solution for backing up an entire drive. Basically I would like to be able to just pop in a cd and be right back to where I was before the drive quit or what ever may happen. Or if there is a program that will copy an entire drive to a different drive and make it bootable that would be better. Then I could just swap drives if somthing should happen.
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- Thread starter Dupre
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gargouille
IS-IT--Management
Not to condradict my learned colleague...(I'm contrary by nature, admittedly) but I have been exploring exactly the same thing and discover XP has native talent to do this to another hard drive...and am currently involved in a sleeves-rolled-up reading of the following link and the other link (to restoring such a backup) (just looked up to get a breather)
This appeals to another natural aversion I have: getting 3rd party programs when I don't need them.
I will also rely on wolluf's seeming good nature to point out obviously stoopid assumptions I may be making (yeah, another part of my nature) on the usability of this seemingly unexplored feature of XP.
This appeals to another natural aversion I have: getting 3rd party programs when I don't need them.
I will also rely on wolluf's seeming good nature to point out obviously stoopid assumptions I may be making (yeah, another part of my nature) on the usability of this seemingly unexplored feature of XP.
gargouille,
let us know if you successfully use this method (and how easy it was/wasn't) - it certainly sounds like it should do the job - and yes, I'd agree with you about not getting 3rd party programs if you don't need them (I might just have a little play with it myself).
let us know if you successfully use this method (and how easy it was/wasn't) - it certainly sounds like it should do the job - and yes, I'd agree with you about not getting 3rd party programs if you don't need them (I might just have a little play with it myself).
gargouille
IS-IT--Management
Soon as all the pieces/parts of my XP machine get here and I get it up again I'll let you know how it works...or doesn't.
Dupre,
It sounds like you're looking for more info on RAID. With a RAID 1 configuration, you only need two hard drives. Information is written to both drives simultaneously. If one should ever fail, simply swap the other as the boot drive.
More info here on the different types of RAID:
All you need is a motherboard that supports it or an add-in PCI card.
~cdogg
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
- A. Einstein
It sounds like you're looking for more info on RAID. With a RAID 1 configuration, you only need two hard drives. Information is written to both drives simultaneously. If one should ever fail, simply swap the other as the boot drive.
More info here on the different types of RAID:
All you need is a motherboard that supports it or an add-in PCI card.
~cdogg
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
- A. Einstein
- Thread starter
- #7
Thanx for all the info guys. I have heard in the past on numorous forums that a RAID configuration for the home pc user can be more troubles than its worth. RAID was basically server technology and designed to work better with SCSI drives. But if I was to switch to a RAID configuration and added another drive identical to my current hd. Would all of my files and programs be copied over to the newly added drive. Or does setting up a RAID configuration require a fresh OS install on to blank drives? Secondly after I have a mirror drive and RAID configured. Could I switch back to a one drive configuration? My current motherboard does support RAID to btw so I wouldnt need an upgrade. Thanks for the link gargouille im about to read the document now.
gargouille
IS-IT--Management
Morning dupre:
No, on my motherboard setup (Microstar) you can start with an existing install (probably that way on others, just have experience with this one)...it DOES require that you load the RAID drivers while you're on a regular IDE connect
...then you move it to the RAID controller/connector and build the array. And yes, when you tell it to build the mirror it goes away awhile and buids a mirrored set of the 1st one. OR you CAN start with fresh drives. There's a good explanation of how to do it on the MSI site...and several how-to's.
As for the reversibility (back to a single drive) I have no direct experience, but doubt that it would be all that big a deal. (that assumption sometimes costs me, tho)
LOL Seems it would just be a matter of going back into the RAID array setup at boot and taking the second drive out...and making the remaining one a single drive array...set as striped (lying to the OS).
I'm about to take that plunge into RAID on my own MSI-6380 setup. (there've been several false starts...1st motherboard IDE controller went south...got that RMA'ed and back and when I put it back together the CPU went...waiting on a new one) Have another WD1000JB to put in it.
There may be truth to what folx say about it not being better...but I'll find out for myself.
Also am planning a RAID setup for another client who has a small network in an accounting business. His concern is (of course) the backup feature of RAID, rather than speed, so I don't think it'll be anything exotic...but may go $C$I.
And for sure deeper than 2 discs.
I would say that I set up a KT3 Ultra ARU that was sweet...for a friend. He opted out of raid, so I just used the RAID controller connections for his 2 IDE drives and that left the DVD/CD and CDRW on their own channels. Increased his boot time, but he likes it fine. He currently uses DI for backup...and when we got it smoothed out and purring we burnt a bootable CD for safekeeping.
His array setup is configured each as a single drive array, both masters, striped. (in name only, again lying to the OS)
No, on my motherboard setup (Microstar) you can start with an existing install (probably that way on others, just have experience with this one)...it DOES require that you load the RAID drivers while you're on a regular IDE connect
...then you move it to the RAID controller/connector and build the array. And yes, when you tell it to build the mirror it goes away awhile and buids a mirrored set of the 1st one. OR you CAN start with fresh drives. There's a good explanation of how to do it on the MSI site...and several how-to's.
As for the reversibility (back to a single drive) I have no direct experience, but doubt that it would be all that big a deal. (that assumption sometimes costs me, tho)
LOL Seems it would just be a matter of going back into the RAID array setup at boot and taking the second drive out...and making the remaining one a single drive array...set as striped (lying to the OS).
I'm about to take that plunge into RAID on my own MSI-6380 setup. (there've been several false starts...1st motherboard IDE controller went south...got that RMA'ed and back and when I put it back together the CPU went...waiting on a new one) Have another WD1000JB to put in it.
There may be truth to what folx say about it not being better...but I'll find out for myself.
Also am planning a RAID setup for another client who has a small network in an accounting business. His concern is (of course) the backup feature of RAID, rather than speed, so I don't think it'll be anything exotic...but may go $C$I.
And for sure deeper than 2 discs.
I would say that I set up a KT3 Ultra ARU that was sweet...for a friend. He opted out of raid, so I just used the RAID controller connections for his 2 IDE drives and that left the DVD/CD and CDRW on their own channels. Increased his boot time, but he likes it fine. He currently uses DI for backup...and when we got it smoothed out and purring we burnt a bootable CD for safekeeping.
His array setup is configured each as a single drive array, both masters, striped. (in name only, again lying to the OS)
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