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**Lsdmeasap** · 06-19-2008, 03:33 PM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

I would suggest you go back towards +.3 or +.35 for your ram voltage 2.2 is a bit much and even though it is spec it is normally not needed. 2.2 is just the warrantied amount. But I do see you are only getting 2.14 out of that so it may be fine

For installing Vista I also would only use one 2gb stick, you can put the other back in after you get installed.

Also you should change this >>>
Static tRead Value -7-10
Static tRead Phase Adjust <<< Leave on Auto or Zero or 1-31

Only thing I see other then that is when you get 4GB back in there, or now for stability you should add +.1 or +.125 on MCH It will be needed for 2x2gb sticks

**Big Dave** · 06-19-2008, 03:42 PM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

Sorry, meant to say vista business SP1. I did see that on the MSFT site and the last few iterations were with only 2 g.

I'll try your suggestions tonight and update you tomorrow.

Thanks

**Lsdmeasap** · 06-19-2008, 03:48 PM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

Well It does't matter about Business or not, just sometimes you have to install vista with 2gb when you get errors. You may not have to if you adjust the other things I suggested first with 4gb in there, which you could easily try first

**Big Dave** · 06-20-2008, 07:23 AM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

I opened a ticket with OCZ and the responder gave me BIOs settings to tweek. Basically assumed the stick was good, but alas, after making the suggested changes from you and OCZ, that install iteration failed. So, as a last resort, I pulled the stick and put the other stick I had in and it installed successfully and is stable after updating drivers and installing Office 2007. The only pain I have now is that it didn't find the second drive in the Raid 0 array.

Bottom line, from reading lots of posts, ruling out defective memory needs to be at the top of the list what to do and not tweaking the BIOS. Since floppy drives are extinct, a bootable CD with a test app seems to be in order.

**Lsdmeasap** · 06-20-2008, 07:26 AM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

Well sounds like you have one bad stick then to me, I would test them both separately at the same settings and if one fails RMA the set

Memtest86+ is the thing you need, there is bootable CD ISO here >>>
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

As for RAID, you cannot have A RAID array with less then 2 disks. So what do you mean?

Do you need to know how to setup and make a RAID array? It must be done before you install Vista, that is for sure

**Big Dave** · 06-20-2008, 03:15 PM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

BIOS passed the memory and shouldn't have. Tried the other stick and got a good install. Never did get the ISO to work. BIOS looked for BOOTMGR with RAID enabled. Probably needed to be in IDE mode. Lucked out that the other stick was good, I guess.
Have two disks - Seagate and WD :).

Antec P182, SeaSonic 650W, Gigabyte x48 DS4, Core 2 E8400 @ 3.0, 4G Reaper DDR2 1066, Seagate 35, WD 160, Raid 0, Pioneer SATA DVR215, XFX G8800gt, ACF 7 fan, Vista Business SP1 64, Samsung 220WM LCD, Logitech Z-2300 Spks.

**Lsdmeasap** · 06-20-2008, 11:28 PM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

Well for raid you would want 2 of the same disks, same size and brand and cache. I suppose you could make a raid with different disks but it would not perform very well.

To Burn a ISO you must use a ISO app or nero and burn as a Image file, do you need help in knowing how to burn a ISO? If so let me know and I will post you some links, you cannot just burn it like normal files you would burn to a CD it must be burned in a certain way.

Again you confuse me with your post about RAID, To setup raid you must have two blank similar sized disks (Or they will only make a raid as small as the smallest one you have) then you must setup things properly in the BIOS, and then you must press control + L and enter the raid setup screen and create a RAID array. Then you reboot and start to install your OS, and then once asked you must give vista the Correct Raid driver off your install CD. Then the vista install will find your RAID array and you can install vista to it.

If you already have installed vista, you must format both disks and start over to use RAID

**Big Dave** · 06-23-2008, 07:56 AM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

Glad you asked. Yes, the two drives of different sizes (35 and 150) are creating an interesting situation. The 35 is a 10k rpm Raptor and the other is a backup. In the prior config, XP pro was installed as RAID 0 and it found both drives with the F6 drivers and got the sizes right. There was no BIOS related utility to do anything.
This time, when setting up the volumes in the new RAID config option, it only found 70 gigs (twice the size of disk 0). So the first install, I created a volume of 34G and thought I’d just format the other drive later. Well, that didn’t work. Vista uses both drives.
So, I had to do an re-install, this time with two 34 G volumes (Disk 0 and Disk 1). Vista found them both but I had to format the second one after the install.
So, here I am, somewhat unclear about what is going to happen if one of the drives has a problem. Even though I did a disk image backup to F: drive, I have a bad feeling I won’t be able to recover it.
What say ye ?
Thanks

**Lsdmeasap** · 06-23-2008, 08:51 AM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

Well, that would only give you a 70GB raid array, with the rest wasted. That is Always how a RAID would work with 2 different sized disks. Whatever you did in XP was likely not RAID 0, but more likely JBOD (Just a bunch of disks, which is what you have).

Yes you can format that 70GB into how ever many partitions you want, either with the vista installer, or while you are in the RAID creation array page (Control + L). Or with any partitioning app within vista if you have already created a 70GB Disk.

Yes, if you have ONLY those 2 disks you made a array from and are storing your backup on either partition within and it fails you will loose your backup as well. There is , to your system ONLY one drive there. It sees one large 70GB disk and writes data to it as such, your RAID controller ICH9R splits the DATA 50/50 to each disk. Without both working they are useless, meaning 50% of all data is on one disk and 50% is on the other. Such as a program EXE for example, without both sections the EXE is useless and will not function at all. Same as for a simple picture you would not be able to view or use the image from just one disk as it would not all be there

My Suggestion to you is, get a 250GB Seagate 16MB cache they have them at newegg for $60, and use that as your backup drive. Getting a smaller disk for 40-45 seems pointless with as cheap as disks are these days. But if you cant afford 60 then by all means get something smaller, but yeah you have no real backup. But to ease your mind a bit RAID failure is not as often as you may think or hear, and is often discussed from RAID Hardware controllers that you buy seperatley. However if you do some crazy overclock or do not lock your PCIE to 100 you can corrupt the disk. If you happen to be overclocking and see you RAID failure message at startup do not fear, just go set things back at stock and start over you will most likely be fine. I have done this once or twice is why I added that last part about overclocking.

**Big Dave** · 06-23-2008, 09:00 AM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

Cool, thanks. Obviously, I was looking for performance. The IDE mode in the BIOS set up led me to believe I wouldn't get the 3 G/sec SATA transfer rate without at least a Raid 0 config. Is that true ?

**Lsdmeasap** · 06-23-2008, 09:07 AM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

Yes that is true in your setup

And those raptors are only sataI 1.5GB/sec just so you know. The 150 may be SATA II 3GB/Sec as some of them are, but not the way you have the RAID setup. Your RAID will only be as fast as the smallest disk in the Array which is the 35 @ 1.5GB/sec, and those FOR SURE are SATA I.

Using mismatched disks very likely also slows you way down. You better bet until you get matching disks it to use your fastest disk for your OS in a NON RAID setup

IDE mode simply is just how they choose to name it from Their language to English, it is sata. IDE mode simply means NON RAID and or NON AHCI is all

And just so you know, you will never get 3GB/sec transfer rates with any disks without a $500 controller and a 4 or more disk RAID 0 array. That rate is just simply the speed the disk can transfer DATA not your system

**Big Dave** · 06-23-2008, 09:16 AM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

Sorry, meant to say "up to 3". I knew they weren't running at that.

Well, seems to me the thing to do is just bite the bullet and re-install in IDE mode.

**Lsdmeasap** · 06-23-2008, 09:20 AM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

Yes, that would be faster for you, with your fastest disk whichever that may be.

But then again it may not be, as you are now using two slow disks. They may be faster then one of you fastest disks. But likely not by much. Only you would be able to tell, by benching the disks, both way RAID'd and Either of them separately in IDE mode

So you would be better off and have more room (Plus no worry of a RAID Failure) to do IDE mode until you get matching disks

**Big Dave** · 06-30-2008, 08:56 AM

Re: x48 ds4 not installing 64 bit Vista

The saga continues.

I re-installed with the drives in IDE mode and the performanc drop was noticeable. The Vista performance number actually went from 5.9 to 5.3. Which is ok for now. Having an image backup makes me sleep better.

If/when the Raptor craps out, I'll get a matched set, mirror them and stop worrying about backups.

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