24 replies to this topic

[Denise_M]

Hi, I have an ASUS A8V-VM SE Socket 939 Micro ATX Motherboard - UDMA133, SATA. My os is Windows XP Pro x64. I installed a NORCO-4618 PCI-X / PCI eSATA / SATA II / SATA I Controller Card (RAID 0/1/5/10/JBOD). It's working fine but in order for the controller card to work, I needed to install SoftRAID5. Because of this, when I boot up, a window appears for about 15 to 20 seconds which waits for me to set up a RAID Array. It says "Press Ctrl+S or F4 to enter RAID Utility." I don't want to set up a RAID Array. I pressed F4 anyway to see if I could turn it off but the only option was to set up a RAID Array. I also went into CMOS and BIOS to see if I could turn this off so that I wouldn't have to wait 15 to 20 seconds for the window to pass but I couldn't find anything that resembled what I was looking for. I might just not be seeing it. Does anyone have any ideas?

[tallin]

Denise_M We hope you enjoy the forum, there is lots to read and learn. I do not know the answer to your enquiry, however a more knowledged techie will drop by to help you I am sure, until then have a good look around and enjoy. kind regards,

[DanielD]

Well I don't know much about softraid so I don't know how much I can help. But the first thing to do would to be check the program for options. Instead of looking for them at boot up, go to Program Files > SoftRaid5 and run the program manually, if there's more than one program find the one that is like the "base" or center. Most likely there's an option for "start on computer boot-up" or something to that effect. Here the only 2 things I can think of, (neither of which are very good, sorry). 1. Go to Run in the start menu. Type in "services.msc". Now, use the scroll bar on the right and go through your processes looking for the one that starts on boot-up, if it has a specific SoftRaid5 name that would help. Once you find the process, right click and choose properties. Then, from the "startup type:" drop down menu, choose Manual. A way to tell if you have the right process is that it should be set on automatic, automatic of course means it starts when you start the computer. The second way is only a crude fix that even if it works, you still want to find the source of the problem. 2. First, when your computer boots, and SoftRaid5 starts up, don't exit out of it or anything yet, just let the message sit there. Then press Ctr + Alt + Del and go to the processes tab. Sort the processes by Username so that your username is at the top. Search the processes for one called SoftRaid5 or something that looks like the name of the SoftRaid windo you have up. Once you find the name, open notepad and type this in repacing XXXXXX with the name of the process, be sure to include the .exe in the name (if it is there). @echo off taskkill /im XXXXXXX /f Then save the notepad file to your desktop but include .bat at the end of the file name, it should change the txt file to a batch file. Then put the batch file in your startup folder (Start Menu > Programs > Startup), reboot, and see if it works. What will happen is the program will start and attempt to stop the program, it's success will be shown (or failure) after the command executes. The pause statement allows you to see if it successfully ended the program. If it can't end the program, you either typed it in wrong, or the process starts after the startup folder, in which case you can delete it as it won't work.

[Digerati]

Well I don't know much about softraid so I don't know how much I can help. But the first thing to do would to be check the program for options. Instead of looking for them at boot up, go to Program Files > SoftRaid5 and run the program manually, if there's more than one program find the one that is like the "base" or center. Most likely there's an option for "start on computer boot-up" or something to that effect.

Along the same lines, what if you follow the prompts and enter the RAID setup utility? Nothing permanent should happen until you click on something that says create RAID, so I would enter that utility and see if there is an option turn the prompt off.

Are you prompted in Safe Mode?

I might want to check MSCONFIG for something related to SoftRAID5. Or one of the below enhanced Task Manager type programs will show you what is running on your computer. Each is nice in its own way. What's Running is probably the easiest, with AutoRuns for the more experienced, and Process Explorer the most popular. You can block processes from running from here too.

AutoRuns for Windows
Process Explorer
What's Running

That said, do not disable anything you are unsure off. Plug it into Google or post back as killing the wrong task can have serious consequences.

[Denise_M]

Hi,

Thank you all for responding and for your suggestions. I must've given the wrong impression when I wrote

Because of this, when I boot up, a window appears for about 15 to 20 seconds which waits for me to set up a RAID Array

I get the request to set up a RAID Array prior to Windows starting, when my computer is still booting up and the screen is black with white letters (DOS ?).

These are the steps that I had already taken prior to posting in this forum:

- I went into MSConfig and turned off the two references to RAID5 but the request to start a RAID Array still happens.
- I tapped the F4 button when booting up. It got me into the setting to set up a RAID Array but it didn't have an option to tell it that I don't want a RAID Array or to turn off the request to set up a RAID Array when booting up.
- I went into Services and disabled and stopped SATARAID5 Configuration Service.
- Task Manager doesn't list SoftRAID5.

In order for the controller card to work, I had to install

- SiI 3124 32-bit Windows BASE Controller Driver v13200_logo
- SiI 3124 64-bit Windows SATARAID5 Driver v1.5.11.0
- SiI 3124 SATA Controller Card x64 1.1.13.0 logo
- VIA
- VIA823x_v140 - 3.58.0.0443
- VIA_HyperionPro_v518a
- VIAHyperion4in1456v.exe

Instead of looking for them at boot up, go to Program Files > SoftRaid5 and run the program manually

None of the files included a way to run the files manually. I can try to uninstall them one at a time and reinstall them to see if any of them has an option to not request to set up a RAID Array. It seems that this is the only option left to me. I can't turn off SATARAID5 altogether or my controller card won't work.

I downloaded and installed What's Running and it confirmed that SATARAID5 Configuration Service is stopped. There were no other references to SATARAID5. It showed that Groove Monitor (has to do with Microsoft Office) and Avast were the only two programs in Start-Up.

[DanielD]

It showed that Groove Monitor (has to do with Microsoft Office) and Avast were the only two programs in Start-Up.

Try this:

Right click on My Computer.
Goto Properties and go to the Advanced Tab.
Under the Startup and Recovery title, click the Settings button.
To the left of "To edit the startup options file manually, click Edit" click the button called Edit.

It will open a file in notepad, tell us if SoftRaid or anything close to it is in the file (make sure Format > Word Wrap is on so you can see the whole thing).

Also in the Advanced Tab > Settings for Startup and Recovery, check the drop down box for "Default Operating System:", make sure it's set to something with "Microsoft Windows XP" in it.

SoftRaid shouldn't count as an OS but the fact that it starts even before Windows XP is odd.

[Denise_M]

Right click on My Computer.
Goto Properties and go to the Advanced Tab.
Under the Startup and Recovery title, click the Settings button.
To the left of "To edit the startup options file manually, click Edit" click the button called Edit.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional x64 Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer

Also in the Advanced Tab > Settings for Startup and Recovery, check the drop down box for "Default Operating System:", make sure it's set to something with "Microsoft Windows XP" in it.

I uploaded a screenshot of this.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Denise_M]

I thought that I'd take some pictures to show you the screens that request to set up a RAID Array. The first screen shows for about 15 seconds and the second one shows for about 5 or more seconds.

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 

[DanielD]

Hmm, I found this topic which may or may not be the same program however it looks similar.

http://www.tomshardw...nting-raid-boot

The last 4-5 posts carry the most interest.

Try the part with using TAB to enter the Raid Bios and then looking for something related to the startup feature.

[DaChew]

Contents of driver CD
1. \BIOS
BIOS flash tool “updflash.exe” for NORCO-4618 PCI-X/PCI card.
2. \Drives
Drivers for Win2K-XP, MAC and Linux. “Base” drivers are for
NORCO-4618 BIOS without RAID. “Raid” drivers are for NORCO-4618
flashed with RAID BIOS. The Mac driver folder is also includeing
SATARAID5 Utility for Mac.
3. \SATARAID5 Utility
SATARAID5 Utility for PC provided by Silicon Image
(www.siliconimage.com ).

You just need the base bios and drivers for the card

nothing in windows or your motherboard's bios has any pertinence to this problem

[DaChew]

http://www.geekstogo...rk-t200558.html

you back in june

I downloaded SiI 3132 x86 bios v7223 but I haven't installed it.

SiI 3124 Controller Card Latest x86 BIOS V7223

another newegg buyer

[Denise_M]

Contents of driver CD
1. \BIOS
BIOS flash tool “updflash.exe” for NORCO-4618 PCI-X/PCI card.
2. \Drives
Drivers for Win2K-XP, MAC and Linux. “Base” drivers are for
NORCO-4618 BIOS without RAID. “Raid” drivers are for NORCO-4618
flashed with RAID BIOS. The Mac driver folder is also includeing
SATARAID5 Utility for Mac.
3. \SATARAID5 Utility
SATARAID5 Utility for PC provided by Silicon Image
(www.siliconimage.com ).

You just need the base bios and drivers for the card

nothing in windows or your motherboard's bios has any pertinence to this problem

I don't know what you are saying here. The link that you provided in your other post was for a problem that I was having with the controller card and SATA hub. The drivers that were recommended and installed got the controller card to work but I couldn't get the SATA hub to work. Turns out it was defective. I returned it 2 times before I got one that works.

Right now, I'm trying to get my computer to boot up without it requesting me to set up a RAID Array. If you're saying that I installed the wrong drivers, please be more clear.

Edited by Denise_M, 28 September 2008 - 10:19 PM.

[Denise_M]

Hmm, I found this topic which may or may not be the same program however it looks similar.

http://www.tomshardw...nting-raid-boot

The last 4-5 posts carry the most interest.

Try the part with using TAB to enter the Raid Bios and then looking for something related to the startup feature.

Right now I'm processing some files. When they finish and I can reboot, I'll give your suggestion a try and I'll let you know how it turned out. It looks good though.

[Denise_M]

DaChew, At the end of the topic, you will also see that I had asked for help in sorting out which drivers I needed and which drivers I could uninstall but I didn't get a response. But this has been an on-going problem and I'd like to get it resolved, the reason I posted here. This is the last thing I need to fix regarding SATA.

[DaChew]

Right now, I'm trying to get my computer to boot up without it requesting me to set up a RAID Array

that can only be fixed by reflashing the card to the base/non raid bios

1. The NORCO-4618 on-board BIOS by default is flashed as BASE BIOS
(filename: b6318.bin). The RAID BIOS is with filename r6318.bin.

from the manual

all this occurs long before windows enters the picture and has nothing to do with drivers whatsoever

Edited by DaChew, 29 September 2008 - 07:23 AM.