Intel ICH9R/ICH10R SATA RAID Driver (full)

[highcountryrider]

I've built a system for a friend. It was my first build and I had never setup a RAID configuration before. Upon first post I setup and configured for a RAID1 array in the BIOS. I then installed Windows XP Pro SP3 32bit and during the install responded at the 3rd party SCSI or other adapters prompt, did the F6 thing and installed the RAID/SATA drivers from the floppy disc I had prepared with the extracted drivers from the Gigabyte website for my motherboard. Here is the info about the driver I installed:
Posted date: 2008/09/15
Intel ICH9R/ICH10R Driver (Preinstall driver) 283 KB
Note: Press F6 during Windows* setup to read from floppy. (For non-VISTA operating systems)
O.S. : Windows XP,Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition 32bit,Windows Vista x86 (32-bit)
Version: 8.5.0.1032

Install of XP went without a hitch. When system is turned on, after the Gigabyte logo screen, the RAID array information displays showing both hard drives and that everthing is normal (or something to that effect). After the XP install I installed all the latest drivers from the Gigabyte website for the motherboard WITH THE EXCEPTION of the Intel ICH9R/ICH10R SATA RAID Driver (full - about 25MB file). I then updated all the necessary Win XP Pro SP3 updates, installed programs, etc., and turned the system over to my buddy.

System has been running stable for about 10 days now. As stated, I know nothing about RAID and as far as I can tell there is no way to easily check if the data is being simultaneously written to both hard drives. Did I make a mistake by not installing the Intel ICH9R/ICH10R SATA RAID Driver (full) update? Do I need to now install this update and what are the consequences of installing it now? Here is the information on this update:
Posted date: 2008/09/15
Intel ICH9R/ICH10R SATA RAID Driver (full) 25,831 KB
O.S. : Windows XP,Windows XP 64Bit,Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition 32bit,Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition 64bit,Window XP Media Center Edition,Windows Vista x86 (32-bit),Windows Vista x64 (64-bit)
Version 8.5.0.103

TIA for any help and information about this. Pertinent system info:

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
2 x Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive configured in RAID1 array
Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3 32bit

[corb01772]

Re: Intel ICH9R/ICH10R SATA RAID Driver (full)

If you used the F6 driver, then the ICH10R driver (Intel Matrix Storage Manager) should already be installed. If you want to make sure, read step 6 of this readme: http://downloadmirror.intel.com/17059/eng/readme.txt

[highcountryrider]

Re: Intel ICH9R/ICH10R SATA RAID Driver (full)

Thanks for the reply. I had checked the device manager and it did show the RAID controller was installed. Not knowing anything about RAID I thought perhaps the 25MB Full update had more files necessary for RAID to work correctly rather then just the driver I had installed during the XP install. Looks like I'm good to go.

I learned very early on that the only stupid question is the one you don't ask!

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Intel ICH9R/ICH10R SATA RAID Driver (full)

The program you are asking about is just that, a program + Updated Drivers is all.

You can manage your RAID arrays, verify DATA, Rebuild Arrays, build new arrays, enable Write back cache, and do other things with it, so yes you might as well install it as you may need it or want to use some of it's features >>>



User Manual >>>

http://download.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/manual70.pdf

Program Download Version 8.7.0.1007 (1/9/2009) >>>
Download Locations

[Fuzzytop]

Re: Intel ICH9R/ICH10R SATA RAID Driver (full)

Mr. LSD Guru!

Once again, you come to the rescue for people like HighCountryRider and myself. HighCountry has similar questions as I, and perhaps many other RAID newbies, and I believe that the link to the "instruction manual" for the Intel RAID manager will be of big help to me as well.

By the way, relative to my earlier posts with my DQ6 XPPro/Home install and RAID issues, I am running now with my original copy of XPPRO which I overlaid over the Home version. I do wish I could have done a clean install, and still may, but I couldn't get that PRO disk to autorun without an existing OS in place, and I didn't want to risk doing a clean install after it re-formatted and erased the existing Home version. That's where it wouldn't work before.

However, UPS jus now delivered the new, full version of PRO, and I just may start over with it. That will be about the 9th time and around 6 totally wasted days, due most likely to my own stupidity.

FWIW, I really believe the P45 DQ6 board is built like a board should be, and I'm sure I'll really like it a bunch, once I get past the bumps in the road.

Thanks again for your help, LSD!

[highcountryrider]

Re: Intel ICH9R/ICH10R SATA RAID Driver (full)

The program you are asking about is just that, a program + Updated Drivers is all.

You can manage your RAID arrays, verify DATA, Rebuild Arrays, build new arrays, enable Write back cache, and do other things with it, so yes you might as well install it as you may need it or want to use some of it's features >>>



User Manual >>>

http://download.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/manual70.pdf

Program Download Version 8.7.0.1007 (1/9/2009) >>>
Download Locations

Thanks LSD for the clarification. It's strange though that the program you've described and given links to is a completely different name than what I've downloaded from the Gigabyte website. One would think that Gigabyte would identify it as the Intel Matrix Storage Manager instead of the Intel ICH9R/ICH10R SATA RAID Driver (full) 25,831 KB.

I will install the MSM on my friend's system just so I can monitor his RAID array and get familiar with its capabilities.

Thanks again for the links to the manual and the updated program file and of course, for taking the time to share your knowledge.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Intel ICH9R/ICH10R SATA RAID Driver (full)

Ya, maybe just language barriers hard at work there? But that is the same thing they offer just they repack it. It is also likely a older version as the one I linked just came out, and they are usually a few behind on all the drivers available.

Glad to be of help, thanks for your kind words!