Error: RAID array detected... Intel SSD Toolbox

[idata]

I Just installed my new Intel SSD 520 Series 480GB Drive (SSDSC2CW480A310) and installed the Intel SSD ToolBox. When I run the SSD Optimizer I recieve the following Error: "Error: RAID array detected. If RAID array not present, reboot and try again". My system is as follows:

Lenovo 4270CTO BIOS: 8BET55WW (1.35 )

Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2960XM CPU @ 2.70GHz

SSD: INTEL SSDSC2CW480A3 Firmware 400i

Intel(R) HD Graphics Family 3.76 GB

NVIDIA Quadro 2000M

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) SP1

32GB DDR3-SDRAM (1333 MHz)

I do not have a RAID configuration.

Thanks -

[idata]

Laurence, Let us know what you find out. My system regularly freezes and the HDD light goes crazy for about 15 seconds and all the programs stop responding. Then after 15-20 seconds it just starts responding again.

[idata]

I learned that you need to "read the manual first ". http://download.intel.com/support/ssdc/hpssd/sb/intel_ssd_toolbox_30_user_guide.pdf http://download.intel.com/support/ssdc/hpssd/sb/intel_ssd_toolbox_30_user_guide.pdf

Bottom line: if you're running Win 7 you don't need to use the Optimizer, why is explained very well in the User Guide.

It would be nice if Intel put a big notice in the retail box that if you're using AMD hardware and drivers the Optimizer won't work (something about AMD AHCI and Raid drivers having common software). I didn't buy the retail box and didn't get anything but the SSD.

If you do a clean install of Win 7 you will be using the basic Microsoft Sata AHCI driver that works with the Toolbox and you will have no problems. Then the helpful Microsoft Update will notice that you don't have the AMD driver and update and install it for you. Now the Optimizer won't work, with the "Raid detected" error.

For the people who have trouble installing the MS AHCI driver, follow the steps mentioned earlier in the thread and make sure you check the box under the file name before you click on OK (I missed it the first time).

I'm happy that I don''t need to worry anymore since I'm using Win 7. Others still using another OS may have a problem if like me they find that the MS driver doesn't work very well on their system.

[idata]

Hi Laurence,

Thanks for the info. Are you sure you don't need it when using the AMD AHCI drivers? In the manual it says:

"If your computer uses Microsoft Windows* 7 and the standard Microsoft AHCI driver"

You do not need to run the optimizer.

Then it says:

"If your computer uses Windows 7 and Intel® Matrix Storage Manager version 8.x or Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) driver version 9.5 or earlier"

You do need to run the optimizer.

Then:

"If your computer uses Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) driver version 9.6 or later"

You do not need to run the optimizer.

It says nothing about the AMD drivers. So if I use the Microsoft AHCI driver I can run the optimizer, but I don't need to, and my system doesn't run well. If I use the AMD AHCI driver my system runs better, but I can not run the optimizer. The question is does Windows 7 (or Windows 8 in my case) run trim when you are using the AMD AHCI driver?

[idata]

Eric,

No, I don't have explicit information that says the AMD driver is the equivalent to the Microsoft driver in that it will pass through the Trim commands from Win 7. On the other hand I've done a lot of reading about SSDs, test site results, discussions from people that are using AMD equipment and nowhere has it been mentioned that a special AMD driver was needed to use a SSD. If it was not possible to use SSDs with common AMD equipment and get acceptable performance I think that would be very important information that I would have seen by now. I'm confident that it's not a problem.

Here's what you could do; once a month (or more often) run a benchmark test, swap out the drivers, run the Optimizer, reinstall the AMD driver, rerun the benchmark. If performance picks up we still have a problem. Shouldn't take you more than twenty or thirty minutes. I have the AMD driver installer in my Documents.

Good luck to the both of us.

[KenF_Intel]

Hello All,

The root of the problem is that it's difficult to reliably tell if the SSD is part of a RAID when the AMD driver is installed. We've taken the conservative approach and not allowed the optimizer to run since we don't want to risk data loss.

We are looking into more reliable ways to determine RAID/non-RAID in this situation. I'll update this thread as more information is available. The investigation may take some time.

Thanks.