried the stuff I mentioned before. But didn't work.

When I was done typing this and went back upstairs the Windows 8.1 installation screen was there. I could do the installation, select the partition, however after the first step was at 100%, it said something about being unable to read the source files?
I really have no clue what's this about. Never had this much problem with a Windows 7 x64 install. Pfft... So far I can tell Windows 8.1 really sucks.

I also checked the cables and connectors, but everything is hooked up correctly. :|

//edit

Just to be clear, without further confusion; the only storage installed in my PC are the 2 new 850 EVO SSD's and the USB stick (with Win 8.1 on it). I don't have anything else connected to it, no CD, no other HDD's or SSD's.

Zitat von Fernando im Beitrag #4

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Zitat von HHawk im Beitrag #3

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When I was done typing this and went back upstairs the Windows 8.1 installation screen was there. I could do the installation, select the partition, however after the first step was at 100%, it said something about being unable to read the source files?

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In this case your boot image seems to be faulty. So you may have to recreate the bootable USB Flash Drive by using an appropriate tool like Rufus.
Alternatively you may try to use another USB Flash Drive.

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Pffft.... I redid the whole Rufus things. Selected GPT, because BIOS is fully UEFI. This time, though it took a very long time (to long imho, but could be normal) it "installed" Windows 8.1.
After the first boot I got BSOD, or whatever it's called. Mainly with code 0xc0000001 error.

No clue what's going on. Wasted enough time on this crap already. Given my past RAID 0 installations (on different systems, but all Windows 7), I honostly didn't expect this amount of problems.

I was really expecting to be busy for about 1 or 2 hours at maximum. This would include installing the SSD's into my system. Setting up RAID 0 and installing Windows 8.1.
After that installing latest drivers and programs I frequently use. However it seems to be completely different. I already "wasted" over 5 hours on this and still nothing installed, let alone Windows 8.1.

This is by far the most annoying install I ever did and no clue what is wrong here. The only things changed compared to my Windows 7 x64 installation; is the single 840 PRO SSD (AHCI) being replaced by 2 brand new 850 EVO SSD's (RAID 0).
The rest is exactly the same which worked perfectly with Windows 7 x64. Even used OCCT to test stability (ran for almost 24 hours non-stop; no crash). Sighs...

I will call it a day for today and will try again tomorrow.

I will also check the SSD's individually tomorrow. Maybe there is an issue with one of them, because, other than that I have no clue what could be it.
Maybe a faulty SATA connector/port? I think this will also become apparent when I test the SSD's individually.

Any tools / ISO's you can recommend on which to test the SSD's with? I think I have an old copy GParted somewhere or whatever it's called.

Thank you in advance. And hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Zitat von Fernando im Beitrag #8

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Zitat von HHawk im Beitrag #7

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Any tools / ISO's you can recommend on which to test the SSD's with?

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The best diagnostic tool for HDDs/SSDs is usually the one, which is offered by the manufacturer himself. In this case it would be Samsung's Magician.

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Okay, created a Windows 7 Embedded bootable USB stick. Will run Samsung Magician when I get back home.

Hopefully it will show something, otherwise I have no clue what's wrong. Already regret purchasing the two new SSD's and trying to run RAID with them. :|
Oh well. Will report back later. * crossing fingers *

Grrrrr.... I am getting tired of this setup.

For some reason this PC doesn't like the USB stick I created. At work it worked without any issues; tried it several times and everything on the stick booted including the embedded Windows 7.
But here it does not work. Tried even switching UEFI to UEFI + Legacy in the BIOS, but it didn't help. Really weird.

Anyways, I fooled around a bit more. And I noticed something strange.

In the BIOS, under "Integrated Peripherals" you can choose the RAID mode:

- Intel RST 12.8
- Intel RST 3.8

Enabling either and rebooting back to BIOS shows a new option, where you can create RAID arrays. Now the weird stuff starts, in here it shows a completely different version:

- for Intel RST it's: RST 13.1.0.2126
- for Intel RSTe it's: RSTe 4.1.0.1026

I don't know if this is normal...? Once again; this is from within the BIOS where I can create RAID arrays also. This is not the CTRL-I function during boot.

Also after fooling around a bit (even tried resetting the options and reboot several times) it started to behave weird. Weird as in it not getting the screen anymore during boot where you press CTRL-I to create/access RAID arrays (during boot).
I have spend the last 15 minutes to get that back, but no go. Seems to have vanished completely?!

I am gonna modify the BIOS again with UBU and reflash it completely, to see what happens. Maybe that will fix things, because currently things aren't working as it should imho. I have installed RAID arrays in the past, but I never had these kinds of problems. Sure I got BSOD in the past with WinXP x64 and Vista (back in the day), but that was because I forgot to use F6 and load drivers... But, that was easy to fix. This ain't as it looks.

Will report back later; if you still have any other ideas or what versions to flash with UBU, please share. TY.

Zitat von Fernando im Beitrag #13

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@ HHawk:

You obviously are mixing up the LEGACY and the UEFI BOOT settings.
When you have access to the Intel Rapid Storage Technology RAID Utility from within the UEFI BIOS, you are running your computer in UEFI mode. As long as you do not change the BIOS settings within the "BOOT" section, you will not see the "LEGACY" mode Intel RAID Utility by hitting CTRL+I while starting your computer - this is an absolutely normal behaviour of a modern UEFI BIOS system and no issue!
The UEFI mode Intel RAID Utility is managed by the EFI "SataDriver" module and not by the Intel RAID ROM, which is within the BIOS as well, but as Option ROM module part of the CSMCORE file.

So you should be able now to create a proper working RAID0 array by using the Intel Rapid Storage Technology RAID Utility from within the UEFI BIOS. I recommend to choose the RST v13.1.0.2126 option.

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