GA-MA790XT-UD4P & ATI RAID on SB750 with Windows Server 2008 Std

I have MB Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P with 4x HDD 500GB Seagate ST3500320NS, want to use in RAID 1+0 (on ATI SATA RAID) and install Windows Server 20008 Std. Everything went OK until I finished basic configuration of WS20008 and restarted after dcpromo (AD DS). It always ends with "never-ending" restarts (problems with storport.sys). After multiple fails with Windows Server 2008 Std (Vista drivers for SB750 3.1.1540.127 or older) I asked the manufacturer support and got the following answer:

"Thank you for supporting Gigabyte products and contacting GBT Tech Support. As to the problem you mentioned, we do not suggest you to use Win2003/2008 Server OS on this because it's designed for desktop instead of server board. Chipset Venders does not release proper server version drivers for the desktop motherboard and there is no RAID driver for you to use. We suggest you to use server board to install a server version of OS. Sorry for the inconvenience..."

Can anyone confirm that on Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P is POSSIBLE to sucessfully install Windows Server 2008 Std with RAID 1+0 and that it works!? (I wasn't sucessfull with RAID 0 or RAID 1 either. Success only without RAID.) Thanx a lot for your tips.

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Vista drivers should work fine, and are available here:
http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/Suppor [...] #anchor_os

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to bilbat

bilbat wrote :

Vista drivers should work fine, and are available here:
http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/Suppor [...] #anchor_os

I wish they worked, but I first tried those on motherboard installation CD (3.1.1540.86) - no success, then older ones (3.1.1540.64 - your recommendation) - no success, and finally those latest 3.1.1540.127 - no success. WinSrv OS went good, updates went good (after many required restarts - no problem, no error messages), installation of other functions (backup, PowerShell..) went good. BUT: Always after installation AD DS role and dcpromo comp required restart and close before windows GUI it has restarted, and again....again... and again.

I also checked array with RAIDXpert - everything OK ... until AD DS promotion. :sweat:

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to frejlach

Try a peek here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us [...] 54463.aspx

Reply to bilbat

frejlach wrote :

I wish they worked, but I first tried those on motherboard installation CD (3.1.1540.86) - no success, then older ones (3.1.1540.64 - your recommendation) - no success, and finally those latest 3.1.1540.127 - no success. WinSrv OS went good, updates went good (after many required restarts - no problem, no error messages), installation of other functions (backup, PowerShell..) went good. BUT: Always after installation AD DS role and dcpromo comp required restart and close before windows GUI it has restarted, and again....again... and again.

I also checked array with RAIDXpert - everything OK ... until AD DS promotion. :sweat:

I am having the exact same issue. Have you found a resolution?

Reply to user6540

[*** ing *** ing Windows! I can only ride without RAID. But for that purpuse I needn't buy RAID-mobo. BEWARE: never more southbridge AMD SB7xx for Windows Server 2008.

Reply to frejlach

I'm afraid, I haven't. Neither SP2 have helped. I tried another MB (Biostar with the same SouthBridge) but still the same. F-u-c-k-i-n-g southbridge, f-u-c-k-i-n-g Windows! I can only ride without RAID. But for that purpuse I needn't buy RAID-mobo. BEWARE: never more southbridge AMD SB7xx for Windows Server 2008.

Reply to frejlach

Or, you could arrive at my solution - no more AMD - PERIOD!

Reply to bilbat

GIGABYTE SUCK's !
I bought three motherboards GIGABYTE GA-MA785GT-UD3H from Dustin AB (in Sweden)
and should use it with Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 and with raid1 disks, but I failed to install the software.
(I try to use GIGABYTE's both preinstall raid driver for XP 64 and Vista 64 for SB710 chipset)
The installation works perfect for 98% of the Windows installation until the final reboot,
then the system start to reboot repeatly.

After some mail conversation with GIGABYTE they say's they don't support Windows Server !???!?!
But, they blame AMD because they don't write the RAID-driver for the Southbridge SB710 chipset.

How could GIGABYTE make a HW-design with a chipset without supporting Microsoft server ?

Dustin refuse the accept any reclamation on the motherboard becase I have open the box.
Both Dustin.se and www.gigabyte.com.tw said on there web-site the moderboard has RAID1, but they don't mention anything about any expectations for Windows Server !
I think all these companies SUCK's, because they know thess limitations of the motherboards, but no one mention anything about these limitations on the web-sites !
So now I must take Dustin to court.....sad but true !

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by ComputerExpert999 on 11-07-2009 at 02:21:33 AM

Reply to ComputerExpert999

Quote :

How could GIGABYTE make a HW-design with a chipset without supporting Microsoft server ?

The AMD chipset isn't a server chipset. Example of server chipsets are Intel 5500 and nVidia MCP55 Pro. You could have bought an Intel platform and install Windows Server 2008 without issues because they support it on most desktop chipsets.

Reply to GhislainG

ComputerExpert999 wrote :

GIGABYTE SUCK's !
After some mail conversation with GIGABYTE they say's they don't support Windows Server !???!?!
But, they blame AMD because they don't write the RAID-driver for the Southbridge SB710 chipset.

How could GIGABYTE make a HW-design with a chipset without supporting Microsoft server ?

This is standard or customary in the industry. The chipset companies typically don't supply drivers to support running Windows Server OS on desktop/workstation chipsets. Where they do, its always the previous version (i.e. Server 2000 or 2003), never the current one.

Gigabyte's website and user manual both state supported operating systems in the product specifications: "1. Support for Microsoft Windows Vista / XP"

This is true for ASUS, MSI, DFI, and all other manufacturers. If the chipset company does not support Windows Server OS on the chipset, the board manufacturer will not be able to support it. Its common knowledge to experienced users.

Consumer chipsets/hardware = consumer/client operating systems and applications

Server chipsets/hardware = server/enterprise operating systems and applications

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by tcsenter on 11-07-2009 at 06:11:46 AM

Reply to tcsenter

Why can't GIGABYTE inform buyers what it supported or limitations of there AMD motherboards ?
I have bought three GIGABYTE's AMD-motherboards from Dustin AB (largest distributer of computer equipment i Sweden) and either GIGABYTE or Dustin AB inform about these limitations in the web-site !
So, now I have three useless motherboard.......:-(
Must I learn ALL about ALL chipset on each motherboard, before I could buy a standard motherboard for Windows ?
The main problem here is GIGABYTE blame AMD because they don't write the RAID-driver for SB710-chipset and AMD says it's GIGABYTE's problem !
Still, no one has wrote the raid-driver for Windows 2003 Server for any of Gigabytes AMD motherboards.
How many years must you wait ?

Who is responsible ? GIGABYTE, AMD or Dustin ?
In my opinion is GIGBYTE responsible for there motherboards, not Dustin or AMD !

Your comments doesn't change my mind ! GIGABYTE sucks....

tcsenter wrote :

This is standard or customary in the industry. The chipset companies typically don't supply drivers to support running Windows Server OS on desktop/workstation chipsets. Where they do, its always the previous version (i.e. Server 2000 or 2003), never the current one.

Gigabyte's website and user manual both state supported operating systems in the product specifications: "1. Support for Microsoft Windows Vista / XP"

This is true for ASUS, MSI, DFI, and all other manufacturers. If the chipset company does not support Windows Server OS on the chipset, the board manufacturer will not be able to support it. Its common knowledge to experienced users.

Consumer chipsets/hardware = consumer/client operating systems and applications

Server chipsets/hardware = server/enterprise operating systems and applications

Reply to ComputerExpert999

After more investigations I realise this limitation (supporting for Windows Server) is general for all motherboards from GIGABYTE, independent if the chipset is from AMD or Intel.

So, my conclustion is:
GIGABYTE must be proffessional and take resposible for there motherboards !
Stop all "lies" on the marketing dokuments on your web-site and inform your costumers about the limitations or write the driver for Windows server.
GIGABYTE is just now not serious manufactory of motherboards, because the lack of information!

Reply to ComputerExpert999

Quote :

After more investigations I realise this limitation (supporting for Windows Server) is general for all motherboards from GIGABYTE, independent if the chipset is from AMD or Intel.

You are wrong on that one. I run Windows Server 2008 64-bit on a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P. It also runs fine on an Asus P5Q Deluxe and a Biostar TPower I45. The chipset is what's important, not the motherboard's manufacturer. In other words, a motherboard based on an Intel X58, P45, X48 and a few other Intel chipsets will run it fine because Matrix Storage Manager is available for Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008. If you buy a motherboard from Asus or MSI that has the AMD chipset used on the GA-MA790XT-UD4P, you'll run into the same issues. It's up to AMD to write the drivers, not Gigabyte; therefore put the blame on AMD.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to GhislainG

You don't get the point here, but you are right !
I should wrote "almost all motherboard....", instead of "all"
But still, the main problem is that GIGABYTE don't inform there customers of the limitation of there motherboards !

I and most of the common technical people could impossible investigate all integrated circuit on a motherboards and then try to find if there exist any driver for each IC. e.g. raid-IC, finger-sensor-IC, bluetooth-IC, WiFi-IC, graphical card-IC, Ethernet LAN chip-IC, USB-IC, firewire-IC, fan-controller-IC, sound & S/PDIF IC.......
Notice: I have been hardware and firmware designers for more than 10 years, so I have a lot of experience from this area.

AMD is a subcontracotor to GIGABYTE.
GIGABYTE is responsible for there products and no one else !!!!
This is fundament for all commersial buisness.
Maybe you are a partial representative from GIGABYTE?

GhislainG wrote :

Quote :

After more investigations I realise this limitation (supporting for Windows Server) is general for all motherboards from GIGABYTE, independent if the chipset is from AMD or Intel.

You are wrong on that one. I run Windows Server 2008 64-bit on a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P. It also runs fine on an Asus P5Q Deluxe and a Biostar TPower I45. The chipset is what's important, not the motherboard's manufacturer. In other words, a motherboard based on an Intel X58, P45, X48 and a few other Intel chipsets will run it fine because Matrix Storage Manager is available for Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008. If you buy a motherboard from Asus or MSI that has the AMD chipset used on the GA-MA790XT-UD4P, you'll run into the same issues. It's up to AMD to write the drivers, not Gigabyte; therefore put the blame on AMD.

Reply to ComputerExpert999

Before buying that specific motherboard, you didn't verify that AMD provide drivers for that chipset. Nowhere does Gigabyte claim that Windows Server is supported by that motherboard. When I ordered motherboards to run Windows Server 2008, I checked the Intel site to make sure that the required drivers were available. If they had not been available, I certainly could not blame Gigabyte, Asus or Biostar.

Reply to GhislainG

Quote :

I run Windows Server 2008 64-bit on a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P. It also runs fine on an Asus P5Q Deluxe and a Biostar TPower I45. The chipset is what's important, not the motherboard's manufacturer. In other words, a motherboard based on an Intel X58, P45, X48 and a few other Intel chipsets will run it fine because Matrix Storage Manager is available for Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

Well, most of Intel's drivers will work with Server OS because Intel doesn't explicitly create different driver packages or installers for client and server OS, but Intel expressly does not support Server OS on any desktop motherboard chipsets:

Supported OS Matrix for Intel Desktop Motherboards and Chipsets

Intel Desktop Boards do not currently support Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or 2008. There are no plans for making drivers available for this operating system.

Quote :

You don't get the point here, but you are right! I should wrote "almost all motherboard....", instead of "all" But still, the main problem is that GIGABYTE don't inform there customers of the limitation of there motherboards!

You don't get the point here. It is NOT the motherboard manufacturer's responsibility to inform you of every caveat or limitation, particularly when its a limitation imposed by the chipset manufacturers or is customary in the industry. Gigabyte plainly informs you which OS are supported. If server OS is NOT listed there, its obviously not supported!

Again, its well known in the industry that computer hardware is differentiated by product segmentations for consumer/client PC and server/enterprise PC. It has been for the 14+ years that I've been doing this.

Quote :

I and most of the common technical people could impossible investigate all integrated circuit on a motherboards and then try to find if there exist any driver for each IC

You don't need to investigate every IC on the market. You only need to look at the product segmentation. e.g. consumer PC motherboard or server PC motherboard. ALL motherboard manufacturers plainly differentiate their consumer and server product segments. The GA-MA790XT-UD4P is a performance, gaming, and overclocking motherboard, which is always a consumer PC segment.

AMD does NOT support server operating systems, no matter which motherboard manufacturer. For NVIDIA chipsets, Server OS are only supported for the NForce "Professional" 2000 and 3000 chipsets, not the consumer NForce products.

If that's too difficult for you to remember, then leave it to the real professionals who do take the time and effort to stay informed about these matters. These aren't toasters or microwave ovens. If you don't know what you are doing, then buy a Dell or something.

Message edited by tcsenter on 11-08-2009 at 09:04:28 AM

Reply to tcsenter

GhislainG, tcsenter;

You have missed the obvious - this individual appears to be in Sweden, the poster-child for, and epitome of, European 'nanny-statism' - and we are headed there, sure as water runs downhill! It is expected that the hand will be held (by whom? ~~blank out~~!) - the work will be done by someone else whose 'obligation' it is (who? ~~blank out~~!) (how? ~~blank out~~!) - all risk will be eliminated, that the world will be made ideal, and computers will be made as 'simple as plugging in a toaster', that someone else will assume all the obligations!

This illustrates exactly why, if I were 'running things' at Intel, my response to the EEOC's fining them for 'anti-competitive' paractices would be the 'soup Nazi's: "No soup for you!" Bite the bullet, accept the losses (for a time), and put Europe as a whole on the 'no technology shipped' list - no CPUs - no chipsets - 'till, say, 2013! Let 'em try to run their democratic data centers and socialist server farms with the crap they can glean from AMD! Microsoft, too, has had to 'bow and scrape'; has been forced to produce a whole line of 'N' versions of 7, just for the EEOC - I install 7 on my workstation an average of once a month, it takes all of eleven minutes per install to DL and put in FireFox, Chrome, and Safari - if you're too effing dumb to do this, you need to go back to your mud tablet and a stick!

The handle alone ("ComputerExpert999" ) illustrates my point from yesterday - people at the twenty-fifth percentile of cognitive functioning will consistently estimate themselves to be at the sixty-fifth percentile...

BTW - the relevant reference is to be found here: http://www.intel.com/support/mothe [...] 029021.htm

Message edited by bilbat on 11-08-2009 at 06:14:18 PM

Reply to bilbat

hi,

did anyone try to make raid via external raid sata controller?

Reply to guardian_79

Hi,

I had same problem as frejlach got (can't install win2k8 small business server on Asrcok 790GX SB750 motherboard). I tried several times. Finally I tried Win2k3 standard with RAID0 and XP 32bit driver. It WORKS. The problem is that you can only use up to 4GB memory.

Message edited by cfxu on 11-10-2009 at 06:54:36 PM

Reply to cfxu

Attempt to install server s'ware on non-server (and AMD yet!) hardware = shoot self in foot, & complain about having to bandage wound...

Reply to bilbat

Forum Motherboard & Memory : Gigabyte - GA-MA790XT-UD4P & ATI RAID on SB750 with Windows Server 2008 Std