Restart the VDS service after installing a VDS Provider

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In Windows Server 2003 (RTM, SP1, R2, SP2) and Windows Server 2008, you might run into an issue while trying to install a new VDS Hardware Provider.

If you simply install the new VDS provider and immediately run DISKRAID.EXE, you will get the message telling you that: “DiskRAID was unable to find any VDS hardware providers installed on this computer. At least one VDS hardware provider must be installed for DiskRAID to be functional. Please check the VDS hardware provider installation.”

This happens because the VDS service will not pick up new hardware providers until you restart it (no need to restart the server, though :-)

So, here is the sequence of commands and how DISRAID (or any other VDS-aware application, for that matter) reacts:

  • Run DISKRAID – No VDS hardware provider, DISKRAID can’t start
  • Install VDS Hardware Provider
  • Run DISKRAID – No VDS hardware provider, DISKRAID can’t start
  • Stop VDS Service
  • Start VDS Service
  • Run DISKRAID – VDS Provider properly loaded, DISKRAID works

For more information about VDS, check
https://blogs.technet.com/josebda/archive/2007/10/25/the-basics-of-the-virtual-disk-services-vds.aspx