Guest Roy Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 I've got a problem/theory that I'd like some help out with if you lot can spare the time. I recently installed two new HDs in a RAID 0 array in my computer. No problems occurred, so rest easy as my question isn't really too technical. My old HD obviously had XP installed on it, but I also installed XP on the new drives as well, intending to format my old HD and use it as a backup drive. The arrayed drives aren't recognized as the system disk though my old one is, which doesn't surprise me, but this also means I can't uninstall XP from the old drive (my computer tenaciously refuses to boot if I do). This probably wouldn't bug most, but I have an awkward hangup about having two instances of XP installed on my system. That said, here's my theory of sorts, and I'd like some confirmation as to whether it would work or be a waste of time: If I format both the arrayed drives and my old drive, then unplug the old drive from my mobo and attempt to install XP on the arrayed drives, would that force Windows into recognizing the array as both the system and boot drive? Or could I simply format both drives without unplugging either and then install XP on the arrayed drives? Any input on the matter is much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron C-T Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Don't know much about this sort of thing, but I'm thinking that if you want it to boot off the new drive that drive should be the master and the older one the slave. Is it? If it is.. umm.. no idea, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Roy Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 I've already got it booting off the new drive, it's just that my computer will refuse to complete the booting process if WinXP isn't installed on my old drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron C-T Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Oh... Sorry, I'm lame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 I have no idea what you are trying to do. You can't take an hdd with an install of XP from another computer and hope it boots on the new one. If that isn't what you are doing, I am at a loss. RAID 0 just means that the computer writes data across both drives for higher bandwidth. They should of both been formatted and clean when you installed XP on the new drive. There is no error checking in RAID 0 and if one drive has an error or causes a conflict, the whole array crashes. Back sensitive info up to disk, format both drives, and install windows on the fresh array. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Roy Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 All of what you told me I've done. None of that is the problem (thankfully). What I'm saying is that drive x, my old drive, is recognized as the "system disk" and meanwhile drive y, my new arrayed drives, is recognized as the "boot disk". I had XP installed on the old one (system disk) since that's what I've been using for the last year, then loaded XP onto my new drives. Since I didn't want to have two instances of XP running on my system, I tried to uninstall XP (aka format) from the old drive so I could just use it as a backup drive. When I did that, my computer could not complete the booting process because, I'm guessing, the system disk had no install of XP on it (though I cannot figure out why this should prohibit the system from booting into the copy of XP on my array). You're telling me to format both disks and install XP on the arrayed drives, which is what I intend to do, but will that cause my computer to recognize the arrayed drives as the boot and system disk, or will my old drive be indefinitely recognized as the system disk? That's all I need to know, then I'm good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 You don't understand RAID 0. The data is written to BOTH disks. The system isn't on only one disk, because RAID means the machine treats both disks like one. Of course if you format one it wont start, you deleted half of the hard drive. You need to reformat both and this time NOT wipe one of them clean. That's how raid works. A program can be stored half and half across both disks. Take one away, only half the program is left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Roy Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Koray, I have THREE HDs. One is my old HD, and the other two are my RAID 0 array. I understand RAID 0 just fine. I'm referring to my old HD and the array as two drives because Windows recognizes them as such ( i.e. C: and E: ). There are NO problems in regards to my RAID 0 array. I'm trying to delete my old install of XP off my OLD HD, but because it is my system drive, my computer will not boot when I do it. Meanwhile, I have an install of XP on my RAID 0 array which is working just fine. I'm asking that if I format both drives (the old HD and the RAID 0 array, not the two disks from the RAID 0 array), then reinstall XP on the array, will my computer recognize it as the boot AND system disk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Roy Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 Go ahead and close this, I already had a buddy confirm that reformatting everything would work for me, and everything is working fine now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epon Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 anal vapors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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