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Windows Upgrade and RAID

emp123emp123 Registered User regular
edited April 2011 in Help / Advice Forum
So I currently am running Windows XP Pro on my HTPC/home server and since I couldnt get the hardware raid to work (shitty Biostar board, I'll never go Biostar again) I ended up using Windows XP to set up a software RAID 1 arrangement in order to better protect the family files that are being saved to the storage drives.

Now Ive recently been thinking about upgrading to Vista, but Im not sure what that will do to my software RAID configuration. I assume they wont stay RAIDed and when I get to Vista I will be stuck with two drives.


Before anyone asks my reasons for upgrading to Vista are thusly:
1) hardware acceleration for XBMC
2) WEP access point support (my house WiFi is set to WAP2, and my DS cant access it). Ive tried multiple ways to get set up a WAP in XP but so far Ive been unsuccessful.


As I wont really be spending much time in Vista I assume it wont be that bad.

Id go straight to Windows 7, but the hardware in the HTPC isnt the greatest (AMD 4850e, 1.5GB RAM, 8400GS), but should be capable of running Vista just fine.

Basically, my major concern is the status of my RAID 1 configuration should I upgrade to Vista.

emp123 on

Posts

  • ecco the dolphinecco the dolphin Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Depends on which version of Vista you're upgrading to.

    This lists the versions of Vista/Windows 7 that *will* recognise the RAID 1 ("dynamic disk") set up by XP.

    Basically:
    • Windows Vista Business
    • Windows Vista Enterprise
    • Windows Vista Ultimate

    will recognise the RAID 1. Other versions will not.

    ecco the dolphin on
    Penny Arcade Developers at PADev.net.
  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Sweet, I have an Ultimate disc (thanks college). But does recognize mean it will keep it raided or does that mean it will just recognize a raided drive if it were to see one on a network?


    Did not know Windows 7 Home Premium doesnt support RAID 1. Good thing I bought Windows 7 Pro (again, thanks college).

    emp123 on
  • ecco the dolphinecco the dolphin Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    emp123 wrote: »
    Sweet, I have an Ultimate disc (thanks college). But does recognize mean it will keep it raided or does that mean it will just recognize a raided drive if it were to see one on a network?


    Did not know Windows 7 Home Premium doesnt support RAID 1. Good thing I bought Windows 7 Pro (again, thanks college).

    Keep it raided, I think!

    Worst comes to worst and I am wrong, it'll see two drives, and after you install on one of them, you'll just have to recreate the RAID under Vista.

    ecco the dolphin on
    Penny Arcade Developers at PADev.net.
  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    It wont require me to wipe one of the drives?

    emp123 on
  • ecco the dolphinecco the dolphin Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    emp123 wrote: »
    It wont require me to wipe one of the drives?

    You won't need to wipe one of the drives if you have enough room for Vista to install itself.

    Just make sure you choose to just install, not format and install because the format will wipe the drive.

    ecco the dolphin on
    Penny Arcade Developers at PADev.net.
  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Oh, I probably should have mentioned that Vista will be (and XP is) installed on a separate drive. I have 1 drive for Windows, 1 drive for media, and 2 drives in RAID 1 for storing pictures and stuff.

    emp123 on
  • ecco the dolphinecco the dolphin Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Oh. Well, same deal:

    If you have enough space on your Windows drive, you should probably be able to install Vista alongside XP*. You can choose to reformat and install, which will wipe XP, but keep your media/RAID drives (make sure you select the right drive, though!)

    Once you start Vista, the media drive will show up, and the RAID 1 will show up as a RAID 1. You will be able to check from the disk management menu.


    * The only caveat I know of is if you installed Windows XP on a FAT32 drive, instead of NTFS. In this case, if you want to install Vista over your XP drive, you will need to reformat the Windows drive. Your other drives won't be touched, though.

    ecco the dolphin on
    Penny Arcade Developers at PADev.net.
  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Alright, great. Unfortunately the drive Im using for Windows is like 20gigs or something pathetically small so dual booting XP and Vista isnt an option.

    I do have a 200gig hard drive laying around, but Im pretty sure it makes a clicking noise every once and a while...

    emp123 on
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