SOLVED asrock z77 ocf...can't load ssd drivers??

[funsoul]

Hi all

Having a weird and very frustrating issue here...hoping someone knows what the heck is going on.

Trying to install windows on my asrock z77 oc formula but can't get the proper drivers to load so the install can actually proceed. First try was 4 60gig ssd's in raid0 on the 4 intel sata2 ports. The sata drives are set to 'raid' mode in the bios. Windows install launches then I get to the screen with a message like 'one or more cd/dvd drivers are missing'. I select 'browse' and point it to the usb drive where I've got the "SATA Raid driver" as well as the "Intel SATA Floppy Image (RST) ver: 11.7.0.1013". It comes back with 2 entries. I select one of them (have tried both but still same exact error) and click next. Windows install chews on it for a while before throwing the 'no driver found to install' error.

Decided to try with a single 120g ssd (now on one of the 2 intel sata3 ports), set to ahci in bios and I'm getting the same exact errors I put the sata ahci drivers on a usb stick, browse to it, it finds ahci drivers but when I click next it gives the 'i can't find anything here to install' error again. Same exact thing if I set the single ssd to ide mode in bios.

Haven't tried with the Marvell sata ports yet but not sure what to do at this point. Updated the bios to the latest revision...still same errors.

Any ideas? What am I missing here???? Does this board need to be rma'd?

tia for your thoughts and ideas!

 

[redduc900]

Is "UEFI" prefixed before the optical drive or the array in the boot order? And which OS are you trying to install?

 

[funsoul]

hi redduc900!
There's no optical drive installed. Can't recall the prefix for the raid array (as well as when I tried with a single ssd)...can check when I get home tonight. Tried installing stripped vista x86 as well as a full win7 x64. Same errors everytime.

Other info...All the drives (whether with 4x or 1x) all show up in the bios and intel raid.

 

[funsoul]

OK...here's exactly what I'm seeing. No matter what I try for drive configs (4xssd in raid, 1xssd in ahci and ide) or on the usb (putting all the driver files in the root directory) or windows version (vista x86 and win7 x64) I keep getting the same "no new devices could be found" error.

Arggghhh!!!! Really seems like I need to RMA the board but holding out hope that it's just something I'm doing worng ;P

Any ideas? Thoughts?
tia!
PS- Sorry for the unsteady hand on some of these

 

[redduc900]

My guess would be a bad ISO image.

 

[funsoul]

Been using the os images for ages...never had a problem. Will re-write them to USB sticks again. Or...do you mean the Rom file I flashed the bios with? Was getting the same error with the prior bios.

 

[redduc900]

I was thinking the OS image might have been a bad burn, but if you've been using it without issue then that's probably not the problem.

 

[dejo]

what os?
I have fought and fought with xp to get ahci or raid to load. finally slipstreamed the drivers for z68 and z77 onto a disk with no more issues. never had an issue with win7 or 8 and raid or ahci. you will like the board if it fits the case that you have. been using asrock later and really like what they have to offer. I have the z77 ex6 and oc formula and dont think I would rather have anything else

 

[wagex]

+1 to what dejo said
yea you need to get the raid drivers for your motherboard put them on a thumb drive and navigate to the drivers and it should load fine.

 

[dejo]

if its win7, it shouldnt need any drivers as they are native in win7. if thats the case dont attempt to load any drivers during windows install and wait till after its loaded to get os drivers working

 

[funsoul]

Been trying vista and win7. Have all the needed drivers on a USB stick. The install sees the drivers but then says it can't find a device to install. Take a look at the pics. Tia

 

[wagex]

oh, thats weird hmm

 

[SF101]

could install the os with raid enabled on a single regular drive.

then boot to something like hirens boot disk - go to ghost - disk to disk- disk to disk that regular drive to your raid 0 - and if it copies your raid 0 should become a bootable setup.

 

[funsoul]

Thanks SF101. Will try setting a single SSD to raid and try your recommendation. I haven't been able to get a single drive working in ahci or ide mode :/

 

[dejo]

are you sure you are in the intel ports for sata action? only reason I could see you having your issue is if you arent. on my board only xp needs an ahci or raid driver during windows setup, even when in raid

 

[funsoul]

Yep....the 4 black ports.

 

[funsoul]

Tested with another z77 ocf and no issues whatsoever. Sending this one out for rma.

 

[funsoul]

omg! Now REALLY frustrated! Have 2 of these motherboards. One sitting on the benching table, the other in the 1155 build in my sig. As described above....the first board on the table would not recognize the ssds (in sata ide, sata ahci or sata raid) no matter what I tried. I wiped the drives attached to the 2nd mobo (in the 1155 build) and went to do a clean install. The drives (in raid0) were immediately recognized by the windows installer. So...that's why I figured the first mobo needs to go for rma.

So...removed the 2nd mobo from the 1155 build and moved it to the benching table. Went to install windows and, again, SAME FRICKIN' PROBLEM!!! ARGHHH!!! No way to install windows since it couldn't pick up the drives again!!! Made me feel good, sort of, because it appears there's nothing wrong with the first mobo...it's got to be something unique to the bench build.

PSU? Don't think so. The 1155 build has a cheapish 700 watt psu, the bench has a nice 1000 watt one. Ram? Nope...using the same exact sticks as in the 1155 build. SSDs? Nope. Swapped the bench drives with the ones that I used in the 1155 build....same issue with windows installer not picking up the drives/drivers. VGA card? Nope...using the same one as the 1155 build.

Restored my win7x64 image that I was using on the 775 benching build and it went no problem. Same is true when restoring my vistax86 image. Do have 1 issue with those restored images, though....winblowz is nagging me to validate. Ugh...set the date in the mobo to something like 1/1/1999 but it's still killing me. So...an aside question....what date should I set in the bios so it doesn't nag me?

So...anyone have any idea what the heck is going on??? Really don't think it's a mouse/kbd issue (I actually tried using the mouse from the 1155 build but no difference). As far as I can tell....the only other things to try are to swap the sata cables and try with the other psu. :/

tia for your ideas!

UPDATE: Found this http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1038911654 Will try it out this weekend.

 

[funsoul]

The 'fix' didn't work and after another couple frustrating days of the drives appearing in the bios but not in the windows installer (and sporadically not showing up in acronis) FINALLY figured out that I should check whether the drives were actually initialized (which they weren't).

Initialized the drives and tah-dah....issue resolved.

 

[SF101]

oh yes must initialize first sry man