RAID-1 Recovery

I have to recover my System Drive ("C") RAID-1 array. The mother board manufacturer tells me that I have to perform the following steps:

1. use an OS CD (XP has a great tool for this) and boot to both drives separately
2. go through the first steps on the OS load, you will get an option to format, and also to delete the partition table.
   
3. delete the partition on both drives, then reboot,
4. go to BIOS and enable RAID.
5. F10 to save and exit,
6. after the initial post screen, goto the RAID controller and setup the array.
   
7. save and exit and install your OS from there.

He also says that I may be able to do an image copy and then restore from that. Does anyone have any success with recreating a RAID-1 array from an image copy, and, if so, what image copy software did you use?

WindowsStar said:

I am confused as to what you are trying to do?? You have RAID 1 with 2 drives and one is bad? or you are trying to move your RAID 1 to 2 new drives? or New MB and want to move your RAID 1 to new MB??? Let me know? -WS

I started out with a new machine in Feb '09: two Raptor drives in RAID-1 for system/programs and two WD 500GB drives in RAID-1 for data. Several months ago the second of the two Raptor drives failed. Western Digital sent a replacement (under warranty). I simply unplugged the bad drive, replaced it with the new drive, and the system rebuilt the new array automatically. Then, 3-4 weeks ago one of my "D" drives failed. I backed up my data on three separate off-system disks, and, since this pair of drives were some less-expensive Western Digital consumer-grade drives, decided to replace them with a pair of server-grade Seagate drives. I never could get the RAID built with the two new drives. Then I came up with the bright idea of switching the two "C" drives so that my newest Raptor would be the primary drive (if there is such a thing) in the "C" array. That broke the array. I can still reboot, but can not rejoin the array.

The eVGA folks recommend that I start over for scratch -- which I'm prepared to do.

MY QUESTION: is there a way I can avoid having to reload all my software on drive "C" and successively rebuild the array? eVGA suggests that that may be unlikely. I'm looking for someone in this community that has first hand experience in rebuilding a RAID-1 mirror array and then reloading the system array from an external image drive.

Since you plan to start over, now is your chance to do away with RAID on a desktop. While RAID0 still has some supporters, unfortunately, there's no debate about RAID1. It isn't a backup method, and serves no purpose on a single user workstation, aside from wasting half your drive space. Use your fastest drive as C. Use one of the larger drives as D, and then stick another of the larger drives in an external housing and use it as a backup drive. It will be a simplified setup that runs just as well as before (actually faster, given RAID1's overhead). You're wasting a lot of time and a lot of drive space worrying about something that isn't helping you at all.

DeaconFrost said:

Since you plan to start over, now is your chance to do away with RAID on a desktop. While RAID0 still has some supporters, unfortunately, there's no debate about RAID1. It isn't a backup method, and serves no purpose on a single user workstation.....

Maybe we just need to be agreeable but disagree. When I lost one of my "D" drives I was quickly able to break the RAID and backup the good drive to two different USB-connected hard drives; I then copied one to some spare space I had on my laptop. I then write-protected all those files (named the subdirectory for them "Static D") and then created a similar (but not write-protected) subdirectory "Interim D" ... and things are working fine on the laptop. The "Interim D" subdirectory has files that I've updated from the Static D subdirectory, but the Interim files are backed up on Mozy Home.

This may sound a 'tad crazy, but it is working well for me.

For what it is worth, I'll close out my comments ... I took DeaconFrost's advice and dropped RAID-1. Currently I have two fairly new Western Digital Raptors (150GB 10,000 rpm) for my system/program drive: C: is the primary and D: is the backup. I backup C to D once a week using Acronis True Image. I also have two WD 1GB drives for data -- again, E: is primary and F: is for backup only. I use a bunch of robocopy commands in a batch file to backup from E to F (and also use Mozy Home for the data + my Outlook files on C).

Last night I noticed that Amazon.com had the SanDisk Extreme SSD 120GB SATA 6.0 Gb-s 2.5" Solid State Drive on sale for $100, so I snapped one up along with a bracket to allow me to install it in one of my disk trays. I plan to use that as my primary system/software drive, using Acronis True Image to make the copy (I hope that will work). I already have a SSD on my netbook and have been pleased with its performance.