Restore to a SATA-RAID

Hi folks

I'll try to explain my question in English

By now I use a single SATA-Harddisk in my System. Now I bought a second identical Harddisk and I would like to run them in a RAID 0 (Stripping).

I do monthly a backup with True Image Home 10 to a external USB-Harddisk.

Now my question: After installing the RAID, would it be possible to restore my WinXP-Installation to this RAID or have I to do a Reinstallation of WinXP?

My Mainboard is a ASUS P5WD2-E Premium and supports RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10

I hope that you understand my question and that you can help me.

Thanks a lot
Marc

 

I think the easiest way to do this would be to get the RAID drivers for your board (the most current ones are probably on the ASUS website) and install them in Windows. Then make a full image of the whole drive. Then install the second drive and setup the RAID in BIOS. Usually you have to set the SATA controller mode to RAID and then press a key during bootup to enter the RAID configuration screen. Once the RAID array is setup, then boot from the rescue cd (or your BartPE) cd and restore the image. Hopefully when Windows boots it will recognize the new RAID drives, install the driver and work properly.

I have the ASUS P5B-Deluxe/WiFi board which uses a different chipset than the P5W (I think it uses the P975 chipset) so I can't say if RAID is supported on that board by the rescue cd. On my P965 board RAID is supported in the "safe" mode of TI and now by the latest build of TI 10 in the "full" mode.

Another option would be to build a BartPE boot cd that contains all the drivers for your board, RAID, network, etc. anything that the linux boot cd doesn't support.

 

This is my first post here. I too am in the process of setting up a RAID 0 and want to use TI (10) to restore to the RAID. I've been reading everything I can find to learn how to install the Intel RAID driver into WinXP without having to reinstall Windows. So far I have found no way to do this.

I've got an Asus P4C800-E Deluxe (Intel ICH5R chipset) mobo w/P4
I want to use the chipset's Intel 82801ER SATA RAID Controller
I have WD Raptors x2 and I want to set up a RAID 0
I've downloaded the latest Intel RAID driver for my chipset, which is the Intel Matrix Storage Manager, and I've read and reread, studied and restudied the documentation and I cannot for the life of me find anyway to install this RAID driver without having to do it during the process of totally reinstalling WinXP. If I could just find a way to install the RAID drivers and then do another full backup and then restore that backup to the RAID after the BIOS change, I'd be SO HAPPY! I'd be done in less than a hour or so. Got any pointers How about a partial restore with TI10 or something? I do not want to have to reinstall EVERYTHING and start all over from scratch. PLEASE help me figure this out!

 

@MudCrab: Thx a lot for your answer. My Mainboard uses the Intel 975X-Chipset, see the link below

P5WD2-E Premium

 

Hi,

just a short answer...

1. build a BartPE-CD with Acronis (or mustangs) plugin
2. boot the CD and inject (F6) the matrix storage driver
3. clone your HD
4. boot the stripe..

no windows reinstallation (as long as your normal windows already "knows" the raid controller) needed..

Greetings

Volker

 

Can you please explain me, what exactly you mean, or where I can check if my board supports this also?

Thx again

 

The new build 4940 of TI 10 Home now has native linux support for the P965 Chipset. In the previous build you could only use the safe mode which means that every disc access is routed through bios (which is quite slower).

I don't know if the 975 Chipset is supported....

Volker

 

@Volker: do you speak German?

 

The more I think of it the better just reinstalling everything becomes. A partial restore becomes tricky when you consider all the hooks that may not be established. Reinstalling would be worth peace of mind. The following is what I'm planning. If you come up with any suggestions regarding the use of TI during the process, please feel free to speak up. Thanks.

1. Set BIOS to Intel RAID. Reboot and configure drives. Make C: partition 30GB

2. Install XP - verify RAID

3. Install Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility & Intel Matrix Storage Manager

4. Partition & name drives...
C: OS & PROGRAMS 30GB
D: GAMES 30GB
E: DATA 80GB

5. Install TweakUI and change My Documents path to E:/My Documents

6. Install Telus ASDL

7. Install Norton AntiVirus

8. Install DriverAgent and update all drivers

9. Go to Windows Update and update everything

10. Install PC Tools Spyware Doctor & Registry Mechanic

11. Install Norton SystemWorks, O&O Defrag, Acronis TrueImage

12. Clean up the start menu

13. Delete all left over installation temp files

14. Full virus scan, full spyware scan

15. Run Norton WinDoctor, run Registry Mechanic

16. Set page file size & do offline defrag

17. Full backup of C: w/verify

18. Apply tweaks

19. Full backup of C: w/verify

20. Install programs

21. Full backup of C: w/verify

22. Install games

23. Full backup of D: w/verify

24. Sort and copy data to E:

25. Full backup of E: w/verify

 

Realize that RAID0 will buy you littel in terms of program performance but cut in half your average probalbe time between drive failure. With RAID0, if either drive goes bad, you're screwed. RAID0 isn't a true RAID because it's missing the key feature, redundancy. But if ATI can see the RAID array, is should be able to restore to it. It should be essentially invisible that the logical drive is really an array of hard drives.

sh

 

Hello marc1715 and Brillo1,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

We are sorry for the delayed response.

Please have a look at this post containing the detailed information on how to transfer your operating system from a single hard drive to a RAID array.

Thank you.
--
Marat Setdikov

 

Dear Marat

Thanks a lot for your answer. I'm a little bit confused about this "sysprep".

Is this tool including in Windows XP, and where can I find it? Because I did not heart from it until now.

Best regards.
marc1715

 

Hello marc1715,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Please see this article for information about Microsoft sysprep tool as well as download links.

Thank you.
--
Marat Setdikov