Quite a Pickle :: Swapping Raptors

Heofz · 20 Mar 2006 at 12:49

Hey guys,

Right, I have a predicament. Please bear with me while I get it all down lol

At the moment:

Two brand new 150GB Raptors have just arrived, to replace my existing raptors detailed below
I currently have 4 36GB Raptors in a single RAID 0 array (using SiRAID in my DFI SLI-DR)
This 4-raptor array currently has 80GB of data (across 2 partitions) I need to keep (including a windows install I need to preserve completely intact - I don't want to format again! I have everything just the way I want it)
I want these 2 new raptors to be in a RAID 0 array, using the same onboard RAID controller as what I have at the moment.
I have borrowed my mate's external USB hard drive which has ample space for the transfer, but he has some important files on it which cannot be taken off it. I'm 99.9% sure I can boot off this hard drive if I prioritise it in BIOS (it recognised my Ipod, so I doubt it'll have difficulty with this)

Now here's the question, how is the best way of going about transferring my current 144GB RAID0 Raptor data to the new 300GB Raptor array, preserving my windows install and files completely, and the most quickly and efficiently?

Which Cloning (if cloning is even the right choice) software do I use? Would I be able to convert my friend's USB hard drive to a temporary boot drive to enable restoring of the 'clone images' as it were? If thats possible, which means do you recommend?

Look forward to hearing your wise advice

lumocolor · 20 Mar 2006 at 13:11

I do these kind of transfers all the time! Just use a Pre-Installer (SuperWin PE 2005 DVD or Barts) and then simply use Nortons Ghost and place the image on the external USB HD.

Heofz · 20 Mar 2006 at 13:19

lumocolor said:
I do these kind of transfers all the time! Just use a Pre-Installer (SuperWin PE 2005 DVD or Barts) and then simply use Nortons Ghost and place the image on the external USB HD.

yes but will SuperWin be able to recognise my current RAID setup?

/edit: just realised I have this already, will let you know

Heofz · 20 Mar 2006 at 14:28

Ah, just realised I dont have Super WinPE or BartsPE but I had something similar to it called PFCommander (or something with a similar name) but this seemed to just be there to change an existing windows configuration.

I've got a cd with Norton Ghost on it aswell but for some reason it does not support mice, and it seems to just freeze just before I want to start the image copy thinggy

Could I manage with just using a Bootable Norton Ghost cd? Is the PE really necessary? :E

smids · 20 Mar 2006 at 15:20

Heofz said:
Ah, just realised I dont have Super WinPE or BartsPE but I had something similar to it called PFCommander (or something with a similar name) but this seemed to just be there to change an existing windows configuration.

I've got a cd with Norton Ghost on it aswell but for some reason it does not support mice, and it seems to just freeze just before I want to start the image copy thinggy

Could I manage with just using a Bootable Norton Ghost cd? Is the PE really necessary? :E

You know the same thing happened to me with Norton Ghost. I've since stopped using it :mad:

. Was it Norton Ghost 9 by any chance?

bledd · 20 Mar 2006 at 15:52

can you jhust plug your mate's drive in, copy files, remoev all hd's,

put new raptors in, install, copy files back?

Heofz · 20 Mar 2006 at 16:20

bledd. said:
can you jhust plug your mate's drive in, copy files, remoev all hd's,

put new raptors in, install, copy files back?

would that work? what about the boot sector etc?

/edit: by "install" do you mean install windows again? (don't want to do that lol)

Heofz · 20 Mar 2006 at 16:29

smids said:
You know the same thing happened to me with Norton Ghost. I've since stopped using it . Was it Norton Ghost 9 by any chance?

it was indeed

I have found a nifty tool called R-Drive. Its backing up the drives onto image files now as we speak. Should be cool

chaparral · 20 Mar 2006 at 18:32

This is a long shot...But i have used nero backup a few times for replacing my main C: drives...I not tryed it with a raid setup..

I ordered a new 150gb raptor of Ocuk today..So when i received it i have to move all my main C: to it as well...(All am in no mood for formating and trying to restall all my data.)

Heofz · 21 Mar 2006 at 20:34

chaparral said:
This is a long shot...But i have used nero backup a few times for replacing my main C: drives...I not tryed it with a raid setup..

I ordered a new 150gb raptor of Ocuk today..So when i received it i have to move all my main C: to it as well...(All am in no mood for formating and trying to restall all my data.)

Well, turns out that no only are the makers of R-Drive a bunch of *****, but it didn't work either!

Basically, all the R-Drive software said it would do is be a 15-day trial (i.e. a trial limited only by time), but only after I took the data off, replace the raptors, and make a new RAID array did I find out that the restore CD that you make with the program refuses to restore your files from the backup files because it is a Trial :rolleyes:

I ended up buying the program as I had no other choice (ARGHH!!!) and eventually even after I bought it and burnt another boot restore cd, IT DIDNT WORK :mad:

I can still access the backups, but looks like I have to install windows again

smids · 21 Mar 2006 at 20:52

Unlucky buddy. I never trust backup programs, they often don't work :rolleyes:

. I just bung all data on a separate HDU, install windows, then transfer back (well I did this until I got a dedicated storage HDU).

smids · 21 Mar 2006 at 21:12

Oopsie - wrong thread :rolleyes:

.

Cyber-Mav · 21 Mar 2006 at 22:19

i use acronis for doing the cloning. i put new drive in an external usb caddy then boot of the acronis cd and then do the cloning. good thing acronis has usb drivers and sata support all built in.

Heofz · 22 Mar 2006 at 01:59

Cyber-Mav said:
i use acronis for doing the cloning. i put new drive in an external usb caddy then boot of the acronis cd and then do the cloning. good thing acronis has usb drivers and sata support all built in.

Ah, But would it support RAID? (Which is probably where it went wrong for me

)

Heofz · 30 Mar 2006 at 14:33

Finally all is sorted now

But for future reference, does anyone know of software that will 100% definitely work for backing up/restoring perfect 1:1 images of my C: drive (if something catastrophic should happen), on the onboard SiImage RAID controller on the DFI SLI-DR motherboard? (while HDDs are in RAID 0)

amdnv · 30 Mar 2006 at 14:42

Best format, nice fresh windows is faster

, esp to get most out of your new hardware, for HDD's its worth the downtime IMO.

Rambaud · 30 Mar 2006 at 15:39

The last time I did this I interposed a 3rd drive :

Using Ghost 2003 (or Acronic True Image or similar):

1. Clone existing RAID0 array to (say) a single 200Gb hard drive.

2. Remove exisitng RAID0 array.

3. Insert and configure new (say) 150Gb RAID0.

4. Clone 200Gb drive to new 150Gb Raptor RAID0 array.

5. Remove 200Gb drive - or reformat it/new partitions etc.

6. You may have to change Boot order in BIOS (I have to).

I am in the process of cloning my 74GB Raptor to a new 500Gb RAID0 array.