Windows on Dynamic Drive Raid-0

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Desdichado

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 22, 2006
Messages
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Does anyone know if it is possible to get windows running off of a raid-0 array created through the dynamic drive function in disk managment (or any other software raid)? I have a pair of old wd300bbs and would like to run the OS off of them in raid-0. Its not a big enough deal to invest in a hardware raid controller, because i will soon be upgrading to SATA. I just want to see if I can hold out on upgrading a little longer.

I would think that it couldn't work because bios would still try to access them as two separate drives, but i just wanted to check with ya'll.

Thanks
 
No.

Microsoft does not allow the OS to be installed on a dynamic volume that requires more than one physical disk to function. Can't do it.
 
I would just get a cheap 2 port raid controller. They're around $20 nowadays.
 
I have an Asus a7n8x-e deluxe, so I have sata raid. I just wanted to see if I could hang on to the pair of patas i have now.

I guess i'll be moving up to some wd2500res

thanks for the confirmation
 
For non-redundant setups like raid 0, RE drives aren't the best choice - they can give up on error recovery when data is still undiscovered. WD2500KSes would be better choices.

 
is there a difference in the drives aside from the cache? I know the REs have 16m and the KSEs have 8m. I didn't realize that there was any other difference. Does this difference lead to increased data corruption/loss or does it just affect data recovery? Everything I have is backed up to two external sources.

I was only looking at the REs because they are a little cheaper on the Egg right now and have a larger cache.

Thanks
 
WD2500ks has 16 mb of cache as well. You were probably looking at a JD, a generation old.

A single 500gb disk is my recommendation, BTW - it reduces the complexity of your system quite a bit to have a single disk setup rather than a raid 0 array. It's smaller, draws less power, and requires less cooling. And quieter, too - the WD5000KS is highly recommended by SPCR for being quiet.

 
One thing I might mention about the dynamic disk setup. You can run windows on a dynamic disk but just not in RAID-0.

That said you can take 2 drives, use the first 4-5gb of each disk for Windows(Disk1) and Programs(Disk2) with simple volumes. Then you can RAID-0 the rest of the space on the drives for games, videos, etc in a third stripped volume. You won't load windows/programs any faster but everything on that stripped volume will get a boost. Also windows doesn't seem to touch it's own files very much so if everything important is on the stripped volume you will get the boost while still being able to install windows onto one of the drives.

I've set my system up similar to that and during large transfers I see some speed boosts from it.
 
yeah mage, you're right about the SKEs

The think is that 2x250s are cheaper than 1x500, and as cheap is one of the main criteria here, thats out of the question.

also, these drives will eventually be relocated into one of my servers where i'm using Raid-1, so a pair of drives is sort of essential.

I really like your solution, Anarchist. I might have to try that. In accordance with what you said, windows loading is not one of my issues. however i have a lot of large files and use stuff like photoshop with hi-res images, so the extra speed would be a bonus.

thanks for the help.
 
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