Can't install windows - setup can't see my hard disk (RAID1)

Question

I am trying to install win8 x64 on my machine. The machine has two hard drives connected in RAID1 I have just created : image

I have inserted the USB containing the Windows installation media and when it comes to the point where I have to select a drive, there is no such found. With Hiren boot USB I entered in XP mini, where I created partition from the unallocated hard drive (NTFS, Active)image

When I try to install it again, the hard is still not visible.

Then I went to the manufacturer website - motherboard is lenovo (is6xn) with c206 chipset and I downloaded all storage drivers from here link. When I attempted to load them during the installation and it discovered just one of the driver image, after the driver installation, the hard is still not visible. I

I have also tried these: link, still the hard is not visible image.

These did not good either: link

During the installation I started command prompt with shift+F10 and using diskpart > list disk, no drives were displayed.

Just to add the using Windows7 installation USB and the result is the same - no hard is visible, so the problem is not in the installation media.

Perhaps it has something to do with RAID?

Solution

You need to download the drivers for the Adaptec RAID Controller and copy them to a flash drive. Plug in both the flash drive with the drivers and with your Windows installation media. On the Partition Select screen, click the "Load Driver" or "Have Driver" button and load the RAID drivers for the controller card.

Comments

[Nullpointer42]

Why do you think he/she needs Adaptec? The link the OP provided is to a Lenovo ThinkCentre M91, which I believe just uses the Intel RST stuff?

[checho]

That was it. Perhaps I did not have to create the partition at all, just to install the RAID controller driver so it can recognize the hard drive. Thank you!

[user1984103]

@ernie Look at the images: Controller #00: Adaptec 1220SA at PCI Bus:02, Dev:00, Func:00 It may have IntelRST onboard, but the OP specifically configured the devices on a separate hardware raid card.

[user1984103]

@checho That's probably correct. I imagine it worked fine with Hiren's boot USB because Hiren slipstreams a bunch of RAID drivers into that image to maximize compatibility. Sadly Microsoft doesn't do the same with their installation media.

[Nullpointer42]

@DarthAndroid Thanks for the clarification. I thought I had clicked on each of the hodge-podge of images/links, but must not have looked at that one/seen it.