Enabling RAID on existing Windows XP installation

[WC9]

I'm trying to move my current drive with XP Pro to a new computer that has
RAID (the old computer doesn't). I disabled RAID in the BIOS in order to
allow XP to see my drive and boot up, thinking that I could then install RAID
drivers from within XP before re-enabling RAID again. The problem is that
Intel Matrix Storage Manager (RAID drivers) will not allow me to install b/c
it doesn't see RAID on the system. How do I forcibly install said drivers?

 

[philo]

I'm trying to move my current drive with XP Pro to a new computer that has
RAID (the old computer doesn't). I disabled RAID in the BIOS in order to
allow XP to see my drive and boot up, thinking that I could then install RAID
drivers from within XP before re-enabling RAID again. The problem is that
Intel Matrix Storage Manager (RAID drivers) will not allow me to install b/c
it doesn't see RAID on the system. How do I forcibly install said drivers?

If you wish to install Windows on a RAID array
you must first create it in the RAID bios...
once that's done can can go ahead and install XP.

If you simply want to use the RAID for storage and not have Windows
installed on it
you still will need to create it in the RAID bios

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I'm trying to move my current drive with XP Pro to a new computer that has
RAID (the old computer doesn't). I disabled RAID in the BIOS in order to
allow XP to see my drive and boot up, thinking that I could then install RAID
drivers from within XP before re-enabling RAID again. The problem is that
Intel Matrix Storage Manager (RAID drivers) will not allow me to install b/c
it doesn't see RAID on the system. How do I forcibly install said drivers?

What kind of RAID (RAID0? RAID1?) do you want to have? Why do you want
it?

In my view, both kinds are a mistake.

If you're thinking of RAID0 (striping) as a technique to improve
performance, in my experience, any speed increase it provides is so
small as to be unnoticeable. But the extra risk to your data is
severe. It's a bad bargain.

RAID 1 (mirroring) is *not* a backup solution. RAID 1 uses two or more
drives, each a duplicate of the others, to provide redundancy, not
backup. It's used in situations (almost always within corporations,
not in homes) where any downtime can't be tolerated, because the way
it works is that if one drive fails the other takes over seamlessly
and almost instantly.

Although some people thing of mirroring as a backup technique, that is
*not* what it is, since it's subject to simultaneous loss of the
original and the mirror to many of the most common dangers threatening
your data--severe power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, user
errors, virus attacks, theft of the computer, etc. Backup media or
backup devices should be removed from the computer and stored away
from it. Most companies that use RAID 1 also have a strong external
backup plan in place.

See "Why RAID is (usually) a Terrible Idea"
http://www.pugetsystems.com/articles?&id=29

 

[WC9]

If you wish to install Windows on a RAID array
you must first create it in the RAID bios...
once that's done can can go ahead and install XP.

If you simply want to use the RAID for storage and not have Windows
installed on it
you still will need to create it in the RAID bios

I'm not trying to do a new install of Windows but want my existing
installation to work with RAID once I turn it on in the BIOS. The problem is
windows won't let me install RAID drivers unless I'm in RAID mode, but if I'm
in RAID mode then windows can't boot up b/c it's missing the drivers. How do
I get around this?

 

[WC9]

What kind of RAID (RAID0? RAID1?) do you want to have? Why do you want
it?

In my view, both kinds are a mistake.

If you're thinking of RAID0 (striping) as a technique to improve
performance, in my experience, any speed increase it provides is so
small as to be unnoticeable. But the extra risk to your data is
severe. It's a bad bargain.

RAID 1 (mirroring) is *not* a backup solution. RAID 1 uses two or more
drives, each a duplicate of the others, to provide redundancy, not
backup. It's used in situations (almost always within corporations,
not in homes) where any downtime can't be tolerated, because the way
it works is that if one drive fails the other takes over seamlessly
and almost instantly.

Although some people thing of mirroring as a backup technique, that is
*not* what it is, since it's subject to simultaneous loss of the
original and the mirror to many of the most common dangers threatening
your data--severe power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, user
errors, virus attacks, theft of the computer, etc. Backup media or
backup devices should be removed from the computer and stored away
from it. Most companies that use RAID 1 also have a strong external
backup plan in place.

See "Why RAID is (usually) a Terrible Idea"
http://www.pugetsystems.com/articles?&id=29

Thanks for the warning. I've read up on the pros and cons of RAID0 and want
to give it a shot. I do backup regularly and have never had a catastrophic
HDD failure in the 20 years I've been using PCs. <knock on wood>

So my current dilemma is how do I install RAID drivers in XP while I'm
running in standard IDE mode. Windows in this situation doesn't see the RAID
controller and won't let me install the drivers, but if I turn on RAID first,
then windows won't boot b/c it's mising the drivers. Seems like a
catch-22...

 

[philo]

I'm not trying to do a new install of Windows but want my existing
installation to work with RAID once I turn it on in the BIOS. The problem is
windows won't let me install RAID drivers unless I'm in RAID mode, but if I'm
in RAID mode then windows can't boot up b/c it's missing the drivers. How do
I get around this?

It looks like you want to transfer an existing system to a RAID array.
If I have understood you correctly , that would be very tricky at best...
but probably not possible at all.

You need to create the RAID *first*

Once you have created a RAID array
you then *install* Windows on it treating the RAID array as you would a
single HD....though...
you may have to hit F6 at the beginning of the installation to install the
drivers from a floppy.

That said, I really suggest that you do not even bother with RAID.

To many potential problems
for too little advantage.

 

[DL]

You run a reapir installation of winxp & install raid drivers from floppy
using the F6 option early in the repair/installation procedure

That said a raid 0 setup requires a completely new winxp installation, you
can migrate a winxp installation to raid 1 but nor raid 0
You need to read the mobo manual for the full installation / raid setup
details
PS I had 3 HD fail within a 6 month period - all under warranty