Challenge changing from RAID 0 to a single drive

Mr Davo

August 5, 2010 7:04:39 AM

Hi Everyone,

I have been having a challenge with changing from RAID 0 to a single drive, whilst retaining the data from the RAID array.

To date I have performed the following:

1). Partitioned the single drive so that it closely matches the partitions on the RAID array.

2). Used XXClone to "clone" the contents of each partition on the RAID array to corresponding partitions on the single drive.

I have two partitions, one for the operating system (Win 7) and programs and the other for data.

All appears to be good on the single drive when I boot up from the RAID array and then look at files in Windows Explorer.

However when I remove the RAID array (and set the BIOS to non-raid) I cannot seem to boot from the single drive.

Windows 7 is presenting the following error:

Status: 0xc000000e

Info: The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible.

I have booted from the Windows 7 install DVD and selected the "Repair" option. From there I have...

1). Selected "Startup Repair"

*** Couldn't do it!

2). Gone to a prompt and issued the "x:\boot\bootsect.exe /nt60 all" command

*** Rebooted - no improvement

3). Gone to a prompt and issued different flavours of the "bootrec" command

*** Rebooted - no improvement

I notice at the System Recovery Options screen that Win 7 is listed as the OS, the partition size is given as 0, and the Location is given as (Unknown) "local disk"!'

Basically the "Repair" options cannot find the installation...

Can anybody offer advice on how I can go about getting my single drive to boot?

I have Googled this, and it would seem that most people can't get past this speed hump.

I have considered creating a system image, but I figure that I may just end up in the same predicament because the hardware configuration is being changed.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Davo

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Devastator_uk

August 5, 2010 6:01:59 PM

With RAID 0 half the data is on one drive and half on the other, so you would generally have to re-install everything.

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jedimasterben

August 5, 2010 6:27:40 PM

@devastator
He cloned the RAID array onto a single drive, so now the full contents are present on a single drive.

Does you motherboard have a secondary storage controller (usually different colored SATA slots)? If so, try setting that controller to non-RAID and attaching a hard drive or DVD drive to it and booting to your main Windows 7 partition. Then, after it installs the drivers for the non-RAID controller, restart the computer and set that storage controller to where you had it, and change the main controller to AHCI or IDE mode (preferably AHCI) and try booting again.

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1haplo

August 5, 2010 6:50:35 PM

with the RAID online go to disk management and you will see that the RAID array has 2 partitions. The hidden partition is part of Windows 7. You must make 1 partition 100 MB partition first and then create a second partition with the rest.

Give the partition on the RAID that says (SYSTEM RESERVED) a drive letter and then go into folder and search options and choose the view tab and uncheck the "Hide protected operating system files" and transfer all the files on to the 100 MB partition on the single drive, Then remove the drive letter from the 100 MB partition and then try to reboot.

The 100 MB drive has the bootmgr file and Boot dir.

Hope this helps....or works

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