I don't know why that person recommended against Ghost - it is one of the most effective tools for creating snapshots of the OS, and I use it for my music and video pc (I keep the data on a separate drive). This is especially important if you have drivers for hardware that can be uncooperative in certain cases, and reverting back can save hours of work.
If you insist on RAID1, then you should get two new identical drives and create the array with them, then copy the contents of the original disk to the array. Most cloning software (Ghost included) should handle this; CasperXP is another product that can do it.
As you have noted, RAID1 will not solve your versioning problem. Ghost will work, and restore points will work, but after some time, your restore folder area will take up a lot of space. I think Ghost will be the better all around solution for your needs.
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by: leewPosted on 2005-03-31 at 08:36:27ID: 13673056
Hi 8mathieu8,
> Is it possible to create a mirror of a disk that already has data on it?
In most cases yes, but this would be a function of the controller.
> That mirror would be a good solution if the disk failes, but what about
> going back to a previous state? (because if there is a problem with a
> software that doesn't uninstall/reinstall well, the problem is going
> to be on the mirror as well). Maybe I can use the restore points created by xp?
You've heard of backups? Just run a backup and MAKE SURE you backup the SYSTEM STATE. Get yourself a USB or Firewire drive (I tend to recommend the ComboDock from www.wiebetech.com and a generic hard drive - it's a little more expensive at first, but in the long run, it's much cheaper and more convenient then buying multiple enclosures/enclosed drives). Then use the Windows backup tool (assuming you are using XP Pro) to backup the system.
Cheers!