ATTENTION COMPUTER GENIUSES: Need Help Setting Up RAID-1 in Windows Vista

[HectorM52]

Okay guys, I've done a lot of searching on Google and I need some DEFINITIVE HELP.

I've got a Dell Inspiron 531 desktop. AMD Athlon 64 dual core processor. Supposedly this mobo has capability to do RAID built in.

There are 4 extra SATA ports on the MOBO. I have two extra hard drives from some computers I picked up for free. Both identical 40gb HD's. SATA units.

What I want to do is ADD these two HD's in addition to my existing C: drive and use them as a secondary backup. Meaning I don't want to touch the existing hard drive. Just set up a mirrored backup as additional drives (let's say X and Y drives).


I could go on all day about what I think I know, but if I'm wrong then I'm just wasting my time...

But here's the jist of what I think I know...

Turn off computer
Plug in two new HD's
Turn on computer
Enter CMOS (or is it BIOS) by pressing the DEL key
Set up new hard drives (is there any trick to this?)
Then reboot again
Once windows is running, do this:

1. Go to Computer Management > Disk Management
2. Right click on your main disk (not partition) and choose Convert to dynamic disk...
3. Right click on your main system partition and choose Add Mirror

Or am I crazy? Did I miss any steps?

THANKS!!

Adam

[GeoffP]

Adam,

If the motherboard supports Raid, you typically have to enable it in the bios. That will then enable another bios menu separate from your mobo bios. Then you can setup your RAID 1 mirror in the RAID bios. The way you set it up is a soft RAID. It works, but it's not the best nor does it utilize the hardware bios option of the mobo (if it's supported). I'll lookup the mobo for your machine and post more if I can find it.

[GeoffP]

It looks like it does support hardware RAID. I suggest that you disconnect your boot drive while you're building the RAID to prevent the mistake of initializing the boot drive while building the RAID 1 mirror. Once you have your RAID 1 mirror initialized, you can then safely reconnect your boot drive and reboot into Windows. Windows should then go through the typical "new hardware found" process and load the RAID drivers for the controller. Then it will show the new drive (1 drive not 2) that you can safely format and then copy data to it. You're welcome to call me at work tomorrow if you'd like additional help. PM me if you want to call - I'll send you an 800 number where you can call me toll free.

[HectorM52]

Okay, well I can't seem to get the computer to recognize the hard drive that I've plugged into the SATA 2 port... As these are used hard drives, it makes me wonder... I'm off to try the OTHER hard drive to see if the computer will recognize it.

I would call you at work, but the computer is at home so that wouldn't help me too much! LOL

[HectorM52]

Okay, both hard drives are plugged into SATA 2 and SATA 3 ports on the mobo. Still nothing is being recognized!

[shep]

Dell disables all SATA ports that are not being used from the factory. You will have to enable the ports change the controller from standard to achi(??? I think that is what it is called) to enable the raid bios. Then you have to enter the raid BIOS and set up the drives. As Geoff suggested unplug your current drive just to make sure you don't accidently format it or put it in the raid and copy a blank disk over it.

[MonzaRacer]

first of all go buy the upgrade version of win 7, back up your files and programs and dump Vista IT HATES RAID.
I built a dedicated box for guy, me and buddy built it to his spec, put in Vista before 7 came out, we fought it for 5 weeks, we put Windows Server on it worked ok but his nere 64 bit stuff want running 64 bit well.
So we tried Win 7 Beta, yeah beta version, it ran till they disabled it, we put the OS on separate drive from Raid controlled drives.
So we simply reloaded the upgrade version on it a tada it worked perfect.
I like vista discs for target practice and coasters.

[HectorM52]

Dell disables all SATA ports that are not being used from the factory. You will have to enable the ports

Okay, this is some good info...I just googled how to enable those ports. And after that I will probably have some more questions...

As Geoff suggested unplug your current drive just to make sure you don't accidently format it or put it in the raid and copy a blank disk over it.

Yes, thanks for that suggestion. I really don't want to kill my wife's computer!

[69Pony]

You know you are really going at this backwards. Having a single production drive and mirrored backup drives is not really the way to go. Ideally, you want raid on production drives. The main purpose of raid is the ability to survive in a degraded state for a period of time until you can replace the effected drive. If your main drive goes down, you have to rebuild from the raided drives. kinda defeats the purpose of raid but I understand you reluctance to dork up the c drive....

[HectorM52]

Thanks for the tips guys...I should have stated earlier that this is a "test" to see how I end up liking the RAID-1 setup and that maybe in the near future I'll change it up a bit.

[HectorM52]

As an update...I finally got the computer to actually recognize the two drives. Apparently you have to reset the CMOS which involves moving a jumper on the mobo around then re-starting.

NOW, I've got it to recognize the drives...but Windows will not boot up unless I unplug the drives. I did unplug them (once so far) and Windows automatically installed the NVIDIA Serial ATA adapter - or something to that effect. Still no Windows WITH the two hard drives, though. Arrghhhhh.

[HectorM52]

Okay, well I let the computer sit a while...and went and started doing research on my laptop. It finally decided to load Windows Vista - but only ONE of the hard drives showed up. One step at a time, I guess.

[GeoffP]

Adam,

You really need to find out where/how to enable the RAID controller and get the RAID 1 array configured. It's done from a RAID bios menu once you enable the RAID controller (typically accessed by a menu at boot up by pressing Ctrl-E or Ctrl-A if I remember correctly). Unfortunately you can't access those menus using one of the web based remote assistance programs or I'd just offer to set it up for you over the Internet. I'll see if I can find a picture of the bios screen that enables the RAID controller and send it to you.

[HectorM52]

My BIOS/CMOS whatever it is SUCKS. There's no choice involved. I might have to take a pic of it and upload it...

[GeoffP]

The best I can find is that the setting to enable RAID should be in the Integrated Peripherals menu of the BIOS.

[shep]

Yep that is where it should be. It will be something to the effect of changing the controller from standard mode to raid. Only it won't say standard it will be ahci or something like that. After you get the raid enabled in the CMOS then you will be given the option to configure the raid. Go ahead and get it set up and then install the OS on it what ever that may be. You may need the raid driver disk for the OS setup disk to see the array.

[HectorM52]

Nope...this BIOS sucks...

[GeoffP]

Try holding down CTRL when entering the advanced chipset menu. That might help, but I doubt it. I don't know why Dell insists on disabling the advanced functions of the bios on most of their PC's.

You might try updating to the latest bios if you haven't already. Sometimes that will enable functions that weren't available previously.

[shep]

Nope...this BIOS sucks...

If you hit enter here it should take you into the SATA options. From the rest of the pics it looks like you skipped it and went into the other settings on the page.

[HectorM52]

Yeah, I think you're right. I actually saw it after I posted the pic here.