Help - can not properly install Windows 7 on RAID

Question

Hi,

I have Aurora system. I currently has a RAID 0 with 2 hard drives installed. One drive is going bad, so I need to build / restore to a new RAID.

I installed 2 new drives (on ports 3,4) and configured another RAID 0. That all seemed to go well.

BUT - I can not seem to get ANY kind of Windows 7 properly installed on the new RAID. I have tried:

Dell Datasafe backup - booting from a system restore disk. I did this for my current save point, and a factory reset.

Windows 7 install from the CD that came with the system.

In any case above, the process seems to go well. All files are loaded to the new RAID array. But that's when the trouble starts.

I can NOT get the new array to boot.

In my latest attempt, I left the original RAID connected and running. And somehow, the Windows 7 Install proceeded to build the new array with the OS, but will boot from the old array.

What is the trick to getting getting a new volume on the new RAID array to boot?

Please help.

Thanks,

Tom Green · Accepted Answer

Hello Siegmjd

Your Recovery Partition(s) are marked active as they should be. This means that the BCD Loader files will be

written to that partition, a folder called BOOT and a root file called bootmgr, this is what boots the system.

When building the system, use DISKPART and create the partition the same as the old.

diskpart

list drives =make sure to select correct drive here.

select drive #

clean

create part pri size=39 id=DE

format fs=fat label="DellUtility"

create part pri size=8817

format fs=ntfs label="Recovery" quick

assign letter=d

active

create part pri

format fs=ntfs label="OS" quick

assign letter=c

exit

That should have you ready to install your Windows.

If after you install it doesn't boot, boot from CD and go to

%root%\windows\system32

BCDBOOT %root%\Windows

%root% being the drive letter that shows after you boot from CD.

Hope this helps.

Tom

Tom Green · Answer

Hello Siegmjd

Did you create an active partition on new array? Did Windows 7 ?

Boot from repair/install CD go to command prompt change to OS drive cd\windows\system32

type: BCDBOOT C:\Windows press enter

this will create the BCD loader files on the active partition. I wouldn't have first array on when doing

this as it might find two active partitions, that not good.

Hope this helps.

Tom

edit PS: when you boot from CD the drive letters might change. You might have to run

notepad in command prompt and check drive letters. You might have to change command

to BCDBOOT D:\Windows if thats the case.

siegmjd · Answer

Picture of drives from Drive Manager (I booted from the old, and slowly dieing RAID Partition - OS)  - if this helps...

siegmjd · Answer

Hi Tom,

Thanks for this piece of advice. I have not yet tried this. I did try to fix the MBR using bootrec.exe (based on some advice from others) - but this did not change anything. It certainly sounds to me like either the MBR is bad, or the volume is not considered active. I will give this a shot, and let you know how this works!

Which reminds me - I had a question about what Active means. When exploring the drives using Windows Disk Management, there is the ability to mark a drive as Active. What does this do? I couldn't find anything in the help, so I left it alone.

Thanks!

siegmjd · Answer

Hi Tom, Once again - thanks for the help.  Will try this tonight, and let you know status. Thanks!

siegmjd · Answer

Hi Tom,

Question: does the RECOVERY partition need a drive letter assigned to it. In your script, it appears that you are recommending assigning d to this partition. I don't believe I have seen this partition have a drive letter assigned before. Is this important, or just a recommendation?

Thanks,

Jeff

Tom Green · Answer

Hello Jeff I usually assign a letter to it so have refrence to it when I run the setautofailover.cmd It can be any letter like R when the command script runs it will remove drive letter. Tom

Tom Green · Answer

Hello Jeff

When Win 7 first came out with the beta, I installed it and tried the Win backup and

two weeks later the drive crashed. I replaced it with larger drive and win backup refused

to restore. I've been using Acronis True Image and never had a problem. I have it installed

on my winRE and it works very well. Glad you got your system up and going, good job.

Tom

siegmjd · Answer

OK Tom,

SUCCESS!!! Thanks for the script to clear out, and restart everything from command line. Using this, I was able to install Windows 7 to the new Array.

Thank you!!

Now - I don't know if you can help with the next step. Is suspect this next part may require a redo of things as well.

I had started this endeavor by creating 2 recovery disks using Dells backup software. I then backed up the entire system using the same software to my external drive. My plan was to now restore the entire drive to the new array. That's were problem 2 starts...

The Dell DataSafe software now says that it can no longer find the recovery partition. This occurs when I boot off the old array (regardless of whether I have the new array connected or not). I can not use the software to restore, as it wants to find the recovery partition, AND it will not let me do anything else (no ability to look for the partition, find backup sets, etc.

Interesting fact - whenever I boot now - regardless of whether the new Array is connected or not, I get to choose from 2, different versions of Windows 7. The bottom choice is the old. But the top choice exists - even if the new array is not connected. Not sure if this is usual behavior or not.

So - my question: What is the best way to backup my system, and then restore it to the newly created array? Sounds like I will need to perform another system backup, but not sure if I should continue to try the Dell SW, or use the Windows backup (haven't even tried yet).

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

siegmjd · Answer

Hi Tom, Thanks for the tip! And all the help.

Windows General

Help - can not properly install Windows 7 on RAID

Was this post helpful?