Re-installing with dynamic disks

[Johnny Bravo]

Hi,

I currently have this set-up:

IDE1: Windows partition (C, RAID1 data (E, RAID0 partition (F
IDE2: Data partition (D, RAID1 data (E, RAID0 partition (F

both drives are dynamic disks. I want to change this to look like:

IDE1: Windows RAID1 (C, RAID1 data (D, RAID0 data (E
IDE1: Windows RAID1 (C, RAID1 data (D, RAID0 data (E

I don't care about the actual drive letters, but I want to know if I
safely wipeout all data on my current C: and D:, create a RAID1 volume,
and install Windows Server 2003 onto it WITHOUT losing data in my current
E: and F: RAID partitions?

How can I create a RAID1 drive from C: and D:? Will doing any of this
invalidate the dynamic disks (i.e. screw up my RAID volumes)?

Is there any 'gotchas' I should look out for?

TIA!

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi,

I currently have this set-up:

IDE1: Windows partition (C, RAID1 data (E, RAID0 partition (F
IDE2: Data partition (D, RAID1 data (E, RAID0 partition (F

both drives are dynamic disks. I want to change this to look like:

IDE1: Windows RAID1 (C, RAID1 data (D, RAID0 data (E
IDE1: Windows RAID1 (C, RAID1 data (D, RAID0 data (E

I don't care about the actual drive letters, but I want to know if I
safely wipeout all data on my current C: and D:, create a RAID1 volume,
and install Windows Server 2003 onto it WITHOUT losing data in my current
E: and F: RAID partitions?

How can I create a RAID1 drive from C: and D:? Will doing any of this
invalidate the dynamic disks (i.e. screw up my RAID volumes)?

Is there any 'gotchas' I should look out for?

TIA!

This seems a very risky move. I would only do this after backing
up my data (which you should do anyway, every week!).

 

[Steven Liu]

Hi Johnny,

What's your current operation system?

If it's the Windows NT 4, you will encounter problems. If it's the Windows
2000/2003, it will be OK.

Anyway, it's strongly recommended to backup the data on all partitions.
Then, reinstall the Windows 2003. Create the RAID 0 and 1 as you need.
Then, restore the data back.

Thanks for using Microsoft News Group!

Sincerely,

Steven Liu [MSFT]

Microsoft Online Partner Support

MCSE 2000

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

This posting is provided "as is" with no warranties and confers no rights.

 

[Bjorn Landemoo]

Johnny

Do *not* reinstall on dynamic disks, this is the most common way of loosing
data. See this MS Knowledge Base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=227364

If D: is at least as large as C:, just delete D: (after moving data
elsewhere) and mirror C: using the free space.

Best regards

Bjorn

 

[Johnny]

Hi Steven,

I am running windows server 2003. I am wondering what the chances that I will
lose data on my existing volumes. The disks are already dynamic. I can set up
a new RAID1 volume for a new windows partition before I reinstall I think.

I am just wondering if a reinstall will fudge with any of the existing disk
metadata for the existing volumes. I just want to be extra careful. I would
follow the advice of backing up the data, but I have no room anywhere else, so
I'll take the risk of not backing up for now if I can be sure that the risks
are minimal.

Thanks,
Johnny.

Hi Johnny,

What's your current operation system?

If it's the Windows NT 4, you will encounter problems. If it's the Windows
2000/2003, it will be OK.

Anyway, it's strongly recommended to backup the data on all partitions.
Then, reinstall the Windows 2003. Create the RAID 0 and 1 as you need.
Then, restore the data back.

Thanks for using Microsoft News Group!

Sincerely,

Steven Liu [MSFT]

Microsoft Online Partner Support

MCSE 2000

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

When you say "I would follow the advice of backing up the data,
but I have no room anywhere else", I assume you're joking. An
80 GByte hard disk costs so little these days that it pales into
insignificance when compared to the cost (or time) of restoring
lost data.

Hi Steven,

I am running windows server 2003. I am wondering what the chances that I will
lose data on my existing volumes. The disks are already dynamic. I can set up
a new RAID1 volume for a new windows partition before I reinstall I think.

I am just wondering if a reinstall will fudge with any of the existing disk
metadata for the existing volumes. I just want to be extra careful. I would
follow the advice of backing up the data, but I have no room anywhere else, so
I'll take the risk of not backing up for now if I can be sure that the risks
are minimal.

Thanks,
Johnny.

Hi Johnny,

What's your current operation system?

If it's the Windows NT 4, you will encounter problems. If it's the Windows
2000/2003, it will be OK.

Anyway, it's strongly recommended to backup the data on all partitions.
Then, reinstall the Windows 2003. Create the RAID 0 and 1 as you need.
Then, restore the data back.

Thanks for using Microsoft News Group!

Sincerely,

Steven Liu [MSFT]

Microsoft Online Partner Support

MCSE 2000

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

This posting is provided "as is" with no warranties and confers no

rights.

 

[Johnny]

When you say "I would follow the advice of backing up the data,
but I have no room anywhere else", I assume you're joking. An
80 GByte hard disk costs so little these days that it pales into
insignificance when compared to the cost (or time) of restoring
lost data.

I have two 160GB hard drives that are nearly full. I only back up purely
essential files. At first, I backed up to my second machine with two 80GB disks
but those are filling up too.

There's also a lot of stuff that I would rather not lose,
but I can recreate them, it just takes time...

Hi Steven,

I am running windows server 2003. I am wondering what the chances that I will
lose data on my existing volumes. The disks are already dynamic. I can set up
a new RAID1 volume for a new windows partition before I reinstall I think.

I am just wondering if a reinstall will fudge with any of the existing disk
metadata for the existing volumes. I just want to be extra careful. I would
follow the advice of backing up the data, but I have no room anywhere else, so
I'll take the risk of not backing up for now if I can be sure that the risks
are minimal.

Thanks,
Johnny.

Hi Johnny,

What's your current operation system?

If it's the Windows NT 4, you will encounter problems. If it's the Windows
2000/2003, it will be OK.

Anyway, it's strongly recommended to backup the data on all partitions.
Then, reinstall the Windows 2003. Create the RAID 0 and 1 as you need.
Then, restore the data back.

Thanks for using Microsoft News Group!

Sincerely,

Steven Liu [MSFT]

Microsoft Online Partner Support

MCSE 2000

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

This posting is provided "as is" with no warranties and confers no

rights.

 

[Steven Liu]

Hi Johnny,

It's still not suggested to do the reinstallation without backup the data.

The dynamic volume maybe recognized as the Foreigh volume and unable to be
mounted in the new installed system.

If the issue occurs, it's hard to solve it. And, the data also may be lost
during the troubleshooting.

So, it's strongly suggested to backup the data and reinstall the system.

Note: if you don't have enough hard disk to backup the data, maybe we can
lease a computer with hard disk and do the backup. I think to backup the
data is very necessary. If the data is lost, it's hard to recovery them.

Thanks for using Microsoft News Group!

Sincerely,

Steven Liu [MSFT]

Microsoft Online Partner Support

MCSE 2000

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

This posting is provided "as is" with no warranties and confers no rights.