Setting Up Fail Over System on Win 7

[KayEee]

I am in the process of adding a second 2TB Drive to my Dell XPS 8700, Win 7 PRO 64bit,
My goal is to have the second drive take over if the first drive (C:\) fails. The second drive should boot with the OS and my programs. My data files are being backed up to an external NAS set up as Raid 1.
I was going to set up Raid1 on my Dell but after reading some posts on the forum and others I'm not sure that is what I should do. I'm a newby in this area and do not understand all the issues in this area,

How can I (and what are the steps) to accomplish what I want to do. I prefer not to have to re-install everything that is currently on my boot drive.

Thanks,
[email protected]

 

[ICIT2LOL]

KE I don't know if this would work but clone the first drive to the second and if the machine will not boot from the first drive then set the boot order to boot from the second drive??

Just an idea but having said that you would have to go in a see why the first drive would not boot.

To clone use this Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download
see pic

 

[KayEee]

ICit2lol,

Thanks for your reply. I assume I have to format the second drive first. NFS or Fat32? Should I format with or without the system?

Thanks . . .

 

[Computer0304]

The cloning should carry over the formatting, and it should already be NTFS. If it does not carry over the format, use NTFS since it is newer and far superior unless you also use Windows 98 and older or OSes other than Windows and need to use the drive. Also, FAT32 allows up to 2TB drives, NTFS allows up to a theoretical 16 exabytes, and a max file size of way over 1TB.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Sorry late reply as Computer has posted mate if you wnat to just make sure of the format first see this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html if you want a squeaky clean disk and / or then this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/168358-format-hdd-usb.html
The first option takes quite a time and for a new drive I sometimes use this - it says SSD but works just as well on a spinner
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/113967-ssd-alignment.html

 

[Computer0304]

I am in the process of adding a second 2TB Drive to my Dell XPS 8700, Win 7 PRO 64bit,
My goal is to have the second drive take over if the first drive (C:\) fails. The second drive should boot with the OS and my programs. My data files are being backed up to an external NAS set up as Raid 1.
I was going to set up Raid1 on my Dell but after reading some posts on the forum and others I'm not sure that is what I should do. I'm a newby in this area and do not understand all the issues in this area,

How can I (and what are the steps) to accomplish what I want to do. I prefer not to have to re-install everything that is currently on my boot drive.

Thanks,
(Email removed for privacy)

You should remove your email because you do not want spam being sent to it.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Now Computer is spot on with the email stuff - nice pick!!

I have read through your first post yet again and am still wondering what it is you want to do.
Now because I am old and perhaps a tad simplistic but I cannot see why you cannot just do a clone and remove from the second drive what material you don't want on it.
Doing that if the first drive is not wanted then remove it and do with it what you will. You would just set the second drive as the boot drive??