RAID 0 Array - Can I remove without losing data?

Marklamarkle

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Feb 23, 2014
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Hello all,

I have Windows 10 installed, and two 1tb WD drives in a RAID 0 array, configured with software within Windows.
My question is whether I will be able to remove both drives from my PC, use the SATA connectors for another project, then reinstall both drives in the same location, and have windows 'remember' the array and continue to read the data?

I ask because I am not too experienced with removing and reinstalling RAID arrays.

Thanks for your help.
 
Solution
Yes. If you boot the system and it's expecting those drives to be present, and they're not, you will lose the array. If you are planning to do this I hope you have a well and truly tested backup, because you will need it.
D

Deleted member 217926

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It should work fine. I haven't run a RAID array in years, not since I started using solid state drives but just unplugging the HDDs and plugging them back in later shouldn't cause anything to be lost.
 

In the case of the "fake RAID" on motherboards the array will be broken and all data lost if the system is started up with one or both of the drives missing.
 
D

Deleted member 217926

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Even using the Intel Matrix RAID? I ran RAID 0 for about 10 years as a primary and always used the Intel chipset array over any 3rd party stuff. I could have sworn I'd at least moved drives around with no problems. It's been 6+ years since I fooled with it though.
 

Marklamarkle

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Feb 23, 2014
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10,710


By Fake RAID are you referring to the hardware version supplied with motherboards? If so, so you think the same issues with data loss may occur with software RAID if the drives are unplugged and reinstalled at a later date?
 

If you simply move the drives to other connections on the same controller you stand a good chance that nothing bad will happen if you're using the Intel stuff. Anything else though and all bets are off.
 
D

Deleted member 217926

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Ignore my first post and listen to ex_bubblehead then. He's sure and I wasn't. And he knows more about storage than I do :p
 
D

Deleted member 217926

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Ah, right on. It's been literally years but I thought I'd at least moved drives around.