Windows 10: How to install Win10 on Dell XPS 410 without BSOD using BIOS 'Raid On'

I've have an 8 year old Dell XPS 410 that has had a number of upgrades, to include a new video card and solid state drive. It is currently running great with Win7 but I am probably going to take MS up on their offer for a free upgrade and go with Win10. I've already registered for the upgrade. I plan to do the upgrade first, and then go back in and clean install Win10.

But from my previous experiences with this Dell, there's always been issues with the BIOS setting of 'Raid On' when doing clean installs. Basically, the installation gets hung up because it cannot find the SATA Controllers/drivers that it needs; and it spits out the installation during the middle of it. I've had this problem every time I've reinstalled an OS on this PC (even back when it was practically brand new).

The BIOS only has two settings (the factory default of 'Raid On' which appears to enable AHCI--and 'ATA/Auto Detect--which is not recommended by Dell). In my previous clean installs, I've been forced to reinstall the OS in ATA/Auto Detect mode and then use a workaround. For example, when I reinstalled Win7 last year after getting a SSD, I had to reinstall Win7 in ATA/Autodetect mode and then go back in and use the following link to make the BIOS conversion to the desired Raid On':

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

But now with Win10, I don't know what the workaround will be. Preferably, I would not go through any workarounds! I'd rather just clean install Win10 and know that it's going to work with the BIOS left in 'Raid On' mode! If I had thought about it sooner, I would have created a virtual machine and tried one of the Win10 pre-release versions. But I believe MS has now cut those off.

So here's the question(s). Does anyone know if I am going to have to use a workaround again? And if so, is there a MS link (as there was for Win7 and Vista) to resolve the issue? If not, would I be able to just install in the non desired ATA/Auto detect BIOS mode, reboot in safe mode and hope the PC will pick up the needed SATA controllers/drivers for 'Raid On' while changing it back in the BIOS?

More than anything, I want to ensure I have full trim command support for my SSD that I installed on this older PC last year. I would really appreciate some insight from others who know more about this topic than myself.


PS There's only two BIOS settings on this PC (Raid On and Autodetect/ATA) with Raid On being the factory default setting. I don't use (and never did) a Raid array.

:)

 

Can't update, reset, or reinstall

With help from Dell, they directed me to the XPS 15 BIOS, where I changed the hard-drive setting from "Raid On" to "AHCI". Why RAID was on for a single drive, I don't know.

So I got it installed. It appears to be stuck with BSOD issues, though. Working on it.

 

Windows 10 Anniversary Fresh install- don´t find Nvidia Raid controller and HDD

Hello ,

I use a Dell XPS 630i with NVidia Raid 0 and Windows 10 Pro 64 bit.

Since the Update of the Anniversary Update, he runs in BSOD " No drive found"

I re create the Raid manualy to Raid 1 and tried to install new from ISO.

Till the HDD will be provided, the Window is empty. Theres also no digital signed Raid Driver found.

So that I must install the former Windows 10 Version New.

Is there a solution for a Nvidia Raid Driver. (should be digital signed) all available Driver I found in the Web are not functioning

Canyou please help me

greets Volker

 

I've installed 8.1 and 10 on some older vostros with the bios set to raid on and have not had any issues. The OS included the drivers needed. Not sure on the XPS line but I think you may be OK.

 

That's what I was hoping--basically that the Win10 software has the built in drivers to handle it without blue screening on me. But I didn't try it in a virtual machine (probably should have before now) so I have no way of knowing how it may react. This has been a great PC and with the upgrades I've done....it runs like a low end i5. But this BIOS setting has been an annoyance going back to the time the system was brand new. I recall the only time I ever got a smooth-clean installation (without problems) was when I used the original Dell OEM Vista disc that came with the system. Thanks for your feedback.

 

The XPS was, and still is, a nice machine. I still maintain one running XP. Wish I could upgrade it but we run proprietary software which depends on XP.

I say give it a go and see what happens. If it doesn't work (I bet it will) you can try tracking down the drivers or doing it the way you did 7.

 

Windows 10 includes a lot of drivers for old hardware, but I don't know whether that includes ones for a P965 Express motherboard, like your Dell.

I suggest imaging your HD, and then doing a clean install of build 10240. If you can't activate the installation, that won't matter for testing.

I don't recall having seen an option to install additional drivers during a Win10 installation (the old F6 thing), but I find it hard to believe that wouldn't be in there somewhere.

 

Hopefully, as you say, it will just work! And based on your PCs, it sounds like it just might while leaving the BIOS in 'Raid On' mode during the installation.

Btw-on the topic of clean installs-are you familiar with the 'Reset this PC' tool in Win10? I want to upgrade first, and then wipe the computer and do a clean install of Win10 (without saving files and settings). It would be nice to not have to create my own USB media for a clean install of Win10 and just use the 'Reset this PC' for a clean install once I complete the upgrade. Will the software in Win10 allow me to do it that way?

I've already backed up all my files/folders and also created a recent system image of Win7 in case anything goes wrong. I have all of this stored on an external hard drive so I am good to go with backups.

 

Part of my concern was thinking (possibly) that the Win10 upgrade would go fine (since it would perhaps carry over the necessary drivers from my Win7 installation).....but then run into problems as soon as a clean install is done. But based on the experiences that cyberSAR described with his older vostros computers (with the bios set to raid on).....maybe it just might work without blue screening on me. As far as I know, I've got to keep that BIOS in Raid On mode to maintain full housekeeping support for my SSD. And since it's always been the Dell recommended setting, I never really wanted to change it no matter what type of storage I've had on this system.

 

Pretty sure the reset is like a clean install. I've never tried it as I use system images but may just play with it today

 

Please let me know if you decide to play around with it. I should've tried a virtual machine with one of the pre-releases on this Dell, but never did that. I am trying to head off a bunch of surprises once I do the upgrade. Thanks again for your posts.

 

Will do. Copying my image to my NAS and will reset shortly. Have been meaning to test that feature so it's time to try it

 

Yea, I think it's kind of an interesting question. We know MS will make ISOs available (at some point) but I guess no one really knows if that will be on 07/29 or some later date. But I've wondered about that 'Reset my PC' tool in Win10. Lots of people want to do clean installs of windows. But it doesn't appear that MS has specifically addressed the question of whether or not 'Reset My PC' really gives a clean install....or simply the same as the last version that was installed on the PC. People want clean installs because they want to be able to format and also be assured that no orphan files are left behind on the drive. I guess MS will post additional information very soon. But, yes, if you happen to try using that tool (and make the determination), I'd be interested to know. Thanks again

 

Sorry for the delay, had to finish up the pulled pork dinner

After performing a reset I noted that it is about as close to a fresh install as you can get. All of my customizations are gone with the exception of it kept my drive partition names and created a windows.old folder of only 520kb. Had to install all windows updates since 10240 was released.

I have been doing updates since Insider program began and notice that the system is much snappier since the reset. Will be reinstalling all of my programs and monitor how it performs.

HTH

 

That's interesting that the 'Reset My PC' tool' kept your drive partition names as well as creating a windows.old folder on your PC. That sounds like 'upgrade' behavior. But you also said it completely eliminated all of your customizations and that the system is snappier. So it almost sounds like a 'hybrid' clean install.....if that's a good way of putting it....lol. But maybe for some people (including me) that 'almost' clean install might be 'good enough'. The biggest issue (for me) is not having Win7 orphan files unnecessarily hanging around, taking up space, and potentially creating buggy behavior in the future. Thanks so much for sharing your experience on this matter.