Off topic--Raid volumes

[Old Geaser]

I recently bought a Dell XPS desktop. When starting windows xp
home, it goes thru something about Raid volumes. If I click CTRL
I, It stops and has something called Raid volumes. There is 4
things to check.
1 Create raid volume
2 Delete Raid volume
3 Reset disk to non raid
4 exit

On startup as it goes by I can see it says something about non
raid disk defined, or the like. When I stop at the setup I
opened # 1 and it said ERROR not enough non raid disk savable to
create a volume.

I have searched everywhere I could think and cannot find anything
about Raid. I have no idea what it is all about.

The only thing I can find on the hard drive is something about
Intell Raid. In the Dell manual there is a part page saying Dell
uses # 0 or # 1, but really does not tell what raid is all about.
Does anyone have this and if so can you tell me what it is all
about or where I can go to get information? Thanks in advance.

Old Geaser

 

[Guest]

Here is some on RAID
http://www.acnc.com/04_01_00.htm
o
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=RAID&ei=UTF-8&fr=fp-tab-web-t&cop=mss&tab

As far as your DELL... it depends on your particular system configuration. You may or may not have RAID
You can check your system here
http://premiersupport.dell.com/us/en/home.as
Just use your Service Tag

Generally, if your box is OK, don't fix it :

If you need more info, call DELL
888-560-832
800-274-335
They'll be happy to help (or answer your questions

-------------------------------------------------------
Low transfat and low carb diet for your pc or How to optimize Windows XP for the best performance

http://www.rikhard.co

Always keep antivirus and spy removal applications (links on the bottom of the page) up-to-date, and scan regularly.

 

[hermes]

Before the MVP (M$ Victim Poster) Hermes responded, Old Geaser typed:

I recently bought a Dell XPS desktop. When starting windows xp
home, it goes thru something about Raid volumes. If I click CTRL
I, It stops and has something called Raid volumes. There is 4
things to check.
1 Create raid volume
2 Delete Raid volume
3 Reset disk to non raid
4 exit

On startup as it goes by I can see it says something about non
raid disk defined, or the like. When I stop at the setup I
opened # 1 and it said ERROR not enough non raid disk savable to
create a volume.

I have searched everywhere I could think and cannot find anything
about Raid. I have no idea what it is all about.

The only thing I can find on the hard drive is something about
Intell Raid. In the Dell manual there is a part page saying Dell
uses # 0 or # 1, but really does not tell what raid is all about.
Does anyone have this and if so can you tell me what it is all
about or where I can go to get information? Thanks in advance.

Old Geaser

You should call Dell's tech support line and ask them. Seriously, they will
know the most about their machines.

--
hermes
DRM sux! Treacherous Computing kills our virtual civil liberties!
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html

Windows XP crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.

Yesterday it worked.
Today it is not working.
Windows is like that.

 

[kurttrail]

I recently bought a Dell XPS desktop. When starting windows xp
home, it goes thru something about Raid volumes. If I click CTRL
I, It stops and has something called Raid volumes. There is 4
things to check.
1 Create raid volume
2 Delete Raid volume
3 Reset disk to non raid
4 exit

On startup as it goes by I can see it says something about non
raid disk defined, or the like. When I stop at the setup I
opened # 1 and it said ERROR not enough non raid disk savable to
create a volume.

I have searched everywhere I could think and cannot find anything
about Raid. I have no idea what it is all about.

The only thing I can find on the hard drive is something about
Intell Raid. In the Dell manual there is a part page saying Dell
uses # 0 or # 1, but really does not tell what raid is all about.
Does anyone have this and if so can you tell me what it is all
about or where I can go to get information? Thanks in advance.

Old Geaser

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=RAID+Tutorial


--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei!"

 

[Tumbleweed]

I recently bought a Dell XPS desktop. When starting windows xp
home, it goes thru something about Raid volumes. If I click CTRL
I, It stops and has something called Raid volumes. There is 4
things to check.
1 Create raid volume
2 Delete Raid volume
3 Reset disk to non raid
4 exit

On startup as it goes by I can see it says something about non
raid disk defined, or the like. When I stop at the setup I
opened # 1 and it said ERROR not enough non raid disk savable to
create a volume.

I have searched everywhere I could think and cannot find anything
about Raid. I have no idea what it is all about.

The only thing I can find on the hard drive is something about
Intell Raid. In the Dell manual there is a part page saying Dell
uses # 0 or # 1, but really does not tell what raid is all about.
Does anyone have this and if so can you tell me what it is all
about or where I can go to get information? Thanks in advance.

Old Geaser

Sounds to me like you bought a Dell with two disks and they have factory
configured it as RAID, ISTR seeing that option on their web site when I was
considering buying a Dell.

Most likely they have striped the two disks, which means that any given file
will be spread equally over both disks. This is better for performance, and
you dont lose any disk space, but IMHO it is a PITA because if either disk
fails, you lose all data on both disks. So its 1/2 as reliable !

Now for the next PITA....if you dont want RAID and want to have two separate
disks instead, it is not easy to undo. If you break the RAID volume (go back
to two separate disks via your option 3) , then you will not have a workable
system disk, so the system will not boot, and you will need to recover from
a restore DVD which Dell may or may not provide. Either that or reinstall
XP assuming they gave you an XP CD?

I know all this because I went through the same issue with my new PC, which
the vendor (not Dell) had 'helpfully' set up as RAID even though I didnt
specify it. Also, after the restore, you will also need to format the second
disk since it will be invalid (as it will be just a random selection of 1/2
of what was on the disk before.) Thats easy to do, it just helps to know you
need to do it

Note, it is also possible to have both disks setup for RAID as mirrored
rather than striped, this would mean everything is written to both disks
(for reliability). I think it is unlikely that Dell would have configured it
like this because you only get 1/2 the disk space. But breaking the mirror
is much easier in this case because the disk remains valid after the mirror
is broken.

HTH

 

[Old Geaser]

Wow!!! I guess I have a lot of reading to do. I do
not remember asking for raid when I ordered the computer.
Thanks for all of the information. As far as checking with Dell
tec, I have not mastered the India lingo that some of the Tec's
use. Thanks again

Old Geaser