Another RAID question - can I add another hard drive to make a RAID1setup?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim Stratman
  • Start date Start date
J

Jim Stratman

I have a 40 GB hard drive, and my motherboard supports RAID (an ASUS
K8N). I am running Windows XP Pro. The hard drive has been going fine
for several months. I just recently purchased the identical type of
hard drive (another 40 GB). I want to use this as my backup to mirror
my 1st hard drive. In my BIOS I can specify which drive can be part of
a RAID array. Can I just add this new drive (setting it as slave, the
other the master of the primary IDE), make it the RAID1 mirror, and have
it be my backup, or do I need to start from scratch (i.e. re Fdisk both
when in RAID1 mode)? I'd rather not go through reinstalling Windows XP
& all the apps.

Jim (RAID newbie)
 
I have a 40 GB hard drive, and my motherboard supports RAID (an ASUS
K8N). I am running Windows XP Pro. The hard drive has been going fine
for several months. I just recently purchased the identical type of
hard drive (another 40 GB). I want to use this as my backup to mirror
my 1st hard drive. In my BIOS I can specify which drive can be part of
a RAID array. Can I just add this new drive (setting it as slave, the
other the master of the primary IDE), make it the RAID1 mirror, and have
it be my backup, or do I need to start from scratch (i.e. re Fdisk both
when in RAID1 mode)? I'd rather not go through reinstalling Windows XP
& all the apps.
Click to expand...

RAID is only available using SATA drives with this motherboard.
 
I have a 40 GB hard drive, and my motherboard supports RAID (an ASUS
K8N). I am running Windows XP Pro. The hard drive has been going fine
for several months. I just recently purchased the identical type of
hard drive (another 40 GB). I want to use this as my backup to mirror
my 1st hard drive.
Click to expand...

Raid 1 does not provide backup.
In my BIOS I can specify which drive can be part of
a RAID array. Can I just add this new drive (setting it as slave, the
other the master of the primary IDE), make it the RAID1 mirror, and have
it be my backup, or do I need to start from scratch (i.e. re Fdisk both
when in RAID1 mode)?
Click to expand...

Usually you have to "start from scratch." You may also consider
putting the drives on different channels.
I'd rather not go through reinstalling Windows XP
& all the apps.

Jim (RAID newbie)
Click to expand...

Use driveimage, ghost, truimage, etc. to save time and to avoid
reinstalling.
 
Usually you have to "start from scratch." You may also consider
putting the drives on different channels.


Use driveimage, ghost, truimage, etc. to save time and to avoid
reinstalling.
Click to expand...

My Promise RAID card permits you to add a new drive and create a RAID
1 array without disturbing the existing drive. You can do it from the
RAID card BIOS utility prior to loading Windows, or from within
Windows with the provided software utility. I am not familar with the
Asus board and how it handles the RAID function.

Enabling the RAID function or moving the existing Windows drive to a
different controller may change how the XP boot loader assigns the
disk number. XP may not boot if the boot drive is moved to a different
controller. In this situation, editing the boot.ini file in order to
point the boot loader to the correct drive will fix the problem. If
you image the drive and then restore it, you will still encounter this
issue since the original boot.ini file will be restored and it may
point to the wrong disk number.
 
My Promise RAID card permits you to add a new drive and create a RAID
1 array without disturbing the existing drive. You can do it from the
RAID card BIOS utility prior to loading Windows, or from within
Windows with the provided software utility. I am not familar with the
Asus board and how it handles the RAID function.

Enabling the RAID function or moving the existing Windows drive to a
different controller may change how the XP boot loader assigns the
disk number. XP may not boot if the boot drive is moved to a different
controller. In this situation, editing the boot.ini file in order to
point the boot loader to the correct drive will fix the problem. If
you image the drive and then restore it, you will still encounter this
issue since the original boot.ini file will be restored and it may
point to the wrong disk number.
Click to expand...

Almost forgot that you will need to install drivers for the RAID
controller.
 
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