Using the 12.7 series Intel RST OROM and drivers, windows 8.1 does not see the SSD array as SSD's, they are seen as HDD's. The Optimize tool does not Optimize, it actually defrags the array.

Also for the secondary Sata 3 controller, SSD's identified as HDD's.  

I can't figure out why this changed from 8 to 8.1, makes no sense.  Lets hope the problem is corrected in the RTM and that Microsoft doesn't forget about all the enthusiast who run RAID. 

Hi,

Does the issue occur during Windows 8.1 installation or after this?

Would you please let us know more details about the RAID array, is it software based or hardware based? I think this may be related to the driver software, please reinstall or update it to see if it works.

Thanks.

I would guess that the 8.1 preview does not have all of the drivers "in the box". It's a Preview.

Did you in-place upgrade or clean install from an ISO?

Do you have a uefi enabled BIOS\hardware?

.Net may be missing from the Preview also.

Create a bootable recovery media usb, boot to it and add the RST driver.

Definitely needed to add the drivers during a clean install.

Visit Intel and run the Driver Update Utility. Chipset drivers may be missing.

If you don't have an ICH10 controller, there could be migration issues. (Intel support)

.Net 3.0 or higher is needed for the storage controller management panel.

Tells us a little more about your setup or if you have resolved the issue.

Thanks for the reply.

Windows Optimize, is what windows defragment use to be,  so there is no way to run this when installing windows.

The solution is to run  "" WinSAT diskformal "" in powershell,  after this the SSD's are seen as SSD and not HDD.

Thank you for the reply. 

The solution was to run "" WinSAT diskformal "" in powershell.

I wouldn't tell anyone to install RST drivers at install,   as this was for XP, after XP windows has iaStor.sys or iaStorA.sys already. Just a heads up, but really thanks for replying.

Thank you for the reply. 

The solution was to run "" WinSAT diskformal "" in powershell.

I wouldn't tell anyone to install RST drivers at install,   as this was for XP, after XP windows has iaStor.sys or iaStorA.sys already. Just a heads up, but really thanks for replying.

How did a performance assessment resolve the issue?

While the iaStor.sys or iaStorA.sys is in the box, it may not be the most recent version. Also, you get the Intel Control Panel for managing the array. Adding the drivers insures that you have the most current.

I'd still like to know for future reference if you performed an in-place upgrade or a clean install of 8.1?

Finally, in a Preview version, it's not easy to know what was left out-did you resolve the issue with the secondary SATA 3 controller?

The drivers in windows are the most stable, telling people to install drivers when they could be installing a less stable version is not better then allowing windows to install them.  Then after they can update the driver and run benches.  As you know, different versions will give different performance.

One other fact is, the best driver is the same version of the option rom, so if their BIOS has the 11.2 RAID ROM, and you tell people to install the newest, you have someone with a 11 version rom and a 12 version driver.  In most all benches and stability it's best to run the same version.

I clean installed 8.1 in UEFI.

WEI is missing from 8.1, but you can use this to perform the same function as WEI. Looking to run WEI was the ticket.

I will post a pic for you, see the score, the 8.4, this is WEI.

As to why this makes the OP see the drive as a SSD and not HDD, not sure but it works.

About the secondary Sata 3, can't get win to see the marvell 9182 to see SSD, it reports as a HDD.

Here is a pic of powershell after running the command.

I have the same problem.  Can not access my data on one of my raid drives after update to windows 8.1