Upgrade help - Raid 1

[db55047]

Hi I am currently running 32 bit XP pro on an Asus P5K motherboard with an Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 processer and a Promise Fast Trak TX4130 raid controller. The current OS is on two 80GB Segate SATA II hdd running raid 1 (mirror). I want to upgrate to Win 7 64 bit using one license from Windows Home Premium Family pack. I'm wondering what my best path is. Try to install Dual Boot or clean install over my current XP? My biggest concern is getting Win 7 to recognize and load onto my Raid array. I also have a second 500GB Raid 1 array for data on the same
controller. No motherboard SATA ports are currently being used. I have downloaded the latest Promise 32/64 bit vista driver for my controller. When I extract the files there are several files that seem to have the same name. If I put these in the root of a CD/DVD or Pin drive, will windows know what files to load for the driver? What's my best aproach? Thanks for any suggestions.

Don

 

[gregrocker]

Why do you want to use RAID?

Would you consider removing it, and know how? It is accessible from your BIOS boot screen right?

Wouldn't the drive imaging that is now built in to Win7 make a redundant array redundant?

Just asking. We have a lot of problems here with RAID on Win7 install.

 

[db55047]

Thanks for the quick reply. To have a completely current backup in case of drive failure with no down time as this computer is used for business purposes. I guess removng the Raid would be acceptable, but not sure exactly how to do it. I guess change boot sequence in BIOS. Also how will Win 7 detect old OS. Can I somehow use one of the Raid drives directly off a mother board SATA port to boot XP then do a clean install?

Thanks

 

[gregrocker]

The family pack is retail and therefore includes MS tech support.

They can advise you on RAID for Windows 7.

Please let us know what you find out as we are hitting a wall on RAID installs.

 

[zrtom]

Your board supports RAID1 using an Intel ICH9 Southbridge.
If you want to run RAID1 for data security why not create a RAID1 array for your boot drive from the BIOS using your board's ICH9 controller? Windows 7 should see the array perfectly and install easily. Once running, you could get the Promise controller running and reattach the array you have.
Just a thought.

 

[db55047]

Thanks for the suggestion. I might give that a try. Can I do the install on a single drive and then create the array after the fact or should it be done prior to the win 7 install? I've got a mirrored drive of the early XP install that I could do the win 7 clean install over to get varification for activation.

 

[db55047]

It appears from my Asus user guide that Raid is supported by a JMicron controller only on the eSATA ports. Seems like JMicron gets a lot of bad press in these forums. Are you saying there is a way to create a Raid 1 array using the internal SATA ports and the Intel chip set? If so, can you point me to a tutorial?

Thanks, Don

 

[db55047]

My board has the ICH9 southbridge and it appears you must have ICH9R for Raid to be supported so I guess I'm out of luck there

 

[zrtom]

My board has the ICH9 southbridge and it appears you must have ICH9R for Raid to be supported so I guess I'm out of luck there

Oops, my bad. I thought I saw an R after the ICH9 on the Asus webpage. Looks like we're back to square one.

 

[db55047]

Just for information, I was able to upgrade from XP Pro 32 bit to Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit on a Raid 1 array by Booting from install Disc and providing Promise 64 bit Raid driver when required. The install proceeded without a hitch.

 

[gregrocker]

Great to know it will install to RAID with driver added. Thanks