Issues with Windows Vista* and Intel® RAID

Documentation

Install & Setup

000006208

02/11/2020

Description

The following issues may occur on Windows Vista* with a supported Intel® RAID controller hub:

  • Unable to install Windows Vista (system halts during installation)
  • Performance degradation
  • Timeout errors reported by iastor or iastor(v) in Microsoft Event Viewer*

Solution

Install Intel® Matrix Storage Manager version 7.5 or later. These versions work around the issue by disabling Link Power Management (LPM).

If you are still experiencing installation issues, try one of the following workarounds:

  • If available, install updated device firmware
  • Attach the device(s) to ports 3–5 on the Intel® 82801HR/HH/HO I/O controller hub (ICH8R) or port 3 on the Intel® 82801GR/GH I/O controller hub (ICH7R)
  • Switch to IDE mode in the system BIOS
    Note

    This change disables RAID functionality. Contact your BIOS manufacturer for instructions on how to switch to IDE mode.

Cause

Microsoft changed the Windows Vista setup process. This change added the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager LPM registry settings for mobile installations to desktop installations as well. LPM registry settings are added for the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager RAID driver on the Windows Vista installation disk and for any drivers added during the installation.

Some desktop Serial ATA devices, such as hard drives and CD/DVD drives, are not complying with the Serial ATA LPM device specification. They can display erratic behavior when LPM is enabled.

The setup change means LPM is enabled by default for all Windows Vista platforms. Using a device that doesn't completely follow the specification might result in one of the issues listed.

A list of devices is not available at this time.