RAID question

[hotwinduk]

Xmas greetings all,

I just got an ASUS A8V Deluxe motherboard and I was wondering if there is any way possible to install RAID drivers after XP is installed? I'd just hate to re-install all my apps yet again. I heard there may be a way in recovery console but I have my doubts.

[Comage]

Do you mean installing drivers for your RAID controller, or do you mean setting up a RAID array after WinXP has been installed?

If it's the former, I think there shouldn't be any problem; just install the driver as per normal for any other hardware.

If it's the latter, I guess it's best to leave it to the experts around here to answer it.

Hope it helps. :)

[Midknyte]

you need to install the drivers during the initial install or you would have to run a repair install.

that's why I don't recommend raid in the first place. :rolleyes:

[hotwinduk]

Nice try, Comage.

Thanks, Midknyte! That's the advice I needed.

[G]

RAID of any array type is not really for desktop machines. The hot-swapping nature of RAID is ideal for corporations that need to get up to speed almost immediately after a failure but not for desktops. It is just too fragile and the potential to lost data is a real concern.

Performance gains from RAID over data lost just are not worth it. Either have RAID with tolerance or go SCSI.

If you have your mind set on RAID setup consider one that gives data reliability, e.g., RAID 1, 5, 10

[MoreIBNR]

What a timely topic. I am setting up a new system, and because I just lost a HD (and will probably shellout some major $$ recovering the data - don't ask, just let it suffice to say that my Ghost image file cannot be read), I was resolved to set it up RAID 1 - mirroring. Originally I was going to put all system and program files on a 30G HD on regular ultra ATA and set up the RAID 1 array for data, but as I think about it, I ask "Why?"

So now I am thinking to just switch over to a RAID 1 array with my 160G drives, but I already set up the 30G drive with the OS and a bunch of drivers, etc.

I thought of taking the 30G drive and putting it on the RAID with one of the 160s and having the setup duplicate it to the 160. Then remove the 30 and replace it with the other 160 and duplicate it again.

Will this work? Will I have to go into the XP repair facility to load the RAID drivers?

Or am I just better off just starting all anew with the twin 160s on the RAID 1 array?

Also, G, what do you have against RAID 1 for security and safety? Or was your comment specific to RAID 0 only?

[Midknyte]

you can copy over the drive, but you would have to run a repair install to add the raid drivers. you might just be better off reloading.

he was talking about RAID0.

[G]

It is not due to experience but what I have read about RAID 0 in particular. Nevertheless, fault tolerance, e.g., RAID 1, 5, 10, increases performance gain and fault tolerance. However, RAID should be conducted using dedicated RAID Host Adapter Boards of reputable quality with SCSI HDDs to have any real benefit and to have any real protection against RAID failure and RAID data lost. PATA and SATA HDDs are not guaranteed for 24/7 working hours nor are they meant to be on for particularly long periods.

So in answer to your question, I am not against RAID if done correctly, but it seems that users with low spec RAID setups are asking for trouble and trouble they do get.

I would recommend one HDD as a system partition with one dedicated for age file.

A second HDD for storage and regular backups and an external HDD like Maxtor’s OneTouch II for backups periodically and backups on to DVD-R.

Note: an imaging program such as Acronis True Image V8+ is essential too.

This way the user has a resent backup, the time taken to get back up running is minimal, and data loss is negligible.

Generally, users with RAID setups do not backup their data as they think they are protected. RAID 0 gives no protection whatsoever. Moreover, they do not have RAID recovery software like Runtimes excellent RAID Reconstructor V2.31 at hand.

I can assure you once you have a SCSI system there is no going back to PATA or even SATA setups.

RAID sound clever until it ends in tears.

[Sterling_Aug]

Originally posted by MoreIBNR
What a timely topic. I am setting up a new system, and because I just lost a HD (and will probably shellout some major $$ recovering the data - don't ask, just let it suffice to say that my Ghost image file cannot be read)

Email me before you send the drive out for major $$$ data recovery.

I have a program/system at work (BartPE) which we added several data recovery software packages to so we can recover data. It was able to read and recover data from a hard drive that the BIOS would not even recognize once.

[MoreIBNR]

Thanks, G, for the clarification. I would go the back-up route, except that, as we all know, we humans have a short memory - for a while after a problem we will backup religiously, Then after time goes on, we delude ourselves into thinking that it was a fluke and it won't happen again and we get sloppy.

One of our computer people at work described the RAID 1 setup and it seemed to be most trouble free way of ensuring security.

I suppose that the Maxtor One Touch wouldn't be bad, but...

Anyway, my new MB Asus A8X DLX has onboard Promise PDC0378 raid controller built in.

Are you saying that with this setup I won't have the level of security that I seek?

[MoreIBNR]

I sent you an email. Thanks for the invitation.

Originally posted by Sterling_Aug
Email me before you send the drive out for major $$$ data recovery.

I have a program/system at work (BartPE) which we added several data recovery software packages to so we can recover data. It was able to read and recover data from a hard drive that the BIOS would not even recognize once.

[G]

“I would go the back-up route, except that, as we all know, we humans have a short memory - for a while after a problem we will backup religiously, Then after time goes on, we delude ourselves into thinking that it was a fluke and it won't happen again and we get sloppy.”

Use a reputable backup solution then.

Dantz Retrospect Pro V6.5+ www.dantz.com

Genie Backup Manager Professional V5+
http://www.genie-soft.com/products/gbmpro/default.html

Genie Backup Manager Home Edition Version V5.0+
http://www.genie-soft.com/products/gbm/default.html

[MoreIBNR]

As an update - I was able to recover my files using R-Studio (I think that was what it is called). $50 download, one machine license (I hope I will never need it again, but if I do, $50 isn't bad. EasyRecovery would have cost $200). Both have demo versions that will analyze your drive for file recovery before you pay for the full version so it costs you nothing if it can't find what you want.