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Trying this build...She's Runnin!
Jim_S:
I know this is a Stupid Question but I have never set up a mirroring RAID system with SATA2 HD's.
Do I have to make both disks bootable before setting up Win XP?
I finally got the HD's And am about ready to rebuild my X2.
And if I build the Puter with mirroring do I make the drives master drives?
Jim Scott
Jason G:
Hi Jim,
Been a while since I messed with that stuff under windows, and when I did it was under server 2003.
From that memory it will depend on if you're using Hardware or Windows' Software RAID.
For Windows Software RAID you'd need a simple (ordinary non-RAID) disk to boot the OS from, and the mirrored volume would be constructed afterward as a separate drive (which should still be able to be mapped elsewhere IIRC.)
The Hardware RAID option would make the drive appear as a normal simple volume in Windows, and the management tools specifically for the controller would be needed. I do recall there were some issues with Intel chipset hardware RAID under XP that required elaborate workarounds to get going , since the drivers/tools would be needed prior to install & I don't think we found a way to get at those prior to OS loading either, so you'd still need a separate ordinary boot volume to load OS and prepare the array (If that's still the case). Hardware Controllers with the management available at BIOS/Boot shouldn;t have this issue, and always show up as a simple volume in the OS, whatever the underlying geometry.
Not very definite on all that, as some things may have improved, But I Hope that helps a bit.
Jason
Jim_S:
Hi Jason,
The MB is a Foxconn M61PMV and I went to their website and Downloaded the RAID info from their site. It instructed me to make Two bootable disks and enter Setup at startup...Then select the disks for the array and and then insert the disks when prompted then continue Windows XP setup.
It never said whether to make both Drives Bootable or not so I am still somewhat Confuzzed. :o
Jim Scott
Jason G:
--- Quote from: Jim_S on 12 Jul 2010, 12:01:56 pm ---It never said whether to make both Drives Bootable or not so I am still somewhat Confuzzed. :o
--- End quote ---
Sounds like it expects both to be 'normal' as in C & D style drives, each with a primary partition made (only) ... which I assume it will then build its (Hardware) array in the setup described. It's hardware raid then, so if both drives are prepared the same they should both show up in the RAID setup.
I would start by trying: prepare one drive, second drive unplugged ( Partition & make bootable, i.e. active, with no OS), and do the same to the other separately (first drive unplugged), then: plug both in and commence setup. If it sees both drives and lets you make a mirror array you should be good to go ... if not back to square one & trying something else.
If at any time you need to go back to a clean slate to try something else, I would suggest 'Dariik's Boot & Nuke' ( http://www.dban.org ) which will do a deep sector erase obliterating any partition / boot sectors. Do be aware that it will do so on any attached drives, so don't have a working data storage drive attached, only ones you intend to deep erase if starting over ;)
Jason
Jason G:
[A bit Later:] Hmmm, am looking at the motherboard manual, and the process looks straightforward ... let me know at which point in the following you're stuck:
--- Quote ---Creating a bootable Array; .....
follow:
1. 5-1 to create the driver disks
2. 5-2 Set RAD enabled in BIOS
3. 5-3 Select RAID array for Use
4. 5-4 Install New Windows OS
--- End quote ---
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