SSD RAID 0 and Install of Windows 7 from Upgrade Media

Here's a few problems: SSD upgrade, need a pair of them for enough space, also want a clean install of Windows and only have upgrade media. How do we accomplish this? In a word, hacking.

Step one: Have to install an old copy of Windows without RAID drivers. I set the BIOS to AHCI mode, installed one SSD, then installed a copy of Vista x86 I found at the bottom of an old box.

Step two: Got that up and running just long enough to launch the Windows 7 Setup from inside Vista. Did a standard installation of Windows 7, still in AHCI mode on a single SSD. Activate with Microsoft and then it's time to figure out how to get this RAID functioning.

Step three: Install the Intel Rapid Storage Technology drivers from the Intel website. A future release will support TRIM, but for now I'm not worrying about the potential write delays. I bought the SSDs for their read speed (get BF3 load times down). Reboot.

Step four: Fresh start, Intel RST shows SSD and DVD drives just fine. There is a registry key that can be flipped to switch the iastor drivers from AHCI to RAID mode. The trick is that it will break the RST utility in Windows, and the change in BIOS to RAID mode is the only way the system will boot after that (Short of maybe System Restore). Found this info here: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1587/4/

• Exit all Windows-based programs. 
• Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER. 
• If you receive the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue. 
• Locate and then click one of the following registry subkeys: 
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesMsahci 
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesIastorV 
• In the right pane, right-click Start in the Name column, and then click Modify. 
• In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK. 
• On the File menu, click Exit to close Registry Editor. 

Step five: As mentioned before, the GUI utility will no longer work properly. Specifically it does not show drives detected anymore. A quick reinstallation of the RST package from earlier will take care of this.

Step six: Install the second SSD, but do not set this up in the pre-boot RAID utility (Ctrl-I). Let the system continue on to boot up in Windows. In the RST GUI, you will now have the ability to make an array of the available SSDs.



This process will take some time, but then after it finishes and the required restart, you will have a working RAID 0 of the SSDS.

Conclusion: I also am making use of a conventional drive for storage. For Documents, Music, and Video, just go to the properties of each and change the location to a folder on the conventional drive. In my case, I already had a folder for each containing my backup folders. You will be prompted to copy any existing files to the new location and it will merge them with any files and folders already there.

BeastieBox is Credit to Team!

When a workstation did not make it to the show, BeastieBox handled it with aplomb.

I love hating games

So, I bought Deus Ex for $14 on Amazon.  It's a stealth game; I hate stealth games.  Then again it is incredibly pretty.

My love hate relationship with technology continues.  Although I do wish I had metal legs...

Login Screen Customization

This has been fun lately.  Windows 7 and Mac OS 10.4+ all support login background changes.  The main caveat that I've heard is that the Windows methods are limited to files less than 256 KB.  That said, you can have multiple versions depending on aspect ratio and screen size.  Just be aware that resize method for both operating systems is stretch.  So either pick an image with subtle features that stretch nicely, or commit to an aspect ratio like 16:9.

This added a nice wow factor last time I was sitting with a customer and my company's wallpaper complete with contact number and email showed up when Windows started.  Added benefit is that if I lose my laptop, my colleagues should get a call or email from even a lazy Samaritan.

Background image on my screen is a detector array at CERN.  Public domain images rock!  FYI, NASA imagery is also public domain.

Links:

Windows 7

http://www.withinwindows.com/2009/03/15/windows-7-to-officially-support-logon-ui-background-customization/

Mac OS 10.7 (Lion)

http://osxdaily.com/2011/12/02/change-login-screen-wallpaper-os-x-lion/

Mac OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) - also works on Leopard for you PPC lovers

http://osxdaily.com/2010/01/25/change-the-mac-login-screen-background/

Battlefield Upgrades

I've recently been sucked into the world of Battlefield 3.  Being a BF2 player back in college, I'm instantly feeling at home.  The only issue is that it was a bit of a pig but could be so pretty if I just did some upgrading.

Welcome to the $300 game...

Here's what Uber is now:

• Intel Core i7 860 @ 2.93 GHz
• Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 (50C vs. 99C stock HSF)
• 4GB DDR3-10700
• NVIDIA GTX 570 1280 MB (Up from 260 GTX 890 MB)
• 24 inch Dell 1920x1080
• NVIDIA 6600GT 128 MB (Secondary screen, also incidentally my old BF2 card)
• 20 inch Dell 1600x900
• 750 GB 7200RPM 32 MB (Thinking SSD upgrade soon)

Playable settings are Ultra across the board with just AA off.  Getting 45fps at 1920x1080.  And it is so damn pretty!

Discoveries still happen

While testing a replacement keyboard (post to come) I stumbled on a trick that I never knew.

If you press F5 in Windows' Notepad, it will insert the current time and date! (It is under the Edit menu as well).

Extra Screening

BeastieBox's brick got me flagged for extra security screening when flying internationally.

"I promise it is not a brick of C-4."

210 watts, 4.5 pounds.