Multiple PCI RAID cards - Club CDFreaks

*rdgrimes* · 08-08-2003

Has anybody ever been succesful in running multiple RAID cards, and booting to one of them? Been playing around with this, and having no success. Thus far I've gotten failed PCI card POST, mac address errors at boot, BSOD in Windows at startup, or a combination of the above.
It seems that the bood controller has to be POSTed first, so slot placement is critical, but both the MB and Windows seem to want to confuse the cards anyway.
As to windows, the trick may be to boot to the onboard IDE to install the 2 cards, then image the system volume to the boot card. but so far I can't get past the MB restrictions.

*BadReligionPR* · 08-08-2003

I think it's time you switched to SCSI rd

**xtacydima** · 08-08-2003

No, but my motherboard has built in support feature for this. has built in RAID for IDE and for SATA and I can choose which to boot to in BIOS. I don't know about add-on cards however. It seems as if though your last statement answers you. Seems like its all about the restrictions of the motherbaord.

*damiandimitri* · 08-08-2003

last time i could boot from my dvdplayer connected to the raid controller...for some reason it doesn't work anymore...

so..i am interested too

Black Diamond · 08-08-2003

I know of Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Quaternary, but have never heard of capability of more than 4 IDE ports.

*rdgrimes* · 08-08-2003

Well, Promise support tells me that you can't run multiple cards, Highpoint support says you can. I think the deciding factor is whether you want to boot to one of them or not. Since Promise is my card of choice, and they didn't try to sell me another card, I'm leaning toward accepting their advice.
I've yet to find anyone who has actually run multiple RAID cards.

**OC-Freak** · 09-08-2003

This is my experience: Only one promise controller in the system at the same time.

Motherboards with AMI bios have problems with booting from RAID/IDE cards while motherboards with award BIOS do have less problems......

wicked1 · 11-10-2003

I tried to do this tonight and neither card was a RAID even and I couldnt get it to boot the hard drives.They both came up and detected them properly but I think the boot roms on them are causing a conflict because like whas said the deciding factor may be whether the hard drives boot from them.I have 4 hard drives on a promise 133 TX/2 controller,2 CD/RW's on a Silicon Image 680 controller,2 DVD+-R's on motherboard controller.I ordered a bunch of older UDMA 33 cards and some dont have the boot option on them so maybe that will work.I burned 2 DVD's tonight with no slowdown when the SI card was removed.One at 8X and one at 4X.Now to just get the other 2 burners like this.I guess a man can only dream

08-08-2003	#1 (permalink)
rdgrimes Retired Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Deadwood Posts: 11,449	Multiple PCI RAID cards Has anybody ever been succesful in running multiple RAID cards, and booting to one of them? Been playing around with this, and having no success. Thus far I've gotten failed PCI card POST, mac address errors at boot, BSOD in Windows at startup, or a combination of the above. It seems that the bood controller has to be POSTed first, so slot placement is critical, but both the MB and Windows seem to want to confuse the cards anyway. As to windows, the trick may be to boot to the onboard IDE to install the 2 cards, then image the system volume to the boot card. but so far I can't get past the MB restrictions.

08-08-2003	#2 (permalink)
BadReligionPR Retired Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: CT USA Posts: 1,186	I think it's time you switched to SCSI rd __________________ BRPR Pumping Iron & Sweating Steel (for 30 years) - Joe Grushecky And The Iron City Houserockers - "Labels come and go. The music remains. Music companies are generally the enemy of the musician." Junior's Bar where the band is playing, just for me. They play real loud, they move the crowd, It's a poor boy's symphony. Junior's Bar, until they kill the neon lights, I hope I don't go home alone tonight. Iron City Sampler Free Peltier

08-08-2003	#3 (permalink)
xtacydima Moderator Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,873	No, but my motherboard has built in support feature for this. has built in RAID for IDE and for SATA and I can choose which to boot to in BIOS. I don't know about add-on cards however. It seems as if though your last statement answers you. Seems like its all about the restrictions of the motherbaord. __________________ My Rig: Antec P160 P4 3.0E GHz running WinXP w/SP2 Scythe SCMN-1000 Heatsink w/Arctic Silver 5 Antec TruePower 2.0 TP2-550 (550W power supply) ASUS P4C800 Deluxe Motherboard 2GB RAM - Corsair XMS TWINX2048 (2x1GB) 3200C2Pro CL2.0 ATI RADEON X850XT AGP 2 - WD 37GB Raptor's (in RAID 0) via onboard Promise controller Western Digital 250GB SATA HDD on Primary SATA channel Western Digital 150GB SATA HDD on Secondary SATA channel Lite-On LTR-52246S 6S0F (IDE1 Master) Lite-On JLMS XJ-HD166S DS1C (IDE1 Slave) *NEC 3500AG 2.TC Quiet* (IDE2 Master) Lite-On SOHW 1673S JS07 (via USB 2.0 to IDE & set to Master)** Found a Solution here helpful? Like the forum's? Well then, what are you waiting for JOIN NOW!!!

09-08-2003	#7 (permalink)
OC-Freak Senior Admin Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Cdfreaks review lab - Norway Posts: 5,663	This is my experience: Only one promise controller in the system at the same time. Motherboards with AMI bios have problems with booting from RAID/IDE cards while motherboards with award BIOS do have less problems...... __________________ I'm a real freak in many aspects!

11-10-2003	#8 (permalink)
wicked1 CD Freaks Rookie Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: indiana Posts: 49	I tried to do this tonight and neither card was a RAID even and I couldnt get it to boot the hard drives.They both came up and detected them properly but I think the boot roms on them are causing a conflict because like whas said the deciding factor may be whether the hard drives boot from them.I have 4 hard drives on a promise 133 TX/2 controller,2 CD/RW's on a Silicon Image 680 controller,2 DVD+-R's on motherboard controller.I ordered a bunch of older UDMA 33 cards and some dont have the boot option on them so maybe that will work.I burned 2 DVD's tonight with no slowdown when the SI card was removed.One at 8X and one at 4X.Now to just get the other 2 burners like this.I guess a man can only dream __________________ AMD Athlon Mobile 2600+@2706 mhz(watercooled)LiteOn 52246S,Pioneer 107D,Samsung 352B,Pioneer 108D,Yamaha F1.Nec 3540,BenQ 1640,LiteOn 1693S

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08-08-2003	#4 (permalink)
damiandimitri CDFreaks Resident Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: netherlands Posts: 3,536	last time i could boot from my dvdplayer connected to the raid controller...for some reason it doesn't work anymore... so..i am interested too

08-08-2003	#5 (permalink)
Black Diamond CD Freaks Senior Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Aus Posts: 446	I know of Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Quaternary, but have never heard of capability of more than 4 IDE ports.

08-08-2003	#6 (permalink)
rdgrimes Retired Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Deadwood Posts: 11,449	Well, Promise support tells me that you can't run multiple cards, Highpoint support says you can. I think the deciding factor is whether you want to boot to one of them or not. Since Promise is my card of choice, and they didn't try to sell me another card, I'm leaning toward accepting their advice. I've yet to find anyone who has actually run multiple RAID cards.

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