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Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 and Adaptec Serial ATA RAID II 1420SA driver

I am putting together a new Exchange 2007 box and when I try to install the 1420SA driver for my RAID controller Windows says:

"The specified location does not containt a compatible software driver for your device. If the location contains a driver, make sure it is designed to work with Windows for x64-based systems."

I am using the 64 bit driver that came on the supplied CD and I have tried downloading the latest 64 bit Windows driver.

Has anyone has a similar situation that they resolved?

rindi

I've often had problems with drivers you need to supply via f6 during a windows installation. Sometimes there is a problem with the floppy disk, so try using more than one floppy. Also, driver support for 64bit versions of windows is still rather bad and many drivers are buggy. Then you also have to take care that it is the correct 64 bit driver for the windows version and CPU architecture you are installing. There are differences in the itanium and the standard x64 bit versions, don't mix those. Something else that I've seen that can help is if you first create an installation CD for the OS with integrated drivers. You can then put all of the drivers for the hardware on that CD, one of them should then work, and you won't need a floppy. The easiest way to make such a CD is a utility nlietos.

http://nliteos.com

There are further advantages with that tool, as you can define separate partitions for your Program Files, Documents and Settings, and other folders. Those things don't belong on the same partition as windows does, but during the standard installation there is no way to tell the setup software not to just dump everything on C, and that is something you can't change, or at least not easily, after the installation.

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pgm554

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PeterZog

ASKER

Yeah, I should upgrade the card. In the meantime, the driver worked for F6 part of Windows Setup... it's after Windows is installed that I am having trouble - when I go to device manager and say 'update driver'.

PeterZog

ASKER

Also, if I get a 2420sa can I simply swap out the card and rettach the hard drives and boot up?? Or will I need to recreate the array?

pgm554

I haven't used the lower rev card ,but there is a better than 50 /50 chance it may work with the new one.

>when I go to device manager and say 'update driver'

So it does see the disks in the OS?

PeterZog

ASKER

Yeah, it sees the aar81xx.inf file. I have tried the x64 driver that came in the box and the x64 driver on their website.

pgm554

If it sees the disks and the controller and it works,then why are you trying to update the driver?

Is there an issue with the system?