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I am trying to set up a raid configuration on a desktop in which the previous raid failed on a RAID0 configuration when a hard disk failed. I pressed CNTRL-I to get the RAID BIOS up and put the disks in RAID1(mirrored).

I have a CD from DELL that says windows reinstallation CD which I want to use, and when the blue screen came up there was a message at the bottom for pressing F6 to install a 3rd party RAID controller, and it reminded me of a text on a webpage:

Install the Adapter in Windows

If you are installing Windows XP or 2000:

  1. Carefully watch the bottom of the screen at the very beginning of the setup process for the prompt, and press F6 if you need to install a third-party SCSI or RAID driver. Be quick: You have only a few seconds to press F6 and launch the installation process.
  2. Wait for the screen that says 'S=Specify Additional Devices' in the lower-left corner. Press S.
  3. When prompted, insert the floppy disk with the adapter's drivers into the floppy drive and complete the driver installation. Once that's done, Windows should continue the Windows installation routine.

Is there still a chance that the driver might be on the windows reinstallation CD although there is a message for a 3rd party driver? If there isn't is it easy to revert the installation process? On the tower there is only a CD/DVD drive and Flash stick drive, so should I try to find the drivers for the RAID (and how?) and install those first before the windows (is that even possible?)?

Any course of action recommendation is appreciated?

Best,

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the best way of doing it would be to download the drivers from dell.com (check your service tag) and then slipstream it into the installation.

Slipstreaming tutorials:

You can try to use XPCreate to do the dirty job as well

The alternative, old way, of course is to download the driver and put it onto a floppy as suggested in your question... =)

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is it possible that the drivers are already installed when I set up the RAID in the BIOSS setting? – Vass Dec 14 '10 at 12:23
I don't think so... the setup interface is in pre-OS environment – bubu Dec 14 '10 at 13:29
can I install the drivers from a flash stick instead? I don't have a floppy diskette (and the boot sequence asks for them). – Vass Dec 14 '10 at 13:43
i am afraid that it is not possible in windows xp... and it's exactly why i told you to slipstream it in... – bubu Dec 14 '10 at 13:43
i have windows installed, how do I check if the raid is configured? – Vass Dec 14 '10 at 14:21
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