VIA VT8237A RAID Installation Guide

About this manual

This guide covers RAID configuration with the VIA VT8237A south‑bridge chip. It explains the basics of RAID 0, RAID 1 and JBOD, the required hardware (two SATA ports), and the steps to create, delete, and manage arrays in both BIOS and Windows environments.

The document provides detailed BIOS menu navigation, array creation methods (Auto Setup vs. Select Disk Drives), handling of spare disks, synchronization of mirror disks, and procedures for repairing broken arrays. It also notes limitations such as the inability to create RAID 1 in BIOS under Vista/Windows 64‑bit without the VIA RAID Tool. This manual is written in Chinese.

What's inside

• VIA BIOS RAID Installation Guide
• VIA Windows RAID Installation Guide
• RAID Basics
• BIOS Setup Procedure
• Creating RAID Array
• Deleting RAID Array
• Selecting Boot Array
• Adding/Removing Spare Disk
• Synchronizing Mirror Disk
• Repairing Broken Array

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Can I create a RAID 1 array in BIOS when using Windows Vista/64‑bit?

No. The guide states that under Vista/Windows 64‑bit you cannot create RAID 1 in BIOS and must use the VIA RAID Tool.

What happens to data on the disks when I create a new RAID array?

Creating a new RAID array will erase all data on the selected disks unless you use the option that preserves source data for RAID 1 or JBOD.