I may be using the wrong terminology.

Originally had a RAID 0, two drives, with seperate data on them, function as one drive, for performance.

Few years later, afraid of losing my data to a failure, I buy a bigger drive to be a backup drive, but the software lets my plug it into the array, and convert it to Raid 5, negating the need for me to use it as a backup (for insurance against drive failures).

While I would like a HS drive (a 128gb or bigger SSD would be my preference) for my OS and have a large data drive with it, that's just not an option right now.

And adding a new OS drive would be such a pain, as I would have to port the OS to the new drive, but keep all the data on the old one, and not lose my installs. Just not worth it.

Booooooo

Just after I get my "My Documents" folder backed up on a seperate IDE drive, another Raid drive failed, destroying the array. I was about 2 hours from migrating to the new array 2. :nope: :wah:

So I sit down to do the rebuild, and it turns out I have to install the Raid drivers via floppy drive, and floppy only during the XP install process. OK fair enough, expected this from when I built the machine few years ago.

I find an old floppy drive, cable, can't find a power cord, so I have to hack one out this computer, patch it with a plug, etc etc. Go to plug it in. The flat cable's pins don't line up. My mobo has pin 3 pulled, while the cable has pin 2 blocked. WTF.

Can't find the original cable i built it with. WTF.

grrrrr.......

This beats TV... http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...nching_out.gif







Are you sure you can't use an USB stick instead of floppydrive?

Dunno, don't think the XP install supports it. :hmmm:

What you can do though, is make a streamlined disc, with the drivers already on it. Should be able to use Nlite for that, and you'll never have to worry about it again.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Insta...F6-47807.shtml

Oh ty, I'll try that before going out to the store to day to buy a new $2 cable, and spending $4 in gas to get there.


Good side to all this, in my research for working on the RAID's, I found the solution to my laptop problem which had left it MIA for the last 6 months. woot.

nLite is an excellent tool. :up:

Used it way back for a trimmed down XP with all drivers and most essential software installed. Worked like a treat.

A new complete unattended install took less than 10 minutes...

http://www.msfn.org/board/forum/89-nlite/



Of course you may consider upgrading to Win 7? :D

Now I have an image of my system with all software installed and trimmed to my likings/settings and a re-install will take less than 7 minutes...!

Hey thanks for the Nlite idea... to be honest.. that ****ing rocked.

Saved me a whole headache of troubles.

Course I pulled a super rookie mistake in the process.

Waited 6 hours for the 3tb's to format, then I installed windows, very streamlined with Nlite, only had to hit enter once. Had a flash drive all ready to go with my drivers and such.

Windows boots up finally, I go to install my first set of drivers, and it spits an error of "Not enough room on C:, cannot unpack".

errr..... wut?

So I check.

Yeah...

I forgot to unplug my card reader from the internal USB, so um yeah... it installed windows on the J: drive!!! :damn::damn::damn::damn:

Quick format this time around, up and running in 20 minutes. Woot!

Disc saved and put aside.


So I hoped you enjoyed that last final episode, and the popcorn, Jan. :P

AND IT CONTINUES!! So I plug in the IDE 250gb drive I was using as, well I'm not sure, I had an extra drive so it was in the machine... I backed up the My docs folder to it at least... But now.... the BIOS at post is seeing something there.. but not a drive... it lists it as xxxxxxxx on the post screen.... too tired now... going to bed... will kill smurfs tomorrow.

:hmmm: the plot thickens....

Don't you have to define each drive in your RAID-BIOS? As: these two are in RAID, this one is "single" etc.?



http://mondomagazine.net/tvvg/grouchy.jpg And yeah! Blame the smurfs... http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...s/biggrin3.gif

Normally yes, but this is an autodetected IDE drive.

Sigh.... helps to plug it back in......

:damn: :haha::har::rotfl2: