Can RAID only be set up with a fresh install of Windows?

[rwayne]

I have a 250 GB SATA hard Drive with about 75 Gigs of storage space used up and am running Windows XP Media Center Edition.

If I add a 2nd SATA Drive is it possible to run RAID in any type of a configuration? Or would this require a reinstall of Windows?

My primary interest is to back up data.

My motherboard does have onboard RAID built in.

 

[chookman]

I think you would be able to setup a RAID-1 which is a straight mirror which is fairly good for redundancy. Although NEVER class RAID as a backup option, its only for redundancy. If you want to backup get yourself an external hard drive

 

[rwayne]

Are there any pitfalls of setting up RAID on a PC that has already been set up and running for over a year? Can anything go wrong where as the primary drive could be potentially messed up?

 

[chookman]

Youll only be able to do software RAID (through windows not controller) as "hardware" will require drivers to be installed in windows, and will most likely BSOD on boot anyway.

With any hard drive changes you always run the risk of something going wrong and loosing data hence why you "should" always have a backup, not everyone does this obviously.

To be honest your best of putting the second drive in a external casing and using it as a backup. Or if you want a performance increase to set them up in RAID-0 (striping, will require reinstall). RAID-1 is rarely useful for home PC situations.