Raid 1 (Software)

Discussion in 'Tech Talk' started by twinblades, Jun 30, 2012.

  1. twinblades
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    I just got a set of two drives which I intend to do a Raid 1 (Mirror), but each time when I try and do it in the disk management in windows to do a software raid it will only list the options to do a spanned volume or stripped volume. I am confused as to why it will not give me the option to do a mirror volume... Anyone got any insight on to why it won't let me or even give me the option of selecting a mirror volume when it does for so many others... (I googled how to do it again to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong and it turns out I just don't get the option to do it.)
     
  2. EniGmA1987
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    Possibly something doesnt support RAID1, or maybe the drives are different sizes so Windows doesnt want to let you do it.
    Or if one drive is old and the other new, Windows may be seeing some issue because one drive uses 512 byte sectors and the newer one uses 4kb sectors
     
  3. twinblades
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    They are both the exact same model. I bought both like a week ago and just got time to do this. It doesn't even give me the option to even try to do a mirrored volume. It isn't even an option on the drop down menu which is what I would need to select well before I even picked the second drive that I was going to mirror it with. I am just baffled... My brother mirrored a drive on Windows 7 Home Premium computer like 3 weeks ago and I have the same operating system so I it shouldn't be an issue of whether or not the OS is capable either... I am so confused as to what would cause this issue.
     
  4. Doxy
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    Have you formated the drives?
    You can also do raid from bios. Just find out what mobo/bios you got and try youtubing on how to do it.
     
  5. EniGmA1987
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    Maybe you have to have RAID enabled in the bios for Windows to do it. But setting up your RAID in the bios via hardware is much better than software anyway
     
  6. mwhays
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    Enigma makes an interesting suggestion.... but i have to ask: why not raid from bios as suggested by others? Just make sure the drive with data in the first port the blank is in the next. Software raid is notoriously finicky.
     
  7. twinblades
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    The HDDs don't need to be formatted in order to be able to RAID them. Also since you all seem so persistent on the idea of a hardware RAID via my motherboard... I am unable to do that because when I enable HDDs in RAID mode it doesn't list/ recognize my SSD on the boot list possibly because it has some interference because it is a RAID array too. It only has this issue when my motherboard is enabled to set to RAID HDDs. I figured out the issue and have the drives I wanted in a RAID 1. I was mistaken that my brother had Windows 7 Home Premium on his computer... it turns out that he actually has Windows 7 Professional which allows for RAID 1, but isn't allowed on Windows 7 Home Premium. Another reason I wanted to be able to software RAID instead of a hardware RAID was the pure fact I want my HDDs to be AHCI because I have the HAF X and want to be able to take advantage of the two hot swap bays on the front of the case. Also I never had an issue with my other two drives that I have in software RAID 0 which is what I had all my media on currently, but I am moving all of it over to these 2 new 2TB drives that I put in RAID 1. Thank you for your help an suggestions though.
     
  8. mwhays
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    Ah man, that didn't even cross my mind. You could have had me guessing for a while. Also, i completely get why you are doing software raid, now. Interesting problem. I'll have to remember this one.
     
  9. twinblades
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    It might be just because of the kind of SSD I have, because I built this computer right as SATA III / USB 3.0 had started to come out and when SSDs were just starting up to gain popularity. I have a OCz RevoDrive (120GB) which is a PCI-e (x4) card. It was purchased 3/9/2011.
     
  10. EniGmA1987
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    The RevoDrive is not associated with any setting you change for SATA in your bios. it has its own controller and settings within its own bios. The drives are set up as a RAID within their own controller on the card regardless of what you have any other drives set at. The only setting that matters in the normal bios is that you make sure you dont turn down the available lanes on whatever slot the RevoDrive is plugged into, at least not lower than x4 or the drive will not function. From what I remember when I owned one of those it uses a SIL3124 controller or something like that. it is an old RAID controller from Silicon Image, pretty standard on all low end raid cards/sata expansion cards really. OCZ chose this controller for both its price and it suited their needs. A high end controller would have doubled the cost of the Revo
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2012
  11. EniGmA1987
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    Dang Twin. Hated my post that much huh that you had to report me to myself? :tear:

    lol Im just messing with ya. Whatever.
     
  12. twinblades
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    I don't know then... I had only enabled my motherboard to use RAID on it without altering any other options. Anyways I wanted to do a software RAID so that I could keep on AHCI for hotswap. I was just throwing out a thought based on why it wouldn't show my SSD on the boot list when RAID is enabled because I have no idea why would cause it.
     
  13. twinblades
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    I clicked the wrong button... Lol.
    I did that reply on my phone and I was mad that I did it wrong and had to retype it on this stupid phone again.
     
  14. EniGmA1987
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    I figured


    Im not really sure why it works like that. My only guess is that something in the bios is disabling the loading of other, external raid controller when the internal bios is set to raid mode. But whatever, doesnt really matter. It is what it is.