Windows 7 - Vista - Booting off a stripped set

Asked By yurik

29-Dec-08 11:57 AM

(I'm unable to post in the Vista newsgroups! Anyone knows why? The site acts
as if I'm not logged in (the sign in button is always present) and simply
redirects me to the same page when I try to click the ask a question button.
I'm crossposting to the group instead, I hope it works.)

Hello, I'm trying to do something which isn't supported, but I'm trying to
work around it: Moving Vista to a stripped volume on dynamic disks.

My first attempt involved simply imaging my simple volume (using Acronis
True Image), creating the stripped set and then restoring the image to it.
That obviously didn't boot, and I later found out that you can't boot off
stripped volumes due to MBR limitations, which makes sense.

My second attempt was creating a small (100mb) partition at the start of the
drive, copying the c:\boot\ directory, and bootmgr file there, installing the
mbr on it (using VistaDVD:\boot\boosect /nt60 z: /mbr on the recovery cd) and
then booting from it. That failed however, as I wasn't able to edit the BCD
to point the {default} entry to the C: drive. The "bcdedit /store z:\boot\bcd
/set {default} device partition=c" command simply failed with "Operation not
supported".

Third attemps was excluding Vista from the stripped set: I create a 25gb
simple volume at the start of the disk, and used diskpart's "retain"command
on it. I then restored my image to the main stripped set, and moved the
contents of the \windows directory to the small 25gb partition, then adding a
symlink so that z:\windows to z:\, I then mounted that partition on
c:\windows and copied to boot manager to it. That almost worked, however, the
computer instead reboot where that "Vista is loading" black screen with the
progress bar would appear.


I'm stumped, does anyone know of a way to sucefully offload the booting
process to another, bootable, partition, so that I can keep my entire system
on the stripped set?

29-Dec-08 08:35 PM

First off,youre dead-wrong on "can't boot of a striped set",RAID 0 is
defiently
a striped set & typically most users choose this instead of RAID 1 for
performance.
2nd,i'm not 100% sure but dynamic disks dont belong in a RAID set,to read
more,go to :
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B323442
Also,one should first set the BIOS for RAID,plus configure a RAID set in
the post-
BIOS RAID utility.To learn about RAID,go to:
http://www.intel.com/cd/channel/reseller/emea/eng/242788.htm

02-Jan-09 03:10 AM

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(So I just found out these groups are on Google Groups too, awesome.)

I'm not using a BIOS assisted FakeRAID, I was trying to use the
Windows software RAID, which you can create on... surprise, dynamic
disks. >_>

30-Dec-08 04:30 AM

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B323442
to:http://www.intel.com/cd/channel/reseller/emea/eng/242788.htm
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however, the
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(So I just found out these groups are on Google Groups too, awesome.)

I'm not using a BIOS assisted FakeRAID, I was trying to use the
Windows software RAID, which you can create on... surprise, dynamic
disks. >_>

You have things reversed.

If you want, you can keep trying, but it is not going to work.

The so called "fake" RAID is the dynamic disc and that's not bootable.
If you choose to use RAID for your "boot" volume, you need to create it in
your bios.

30-Dec-08 06:14 AM

Hi,

This may help you understand what you can and cannot do when it comes to
installing Vista on any given volume:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927520

Note also that you geberally can't move an existing installation from a
simple volume to a raid volume (software or hardware based) since the hal
layer of the OS will not be built around that configuration. That can only
be achieved normally through the actual installation of Vista to the
designated volume.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com


(So I just found out these groups are on Google Groups too, awesome.)

I'm not using a BIOS assisted FakeRAID, I was trying to use the
Windows software RAID, which you can create on... surprise, dynamic
disks. >_>

30-Dec-08 03:02 PM

You sure went to a lot of trouble to do a simple thing.

My main volume is a striped RAID set: Two disks striped to create a
single RAID volume.  I assure you, it is possible to boot from this
set, since I boot from it each time I turn my machine on.

Just create the set, activate it during POST (strike control-I to
access RAID setup), then make sure you have the Windows F6 driver
during Vista setup. Put it on a flash drive if you have no floppy
(yu'll have to Browse for the driver during setup), then create
Windows partition(s) and install Vista.  Hassle-free both during setup
and during everyday operation of your machine.

This only works if your drives are SATA, BTW.  Two benefits:
makes 1 or more large disks out of two small ones.  And speeds up disk
access to SATA speeds (-> 3GB/sec.)  SATA drives set up as non-RAID
(IDE mode) will only run at IDE speeds.

Donald L McDaniel

02-Jan-09 03:10 AM

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I've said it already. This isn't a BIOS assisted FakeRAID, it's using
solely the Window dynamic disks functionality. That means no BIOS RAID
setup, no motherboard controller (only the SATA controller) no nada.

Anyway, I ended up having a 50gb partition for Windows, uninstalled
all my programs, and moved my profile and reinstalled them on D:
(which is my stripped set). Appart from the annoyance of not being
able to use c:\Users\yuriks\ as the place where I store my stuff
anymore and needing to change programs' install paths to D: all the
time, it's working well.

I'm still open to suggestions on moving vista to the stripped volume
and making it boot though, there MUST be SOME way. I mean, Linux can
do it. =3DP

07-Apr-09 05:56 PM

I ve come to the same problem.

The obvious reason is no RAID support by the mobo.



What is the difference between stripped and spanned volume??

Did you lose that 50GB in the 2nd drive ?? (If same drives used)

Can you maintain stripped volumes if you make a brand new installation??