Windows 7: Reimage your Drive from Native IDE to Raid 0

I want to install windows 7 on one hard drive. Use it for a while to access the other hard drive and transfer files over. Then I want to have both hard drives act as one. Is there a way to accomplish this in disk management? It should be a RAID 1 setup once complete.

Don't know if this will help, but I'm throwing it out there anyway
B.C. Technology and Internet Services: RAID Info

I haven't tried it yet, but I think I found out that I just have to convert the hard drive I want to mirror to a dynamic disk in computer management. Then with the other drive formatted, click mirror drive. I think I was just making it harder than it is to figure out. If this sounds right, let me know. Thanks.

Here's one way given you only have two HDDs. Get the boot drive as you want it. Get a copy of Acronis True Image and backup the boot drive to DVDs. Boot into BIOS and build the array. Boot from the Acronis install disk and copy the backup image to the array.

Please let us know if that works.

Is a BIOS RAID setup better than mirroring in disk management?

Hello i3one21, and welcome to Windows Seven Forums.

Raid 1 is the mirror setup, if one drive fails, you replace it and the RAID software rebuilds the mirror. The downside is that if the good drive of the RAID 1 mirror is removed from the computer with the RAID software, it contents cannot be accessed.

You have not given us nearly enough information about your computer to offer any specific advice. Hardware based RAID is expensive. If you are using the RAID features of your motherboard, you will have to turn the RAID on in the BIOS and use the software provided to create the RAID array before Installing your Windows Operating System in order to boot to Windows from a RAID array.

The Dynamic Drive feature of the Windows 7 Disk Management allows the C: drive to extend into additional drives without adding partitions or drive letters. It emulates the SCSI drive chain feature as well as a similar Linux feature. It does not and cannot contribute to a RAID setup.

A much simpler solution is to use the Windows 7 Backup and Image utility. Saving an "Image" of your Windows 7 OS to your second hard drive protects you from a total data loss from a hard drive crash. You simply replace the dead hard drive and use the 7 install DVD or the Repair CD to restore the "Image" you saved to your new drive. I guaranty it will take less time than rebuilding a RAID array.

Cheers!
Robert

Thank you! That does seem like a much simpler solution. I didn't realize how easy the backup program in windows was. I explored it and seems simple enough. Thanks again.

Makes RAID redundant?

You are quite welcome. Please let us know if we may be of any further help!

Greg, I think this uses up your allotment of "Grins & Giggles" ... until NEXT YEAR! Clever! <BG>



Cheers!
Robert