Vista 64 & Raid question

bmck · 7 May 2007 at 13:24

I've a couple of queries for the experts out there re. running a dual boot XP / Vista system in Raid 0.

The mobo is a DFI LanParty UT Expert, CPU a dual core AMD 4400 and HD's 2 x 74GB Raptors. Following advice on these forums I elected to use use the nVidea Raid controler rather than the SI Raid which is also available.

I've installed WinXP Pro (32bit) in Raid 0 and am quit pleased with that - it feels a lot quicker than it did on the single drive.

I now want to install Vista (64bit Ultimate) in a seperate partition and dual boot. This has been thwarted with driver problems. Doing a bit of research on the web it seems I'm not alone in this. The problem is - even when using the nForce drivers people are recommending (either the older 15.00 or newer 9.67) after loading them (nvidea nforce serial ata cont, nvidea nforce raid controller and nvidea nforce raid device) my raid array isn't recognised as such - Vista just sees two drives. I've been stopping at this point and looking further on the web - but it just seems to raise more questions than answers.

For instance - I've read that you cannot install Vista 64 bit in a dual boot sytem with XP 32 bit. The original XP would have to have been 64bit. Is that right? I wouldn't have though many folk would be running XP 64 as it's for "high end - mission critical" stuff isn't it. Further Vista is being thrown at the masses in both 32 and 64 bit so surely I should be able to run raid & dual boot with Vista 64bit?

Looking for solutions I see references to Vista x 64 and Vista x 86. What's this all about? I understand (vaugly) about 32 bit and 63 bit operating systems (even remeber the 8 and 16 bit systems) - but what does "x64 & x86" mean?

On top of all the questions - if anyone can help me get Vista 64 running - dual boot on raid 0 I'd be ever so grateful!

Brian

gareth170 · 7 May 2007 at 13:48

bmck said:
but what does "x64 & x86" mean?

x64 = 64 bit... x86 = 32 bit..

stickroad · 7 May 2007 at 13:53

You should be able to run XP 32bit with Vista 64bit dual booting.

You have just gave me a idea. I was going to get Vista and Dual boot it with XP, i was going to stick XP on one Hard Disk and then Vista on the other.

But i might split one hard drive into two partions stick XP on one and Vista on the other then stick the two hard drives in RAID 0. Does anyone see any problems with that?

gareth170 · 7 May 2007 at 13:59

stickroad said:
But i might split one hard drive into two partions stick XP on one and Vista on the other then stick the two hard drives in RAID 0. Does anyone see any problems with that?

i guess that would work..

bmck · 7 May 2007 at 20:18

I dont think that would work stickroad. Do you not have to set up your raid first and then install the op system? Don't think you can install and then raid.

Any ideas about my original query?

.....and - pardon the ignorance but x64 = 64bit aye - I can see that but why does x86 = 32bit?

stickroad · 7 May 2007 at 21:02

I would setup RAID 0, then when it comes to install Windows XP, create 2 partions, install windows XP on the first partion. Go through the setup process, install my drivers and all that. Then i would just install Vista on the second partion. Thats what you have done right?

gareth170 · 7 May 2007 at 21:35

stickroad said:
I would setup RAID 0, then when it comes to install Windows XP, create 2 partions, install windows XP on the first partion. Go through the setup process, install my drivers and all that. Then i would just install Vista on the second partion. Thats what you have done right?

thats what i've done

gareth170 · 7 May 2007 at 21:54

bmck said:
.....and - pardon the ignorance but x64 = 64bit aye - I can see that but why does x86 = 32bit?

x86 = 32bit operating system.
x64 = 64bit operating system

if you have an x64 AMD chip you can use either version. however intel chipsets may require yet another format of the operating system. if your processor is only x86 then you can only use the 32bit version, an AMD 64 or sempron can support either operating system x64 or x86.

bmck · 8 May 2007 at 08:30

Stickroad - that is ther oute I took. Raid, then XP (and two partitions). It's just now I come to install Vista that the problem appears. Vista will not recognise the Raid array. From what I've seen elsewhere this is clearly a driver issue. I wanted to post here on good old ocuk furums re the problem as I've a lot of respect for peoples knowledge here and thought someone must have tackled the same problem......

.....anyone?