I want to install a second drive and switch to RAID 1 (I think)

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bathead

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Aug 5, 2011
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I bought a second hard drive, identical to the one I'm using (WD Black, 1T) and I want to install it as a RAID 1; constant redundancy is what I'm after.
1) Is there a better, simpler way to achieve that redundancy?
2) As I understand it, I'll have to clone or image (which?) the existing drive onto a third drive - I've got a WD 2T external for the purpose - install the second drive, set up the RAID in the BIOS, and then reload my system from the external drive onto the RAID; right? or not?
What is the most painless way to accomplish this?
This machine is running Windows 7, ASUS Sabertooth X58 MB, i7 CPU.
Thank you for your support!
 
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das_stig

das_stig

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Jul 24, 2009
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Simplest way ..

1. copy all your files to external or create an image using something like ghost and disconnect.
2. reboot in to bios, switch SATA mode from AHCI to RAID.
3. reboot, when you see the raid config option, go in and set drives to raid-1
4. reboot, in to bios, ensure boot sequence has the raid as first boot device.
5. reboot, now restore your ghost image telling it to use all available space on raid or reinstall windows and copy information back.
 
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bathead

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Aug 5, 2011
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RAID first? Not an optical or removable drive?
 
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A

atomicpix

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Apr 11, 2016
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@das couldn't you just clone the hd with ghost and then set the mb to raid and then set up the raid configuration? it seems like copying to an external and back to the hd is an extra step. and yes the raid is your boot so you should have it as your first boot drive
 
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drtweak

drtweak

Illustrious
Sep 17, 2012
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You had it down right here minus one thing. You need to set the Registry so that you can boot from a the RAID settings. Follow the instructions for setting AHCI to RAID FIRST here

http://www.overclock.net/t/1227636/how-to-change-sata-modes-after-windows-installation

Then reboot, go into the BIOS, switch from AHCI to RAID, and make sure your PC will boot. If it doesn't switch it back to AHCI and make sure the registry setting are correct then try again. If it boots just fine then you can make an image (I like to use Macrium Reflect because you can make a Bootable USB drive so that once you image your OS drive to the 2TB, you go and make the RAID 1, boot off their drive with the 2TB connect and restore the image there)

A few things here though.

Do NOT just try to make the RAID. SOME RAID cards allow you to make an existing RAID from an existing hard drive, either way MAKE A BACKUP!!!!

In the BIOS the first boot device will be the new RAID 1
 
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