Win 7 go from 1 disk no raid to 2 disk raid1 w/o re-install?

[Todd Perchert]

It also sounds like the BIOS may want to include all the SATA ports into the RAID. I’ve run into mobos that did that and it was impossible to have the hardware control the RAID and have a single disk on the same controller – it just wouldn’t do it. I would have guessed that with the 2 SATA III ports, they would be on a different controller. You could always set up as a software RAID as well. The performance between the software and the hardware on the mobo won’t be too dramatic.
Or you could go through a complete re-install. With all the time you put in now, you could’ve just as well.
TC

[Bob Sacramento]

So without a doubt, I can always re-install windows. I know I have that option since I started the very first post here. The whole point to trying to get around the re-install is that I have 3 games and 3 big apps I’ve installed, not to mention all the other little apps you usually have and settings. And installing patches and updates.
I also don’t want software raid, i knew i had that option before I began this post also. Right from windows 7, you can set both drives to be dynamic, and then configure RAID btw them.

Hardware raid is much better, and it would be even better if i didn’t have to re-install windows.

WIth that said, I have created a ticket with gigabyte support telling them the exact situation… I guess i have to wait to hear from them.

But you are right.. what i am trying to do is have the following:
* 120 GB SSD drive with Pre-installed windows7 be configured non-RAID and run by AHCI controller
* 2x 1TB Samsung drive used for Data configured RAID-1 and run by RAID controller.
and it seems like my BIOS won’t let me configure the controller “per drive”. it just sets all of the drives to be run by RAID and the OS drive fails since it wasn’t initially installed with Raid controller.

[Bob Sacramento]

I just called gigabyte support cuz i got tired of waiting to hear answer back on the ticket. Apparently my mobo GA-P67A-UD3-B3 has only 1 chipset and controller. This means you can’t have some drives on AHCI and some run by RAID. I’ll have to reinstall win7. Another model the – The GA-P67X-UD3-B3 – for example has 2 chipsets , one intel and one marvell. Ports 0-5 run by intel, ports 6&7 run by marvell. if i had this i wouldn’t have a problem. I’d just put the 2 raid drives on port 6&7.. and go.

I think they should make this very well known that if you ever plan to do RAID.. make sure to first install Windows with RAID. There are too many people having issues when trying to just switch the controller.

I’ll have to set PCH Sata controller to RAID and reinstall windows7 and then ill be able to add the Raid drives.
OR i could do software raid, but i refuse

[Todd Perchert]

I think it is idiotic to have 2 SATA 6g ports on the same controller as the SATA 3g ports. But, I’ve seen strange things from Gigabyte… So when someone asks me, I usually tell them to go with another manufacturer.
But, good luck! I’m telling you, that hardware controller probably won’t have much more performance than a software RAID anyways.
Better off with a decent card controller.
TC

[Fred Jodry]

Bob, do it the easy way.
1. Step one, take your Windows boot drive, label it with a written on piece of tape and put it on the side (or duplicate it if you want a spare).
2. Step two, take the remaining (pair?) of drives, zero them out, label them too, then take them to a friend`s computer where firmware or good software awaits to prepare them for RAID formatting of the RAID type you need. Then do it and return. You can even prepare this RAID formatting of about- to- be- Windows drives on a Mac easily!
3. Step three, Take your boot drive and new RAID set and miscellaneous DVD drives and toss them back in. But if you have tape drives about to go back in leave them for a later step lest they get mixed into the hard drives RAID. Go to the BIOS and set it from IDE to AHCI. Use “My Computer?” in Windows to then reformat the RAID set from generically RAID to formatted for Windows and still RAID. The read descriptions on the monitor will usually mark the RAID set as a single drive unless you look closely. If this doesn`t work right away then move the cables order “willy nilly”, scribble a few notes and try again. My motherboard seems to want to make early or low number or letter drives as RAID drives and later ones as the boot drive and other uses but the documentation and BIOS directions are feeble. Nonetheless do it. You might have to rename drive letters in “My Computer”.

[Fred Jodry]

– Actually since my directions are to pre-build the RAID externally instead of internally and reassemble, setting the BIOS from AHCI to IDE or IDE/SATA in step 3 should be easier.