RAID 1 array

[Merlin]

I'm currently running 1 120Gb Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 SATA hard disk on an Abit NF7-S. If i bought another identical hard disk, could i set up a RAID 1 array without losing the data on the first disk? How would i go about doing this?

Thanks,

Merlin

[Butuz]

Nope in order to create a raid 1 array you have to wipe both hard drives. (or to put it more accuratly, both hard disks will get wiped)

Butuz

[BoB_DoG]

Ok, following along for interest, could you do this, if you could borrow a third clean 120gig disk to backup the hard disk data? By this I mean the entire filesystem, not just copy over all the files you want then reinstall windows. I could imagine this would be difficult to do, as something like norton ghost would have problems (ive not used it, just seemed a sensible conclusion).

[Butuz]

It wouldnt work i am afraid - because when you restore the backup from the temporary 120 gig HDD onto the new raid 1 array - windows would bluse screen on bootup because the last time it was booted it booted of a single HDD on the mobo IDE controller (which it has built in drivers for) and now your trying to boot it of a raid card wichit does not have drivers for, hence it gets totally confused and commits virtual suicide.

Its a reinstall - or bust mate, i am afraid.

Butuz

[BlackSheep]

Nope in order to create a raid 1 array you have to wipe both hard drives. (or to put it more accuratly, both hard disks will get wiped)

Butuz

That's not entirely true - with dynamic disks you can mirror your first drive so long as you convert it to dynamic first (and then add a mirror) - note RAID-1 is mirroring NOT striping (RAID-0).

See the following explanation:

Setting up RAID-1 in windows

[Nox]

what about file and settings xfer wizard? never tried it so don't know how good/reliable it is though... you would still need that extra storage space but might be able to get away with a usb pendrive if you don't have much stuff on the hd. can you still get those free 200mb storage upload sites on the net?

Nox