Raid 1 question

[gibletzor]

I've got a computer (not mine) that has a RAID 1 array set up with Windows XP. The person who owns this computer has decided that they want to switch to a dual boot setup with XP and Vista Home Premium. I've never dealt with RAID 1 personally. Can you get rid of a RAID 1 array and still keep all the data that's on 1 drive intact? I'm assuming you can, since that's pretty much the point of a RAID 1 array in the first place, to keep your data intact in case 1 drive fails. This person has lots of important data on the drive, so I just wanted some expert answers before I accidentally do something bad.

Thanks!

[gibletzor]

bump. need help.

[zbo]

Take out one drive, completely. Unplug it, and put it somewhere safe.

Do what you like to the other drive, because if the worst comes to the worst you can re-build it from the drive you've unplugged.

I don't think you'll run in to any problems if you just take one drive out and the RAID card, just plug the HDD you didn't take out into the motherboard. If it all loads up fine, stick the other drive back in and install Vista on it. Then do what you like with the RAID card.

Hope that helps.

[gibletzor]

OK. I've got the drives seperated, and each boots fine. I can't, however, get it to let me choose which drive I want to boot to. I left the XP installation as is from the RAID 1 array, and installed Vista Home Premium to the other drive. If I plug both drives in, it boots straight to Vista without even asking me which I want to boot. I've never dealt with dual booting off 2 seperate drives before.

[Nebulous]

That's becasue you have to partition the drive. Partition (A) for XP and partition (B) for Vista. While the drives where installed you should've made the partition, then install Vista on the new empty partition. Don't forget that you'll need to do the F6 method and reinstall the raid drivers for Vista.

Once Vista is fully installed, when the pc boots, you'll have the dual boot option to pick which OS you want to boot from. Vista will be the primary tho, so it'll look like this:

Windows Vista
Older Windows operating system (XP)

I had the dual boot option with XP Pro and Vista Ultimate.

[shadowdr]

Try Vista Boot Pro. (http://www.vistabootpro.org/)
If you installed Vista wthout the XP plugged in it might cause that to happen.

[gibletzor]

That's becasue you have to partition the drive. Partition (A) for XP and partition (B) for Vista. While the drives where installed you should've made the partition, then install Vista on the new empty partition. Don't forget that you'll need to do the F6 method and reinstall the raid drivers for Vista.

Once Vista is fully installed, when the pc boots, you'll have the dual boot option to pick which OS you want to boot from. Vista will be the primary tho, so it'll look like this:

Windows Vista
Older Windows operating system (XP)

I had the dual boot option with XP Pro and Vista Ultimate.

I know how to dual boot off 1 drive with multiple partitions. I'm trying to do it off of 2 seperate hard drives. I know this can be done because I've seen people recommend it to other people on these forums before, I've just never done it myself.

[Nebulous]

I know how to dual boot off 1 drive with multiple partitions. I'm trying to do it off of 2 seperate hard drives. I know this can be done because I've seen people recommend it to other people on these forums before, I've just never done it myself.

Ahh, well i never did the 1 drive thing as I always ran into problems with it afterwards.

[gibletzor]

Try Vista Boot Pro. (http://www.vistabootpro.org/)
If you installed Vista wthout the XP plugged in it might cause that to happen.

Thanks shadowdr! It does give me the option to boot to either drive now, except I get an error booting into XP. Vista still works fine. I should be able to run the recovery console off the XP disc and run FIXBOOT without it messing up the Vista bootloader correct?

[Moto7451]

Usually, instead of dealing with boot loaders, I use the BIOS boot menu (accessed via an F key generally) to switch between my boot drives when I have more than one.

[tuskenraider]

Usually, instead of dealing with boot loaders, I use the BIOS boot menu (accessed via an F key generally) to switch between my boot drives when I have more than one.+1

[shadowdr]

Thanks shadowdr! It does give me the option to boot to either drive now, except I get an error booting into XP. Vista still works fine. I should be able to run the recovery console off the XP disc and run FIXBOOT without it messing up the Vista bootloader correct?
No, I don't think that is the answer. If you run recovery in XP it will not see the Vista install, doing so without the Vista drive might work however. I had many issues myself, mostly taht Vista wanted to install with a c:/ designation to the drive.
Perhaps a repair install to the Vista would be more appropriate, with both drives connected.
will the XP boot by itself without the Vista drive connected?
Do both installs show up in the advanced tab in device manager under Starup and recovery in vista?

[gibletzor]

Usually, instead of dealing with boot loaders, I use the BIOS boot menu (accessed via an F key generally) to switch between my boot drives when I have more than one.

Unfortunately, the boot menu for this BIOS only has an option that says "Onboard SATA Drives" and then just boots off the first drive. It doesn't allow choosing an individual drive.

[ratbuddy]

What error is XP throwing when you try to boot it?

[gibletzor]

No, I don't think that is the answer. If you run recovery in XP it will not see the Vista install, doing so without the Vista drive might work however. I had many issues myself, mostly taht Vista wanted to install with a c:/ designation to the drive.
Perhaps a repair install to the Vista would be more appropriate, with both drives connected.
will the XP boot by itself without the Vista drive connected?
Do both installs show up in the advanced tab in device manager under Starup and recovery in vista?

Yes, both drives boot fine alone. And they boot fine together, but if the XP drive is in a lower numbered SATA port, then it boots without asking me which one I want. If the Vista drive is in a lower port, then it asks, but if I try to boot XP from the boot menu, it says ntldr is missing on the XP drive, but will boot into Vista fine. I can access any data on the XP drive from Vista when both are plugged in also.

[ratbuddy]

Google says try this: http://www.techimo.com/forum/applications-operating-systems/136282-fix-ntldr-missing-xp-works-2000-well.html

[Chevelle]

Usually, instead of dealing with boot loaders, I use the BIOS boot menu (accessed via an F key generally) to switch between my boot drives when I have more than one.

Unfortunately not all motherboard support this. I know P965-DS3 did, but my Abit IP35 does not.