Quite a Pickle :: Swapping Raptors

[Heofz]

Hey guys,

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

At the moment:

1. Two brand new 150GB Raptors have just arrived, to replace my existing raptors detailed below
2. I currently have 4 36GB Raptors in a single RAID 0 array (using SiRAID in my DFI SLI-DR)
3. 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)
4. 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.
5. 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

 

[Heofz]

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]

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

 

[Heofz]

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]

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

 

[Heofz]

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

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

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

 

[Heofz]

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]

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)