How to put externals as internals with RAID0!

[DaYiM]

Hello,
I had 6 Tera WD External HardDrive, in it two HDD ( 3 Tera each ) with RAID0 Connection.
I decided to but both of these HDD inside my PC, so i copied all the data inside it to another HardDisk,
and put them inside the PC, the Picture is what i got in Disk Manager:-

1st i can't Create nor format the UnAllocated space in both HDD!
2nd Would you mind telling me how to make RAID0
between them so that i see it as one HDD in My Computer?
Thanks & Best REGARDS

 

[robustus64]

Get your motherboard book out and look it up in there or go online to mb maker and look there for reference

 

[robustus64]

Ok make sure mb has the raid option an set the hard drives as raid or ahci in bios then some mb have there own raid setup befor you enter the os if so then set them up there if not you should be able to set them up in the os after you set them to ahci in bios

 

[robustus64]

Oh btw you may need a mb driver to make the raid work in windows..

 

[Bejusek]

It depends on your motherboard. It has to support raid on >2TB volumes. Let us know the make and model.

For windows to let you use hdds full capacity you have to initialize them as GPT devices.

Even if your hardware doesn't support raid0 for >2TB drives, you can try to convert them to dynamic disks in Disk Manager and then create a software striped volume (right click and choose new striped volume). You need windows 7 for this and GPT instead of MBR.

 

[DaYiM]

"Ok make sure mb has the raid option an set the hard drives as raid or ahci in bios then some mb have there own raid setup befor you enter the os if so then set them up there if not you should be able to set them up in the os after you set them to ahci in bios"
I really didn't get any of that?!!!!!

This is my MotherBoard Page:-
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_2011/Rampage_IV_FormulaBATTLEFIELD_3/#specifications

This is the Storage Specs:-
Intel® X79 chipset :
2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), red
4 x SATA 3Gb/s port(s), black
Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10
ASMedia® ASM1061 controller :
2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), red
2 x Power eSATA 6Gb/s port(s), red

How to know that it Support Raid on > 2TB?

I have tried to convert the HardDisk to Dynamics, but when i Right-Click any
one of them all the choices are Gray/Dimmed, i can only choose Properties
and Offline, i tried both nothing worked!

Thanks for your replays, & forgive my lack of knowledge. & PLEASE HELP!

 

[Bejusek]

Ok, with such a good mainboard it should be fairly easy.

Make sure you have the latest Intel RST (rapid storage technology) driver installed. Then proceed according to user manual sections "Raid configurations" and "creating raid driver".

EDIT:
Intel Rapid Storage Technology software has to be version 10.5 or later.
Maybe this will come helpful http://rog.asus.com/81692012/maximus-v-motherboards/intel-smart-response-technology-user-guide/

 

[FireWire2]

OK Here is how.
Open Disk Manager Window - just like the post image
Right click at the 1st portion of the HDD (2048GB) - drive H:
Select Delete Volume Option
Now you would have a single Unallocated of 2794TB
If you do not see a SINGLE partition, but TWO, this means you partition the HDD as MBR
Right click at Online text - select GPT
Now you should have a SINGLE partition

Do the same thing with other drive
Now you have TWO Unallocated partition
Right click in these Unallocated partition
Select create Stripe Volume
Add the other Volume
Follow the instruction to format the NEW VOLUME
You can select the Quick Format Option

You should have 6TB stripe volume - Remember to back it up often, cuz if it goes bad you WILL loose your data

 

[DaYiM]

Thanks a lot, But all of this is really hard on me!
1st I will try that for both of them & get back to you!
2nd Would you mind telling my what is the first step to do RAID?
( Installation of RST or Settings up the BIOS )
Thanks

 

[Bejusek]

As I wrote earlier - follow the manual, page 157 (or 4-27), starting from point 4.4.3.

It will tell you:
First step is to set SATA controller to raid in BIOS.
Second to enter Intel RST by pressing CTRL + I during POST.
Third to setup disks in RAID.
Fourth to Instal RST application in windows to monitor RAID status.

Additionaly, after entering IRST during POST at the top you will see its ROM version number. If its lower than 10.5, you may not be able to configure your drives. Then you could try updating your BIOS (the IRST ROM is included in motherboard BIOS).

 

[FireWire2]

DaYiM
Beware your raid won't be portable, if you are using Intel's RAID.
RAID0 is a very basic RAID, use the Window's RAID0 you'll be happy

PS: Change: Window's RAID to Window's RAID0

 

[DaYiM]

What is the Different Between RAID0 & Windows RAID?
& the explanation that Bejusek gave it to me, is it for RAID0 or Windows RAID?

 

[Bejusek]

Hardware raid is better in terms of performance than software one.
As for portability, maybe his next pc will also have intel's raid (all modern Intel chipsets have it) and then it is portable.

 

[DaYiM]

One more time please what is Hardware & Software?
Also what do you mean by portability?
* Do you mean that i will take these two HDD & put them in another PC.
If that is the case i won't do that, at all actually.

So if the HardWare is Better! Then the HardWare way; is it RAID0 or Windows RAID?

 

[Bejusek]

Hardware - PC components.
Software - applications.

Yes, by portability we mean moving the disks to another PC.

In scenario when Intel RST hardware raid is used, special chip handles writes & reads to the matrix.
In scenario with Windows Striped Volume (it's actually also RAID0) it is your operating system that handles writes & reads to the matrix.

Software RAID generates much more CPU load than hardware one.

 

[DaYiM]

So by that, i will use HardWare Raid by Intel RST that you explained it to me.
If i didn't get it i will return to this Post.
Thank you so much.

 

[FireWire2]

Hardware RAID is a raid engine that has it own I/O processor, EPROM and cache. The WHOLE RAID array controls by its processor very little host resource being use and certainly NO IRQ from drives will be send to host CPU.

Mother BOARD RAID is considered as software RAID, because HOST CPU controls all the drives down to every IRQ being generated by the drives. This practically takes a good portion of CPU time away from other task when RAID5 is used.

This is why all high performance systems NEVER use on board (software) RAID5

 

[FireWire2]

So by that, i will use HardWare Raid by Intel RST that you explained it to me.
If i didn't get it i will return to this Post.
Thank you so much.

Just follow my steps in Windows Disk Manager, you will be fine
Dont worry about HW or SW raid you can read all that here http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/259807-32-raid

 

[DaYiM]

I am in a bit of a PROBLEM!
In my BIOS the settings for SATA Configuration was on ACHI,
i changed to RAID Mode, Notice that there is only 2 HDD are showing up:-

and when i press Ctrl-I when the pc start, this is what i got:-

also with only 2 physical HHD, when i have 5 HDD's installed on my PC,
also i can't choose anything nor moving in the menu ( Up/Down Arrows & Enter Key ),
but i can exit the menu ( ESC Button ), but the real PROBLEM here:-
that since i changed to SATA Configuration to RAID i couldn't start the windows!
i even tried to put it back on ACHI Mode, but the windows just won't start up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FireWire2]

Well those are the issue with on board RAID.

DO NOT ATTEMP to do raid with BIOS, once you have AHCI set up!.

Set back to AHCI - start system, press key allow you to select BOOT disk, then select your SSD.
Or you can go back in the BOOT section of the BIOS and select correct BOOT disk

 

[DaYiM]

Thanks,
So know what to do to make RAID 0 with these two HDD?

 

[FireWire2]

Thanks,
So know what to do to make RAID 0 with these two HDD?

This is the 3rs time I ask you to follow my list instruction in previous post!
Did you ever bother to look at it?

 

[DaYiM]

Yes, two times actually, but i still don't really get it!
I don't know what to follow, because i don't know
which instructions that i have to follow when the
SATA Configuration is set to ACHI Mode!

UPDATE;
i DID it, at last.
The only option i had to do is SoftWare RAID, because of my MotherBoard SATA Configuration is set to ACHI.
I Deleted boh volumes from the Disk Manager, & made a Stripped Volume from both HDD.

Thanks to all the USERS who helped me.

 

[FireWire2]

Yes, two times actually, but i still don't really get it!
I don't know what to follow, because i don't know
which instructions that i have to follow when the
SATA Configuration is set to ACHI Mode!

UPDATE;
i DID it, at last.
The only option i had to do is SoftWare RAID, because of my MotherBoard SATA Configuration is set to ACHI.
I Deleted boh volumes from the Disk Manager, & made a Stripped Volume from both HDD.

Thanks to all the USERS who helped me.

Glad that your problem is solved! That was what I suggested