cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

RAMPAGE Windows 8/7 UEFI Installation Guide

Nodens
Level 16
1. What is the UEFI Mode?
2. What is Secure boot?
3. UEFI mode requirements
4. What is CSM or how UEFI Drivers and Legacy Option ROMs interface with the UEFI.
5. Setting up RAID and preparation for installation
6. Pros and Cons
7. Installing Windows 7/8 on UEFI Mode
8. GPT Tools


--------------------------------------

1. What is the UEFI Mode?

--------------------------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface#Booting wrote:

The UEFI specification defines a "boot manager", a firmware policy engine that is in charge of loading the
OS loader and all necessary drivers. The boot configuration is controlled by a set of global NVRAM variables,
including boot variables that indicate the paths to the loaders.

OS loaders are a class of UEFI applications. As such, they are stored as files on a file system that can be
accessed by the firmware. Supported file systems include FAT32, FAT16 and FAT12. Supported partition table
schemes include MBR and GPT. UEFI does not rely on a boot sector.

Boot loaders can also be auto-detected by firmware, to enable booting on removable devices. Auto-detection
relies on a standardized file path to the OS loader, depending on the actual architecture to boot
(\EFI\BOOT\BOOT[architecture name].EFI, e.g. \EFI\BOOT\BOOTx64.EFI).

It is common for UEFI firmware to include a user interface to the boot manager, to allow the user to select
and load the operating system among the possible options.


18311



"Windows Boot Manager" is the boot manager that comes with Windows when it is installed in UEFI mode. This Boot Manager is accessible and viewable in the UEFI menu and F8 Boot options.


--------------------------------------

2. What is Secure boot?

--------------------------------------

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface#Secure_boot wrote:

The UEFI 2.2 specification adds a protocol known as Secure boot, which can secure the boot process by
preventing the loading of drivers or OS loaders that are not signed with an acceptable digital signature.
When secure boot is enabled, it is initially placed in "Setup" mode, which allows a public key known as
the "Platform key" (PK) to be written to the firmware. Once the key is written, secure boot enters "User"
mode, where only drivers and loaders signed with the platform key can be loaded by the firmware. Additional
"Key Exchange Keys" (KEK) can be added to a database stored in memory to allow other certificates to be
used, but they must still have a connection to the private portion of the Platform key. Secure boot can
also be placed in "Custom" mode, where additional public keys can be added to the system that do not match
the private key.


Secure boot is only supported/enforced on Windows 8. This feature can be quite problematic as it won't allow you to boot any bootloaders that are not signed. Meaning once you enable it, you can't boot anything else unless you disable it or place it in "Custom" mode and configure public keys. This is beyond the scope of this guide though and for the duration of this guide I will suggest to keep it disabled in order to avoid any issues with dual booting etc. This information is provided though for those who may choose to enable it willingly.

18315

ASUS UEFI has 2 settings:
a)"Windows UEFI": This setting turns Secure Boot on. This opens a submenu that allows "Custom" mode as described above.
b)"Other OS": This setting turns it off and contrary to what the name suggests this is what you should set if you use or plan to use Windows in UEFI mode and don't want Secure Boot.

--------------------------------------

3. UEFI mode requirements

--------------------------------------

Windows installation in UEFI mode has 4 basic requirements:
a) A UEFI enabled platform (The Rampage motherboards in this case.)
b) A x64 Operating System that supports it (Windows 8 or 7 in this case.)
c) Installing to GPT partitioned disk or RAID array that includes an "EFI System Partition" or ESP for short.
d) Booting the installation media in UEFI mode:

18311

(See the the DVD drive in the screenshot has 2 entries, one starting with "UEFI:" and one with "P3:". Both of these are the same drive. The difference is the option with the UEFI prefix "UEFI:" boots in UEFI mode. Which means that it starts a UEFI bootloader. If a UEFI Bootloader is not present on the disk/flash drive, then this option will not be available.)


--------------------------------------

4. What is CSM or how UEFI Drivers and Legacy Option ROMs interface with the UEFI.

--------------------------------------

http://wiki.phoenix.com/wiki/index.php/Compatibility_Support_Module wrote:

The CSM provides additional functionality to UEFI. This additional functionality permits the loading of
a traditional OS or the use of a traditional OpROM.
The CSM operates in two distinct environments:

Booting a traditional or non-EFI-aware OS.
Loading a UEFI-aware OS a device that is controlled by a traditional Option ROM.

The first operation, booting a traditional or non-EFI-aware OS, is the traditional environment.
It is expected that traditional OpROMs will be around long after traditional OSs have been replaced
by EFI-aware OSs. The code that is required to load a UEFI-aware OS is a subset of the code that is
required to boot a traditional (non-EFI-aware) OS.


18313

To make things simple, a device ideally (eg the onboard RAID controller) has a native UEFI driver but for compatibility with an older/non-UEFI aware operating system, the CSM allows the loading of the old style PCI Option ROMs we are all familiar with. You need either one or the other. If you load a UEFI driver, the legacy PCI Option ROM is not used. The CSM also allows you to boot operating systems that have no idea what UEFI is.

18312

The ASUS UEFI has these options for CSM:
a)"Auto" (Self Explanatory).
b)"Enabled" (This allows you to manually set priorities for different types of devices eg "UEFI first"
means that if both exist, the UEFI driver will be chosen)
c)"Disabled" This disables CSM entirely with all its functions and runs in UEFI-only mode. This option
boots a lot faster because it doesn't load or wait for any legacy components. If your video cards and
expansion cards etc fully support UEFI, you can just turn it off (this is how I set it)-not for Win7.
--------------------------------------

5. Setting up RAID and preparation for installation

--------------------------------------


Suggested installation UEFI options (for the reasons explained above):
Secure Boot: Other OS
CSM: As shown in the screenshot above.

RAID arrays can be set up either via the normal Matrix utility prior to switching everything to
"UEFI first" or disabling CSM, or they can be set up afterwards from inside the UEFI.

18314

If you want to have native TRIM under RAID, that means without my patch, then all that is important is that you follow this
guide to install in UEFI mode. It doesn't matter which method you use to create the array or if you have an existing array.

--------------------------------------

6. Pros and Cons

--------------------------------------

As with everything, there are pros and cons to this method of installation.

Pros:
1) Native UEFI installation offers very fast boot up times and better integration with the hardware.
2) UEFI is the future. It is what will be supported in the long run. BIOS will eventually become entirely phased out.
3) GPT partitions do not have the size limitations of their MBR based counterparts.
4) GPT is also the future.

Cons:
1) Many backup and recovery utilities do not properly support GPT or do not properly support it under RAID configurations. There are working solutions though.


--------------------------------------

7. Installing Windows 7/8 on UEFI Mode

--------------------------------------

Let's get to the point:) I will be using screenshots from Windows 8 but the important parts shown here are the same for Windows 7 as well.

A) Boot your installation media with the "UEFI:" prefixed option of your drive as described above. The operating system will load and you'll come to this screen:

18321

Set your locale settings and proceeed as usual until you come to the Partitioting screen:

18323


At this point if you are using a RAID array you need to click "Load Driver" and provide the F6 Intel RAID RST driver (11.6+) in a FAT32 formatted USB flash drive or a floppy drive if you still have one of those 🙂

B) If your disk or RAID array is new and had no other operating system on it, it will show up as unallocated space, like the screenshot above. If partitions do exist, delete them all until it shows as unallocated space. Now press "New" and select the maximum space (or as much as you like) and hit apply. You will see this window:

18316

Press Ok. If all is correct then Windows will automatically partition the drive/array to GPT and you will see this structure:

18322

If it is not as above then something is wrong with the partition table and you should skip to step C (Recovery only on Win8). Otherwise press next and Windows will start installing:

18318
RAMPAGE Windows 8/7 UEFI Installation Guide - Patched OROM for TRIM in RAID - Patched UEFI GOP Updater Tool - ASUS OEM License Restorer
There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who don't!

RealBench Developer.
859 Views
289 REPLIES 289

For the raid driver im using the f6flpy-x64.zip version # 12.8.0.1016 .

The raid driver appears to install correctly. I'll try unplugging everything but the DVD drive and the 2 ssds setup in raid 0.

Nodens wrote:
Are you sure you are selecting the proper drive? To troubleshoot try disconncting all drives except the RAID array and the drive with the installation media (DVD or flash drive). Also what drivers are you using?


Okay so I Did that same thing. I double checked all the uefi settings that you showed to change and they are all set to your parameters.

When I go too the boot options in the UEFI this is all thats listed.
UEFI: FLASH Drive AU_USB20 (3956MB)
P1: ASUS DRW-24B1ST i
UEFI: ASUS DRW-24B1ST i (3167MB)
FLASH Drive AU_USB20 (3956MB)

Edit: just to state the obvious, I can't even get it to partition.

Have to ask - what ports on the motherboard do you have your Samsung drives conntected to?

i.e. Are they connected to the Intel SATA ports or the ASMedia SATA ports?

I *think* you want to have them connected to the Intel ones - not the ASMedia ones.
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS Maximus VI Formula (BIOS 0804)
CPU: Intel i5-4670k
HDD 1: Samsung SSD 250G 840BW EVO
HDD 2: Western Digital WD10EZEX 1TB Caviar Blue 7200rpm
RAM: 16gb (2x8) G. Skill RipJawsX DDR3-2133
PSU: Seasonic X-Series 750W 80 Plus Gold
GPU: Gigabyte GV-N770OC-4GD
CASE: Fractal Design Define R4
OPTICAL DRIVE: Pioneer BDR-209DBK
MONITOR: Samsung S24C300HL; BenQ E2200HD
OS: Windows 10 Professional
Other: MS Wired 600; Logitech MX 310; Sennheiser PC 151 & Logitech Z150

Nodens
Level 16
For some reason you left that unallocated space there. Or it's something the MS intaller did. If you want to reclaim that space do a clean installation after following the troubleshooting section with the "clean" procedure:)
RAMPAGE Windows 8/7 UEFI Installation Guide - Patched OROM for TRIM in RAID - Patched UEFI GOP Updater Tool - ASUS OEM License Restorer
There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who don't!

RealBench Developer.

Missing_Link
Level 7
Thanks Nodens, I got it sorted now and had to install OS again and now its all good the unallocated partition is gone and thanks for the guide...Cheers. 36428
Motherboard, Asus Rampage IV Extreme.
Case, Coolermaster Cosmos II Ultra Tower.
CPU, Intel i7 3930k.
GPU, Asus Nvidia GeForce GTX 780.
OS HDD, SSD Intel 520s 240gig.
Memory/Ram, Corsair 16gig (4X4) Dominator GT 2133mhz.
Sound Card, Creative Sound Blaster ZxR.
PSU, Corsair AX-1200i.
Watercooling, Corsair H100i.

thebski
Level 9
Hi, I am having some trouble installing Windows 8.1 on 2 Samsung 840 Pros on a Rampage IV Formula. I have tried with CSM disabled and with CSM enabled and everything set to UEFI first as shown in the screenshot. In each case I set secure boot to other OS. I then create the raid array in UEFI. In both cases, as soon as I try to boot to the DVD drive with prefix uefi, it flashes the blue windows screen and then quits. If I have CSM disabled it will cycle back to the bios. If I have it enabled it will just sit on the black screen with the cursor at the top left corner flashing until I shut it off.

I feel like I've followed the guide, but I can't get Windows setup to start. GPUs are 780 Ti's as well, so I would think those should have new enough firmware.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong? Thanks!

Edit: I have bios 3504 installed on my board. The guide says 3404 but I assumed anything later worked as well. Just wanted to throw that in as well.

Edit #2: I figured out that I could not use my Blu Ray drive to install UEFI. It was somewhere in this thread, and that ended up being my problem. So I got everything installed, but I have another problem.

If I have SLI disabled, I would say the machine boots in about 10 seconds. Power button to Windows desktop in 10 seconds (guessing).

If I enabled SLI, it appears to load Windows fine, but the displays are really confused for a long time. They eventually get it straitened out, but it takes forever. Power button to desktop is more like 2 or 3 minutes in this case..

Is this a known problem? Has anyone else had this issue? I never noticed SLI affect boot times in the past, but something is very wrong with it here.

thebski wrote:
Hi, I am having some trouble installing Windows 8.1 on 2 Samsung 840 Pros on a Rampage IV Formula. I have tried with CSM disabled and with CSM enabled and everything set to UEFI first as shown in the screenshot. In each case I set secure boot to other OS. I then create the raid array in UEFI. In both cases, as soon as I try to boot to the DVD drive with prefix uefi, it flashes the blue windows screen and then quits. If I have CSM disabled it will cycle back to the bios. If I have it enabled it will just sit on the black screen with the cursor at the top left corner flashing until I shut it off.

I feel like I've followed the guide, but I can't get Windows setup to start. GPUs are 780 Ti's as well, so I would think those should have new enough firmware.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong? Thanks!

Edit: I have bios 3504 installed on my board. The guide says 3404 but I assumed anything later worked as well. Just wanted to throw that in as well.

Edit #2: I figured out that I could not use my Blu Ray drive to install UEFI. It was somewhere in this thread, and that ended up being my problem. So I got everything installed, but I have another problem.

If I have SLI disabled, I would say the machine boots in about 10 seconds. Power button to Windows desktop in 10 seconds (guessing).

If I enabled SLI, it appears to load Windows fine, but the displays are really confused for a long time. They eventually get it straitened out, but it takes forever. Power button to desktop is more like 2 or 3 minutes in this case..

Is this a known problem? Has anyone else had this issue? I never noticed SLI affect boot times in the past, but something is very wrong with it here.


Well I guess UEFI isn't for me this time. I can't get video in Windows anymore to disable SLI or try another driver. I need the machine, so I'll just have to install regular this time and try to figure it out before I reformat next time. I have done some searching for SLI boot issues with UEFI and have found some cases that are similar to mine but never really any solutions. There's no doubt that enabling SLI in this case breaks the system. It was booting very fast last night with SLI disabled. If anyone has any ideas I'd be interested to hear them. Thanks!

Edit: I reinstalled with UEFI and CSM enabled per the screen shot in the guide. Everything seems to work now, and boot times are still very fast. I originally wanted to avoid CSM, but apparently SLI says no. Anyways, great guide!

I have two GTX780Ti's in a SLI configuration as well. I am using a retail version of Windows 8.1 that I loaded normally on a 600gb high speed flash drive. My system loads in about 7.39 seconds regardless if SLI is enabled or not. I think your problem is residing with the Raid and I am not quite sure why the heck you would need a raid with 2 840 SSD's to begin with. I have tried them in a Raid and alone and in my opinion, the Raid configuration is not out performing the stand alone set up.

I7 4930k at 4.9 on Rampage Extreme Black Edition IV
32gb Corsair Vengence at 2400MHz
Phantom 820 Window Edition (white)
Corsair 1200w Digital PSU
2x600 Intel High Speed SSD
1x240 Samsung 840 SSD
1x 3tb Black Edition WD
1 x 1tb Black Edition WD
2 x GTX 780TI
LG Motif BluRay
Corsair H110 Cooler
Windows 8.1 Retail

Nodens
Level 16
The nly way SLI could be a factor is if one of your cards does not have a UEFI GOP and is still on legacy VBIOS.
RAMPAGE Windows 8/7 UEFI Installation Guide - Patched OROM for TRIM in RAID - Patched UEFI GOP Updater Tool - ASUS OEM License Restorer
There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who don't!

RealBench Developer.

samarlian
Level 8
i also cant get this to work , when follow guide and hit f10 to save still dont get the intel option in advanced menu to set up my raid array.

on ctrl and i disk one is locked and disk 2 is non raid ???

also on the security boot parameters mine sats windows 8 uefi or other legacy & uefi no other os


any ideas as i just bough 2 x samsung evo 840 pro 256gb ssds