JoanEdington
asked on
How do I remove the RAID from a Windows 7 PC
Hi,
My husband had a Windows 7 PC built for him using an AMD RAIDXpert solution to protect his data using 2 identical disks. This has not proved to be as safe as he envisaged since, at the weekend, one of the disks failed and the RAID did not carry on using the other one. He had to take the PC to a local expert to have the disk replaced and rebuilt, losing his ability to carry out his work for 3 days. He has decided that, if the RAID can't be relied on, he would like to get rid of it and use the 2nd drive as a clone of the 1st, which would be his live system. He would do regular manual cloning as well as his usual data backups.
His question is, can the RAID be removed, leaving 1 disk live in its current state, without having to resort to a complete system rebuild? If so, he would like to know how since he is not familiar with RAID configuration or removal.
Any help would be gratefully received.
Cheers,
Joan
My husband had a Windows 7 PC built for him using an AMD RAIDXpert solution to protect his data using 2 identical disks. This has not proved to be as safe as he envisaged since, at the weekend, one of the disks failed and the RAID did not carry on using the other one. He had to take the PC to a local expert to have the disk replaced and rebuilt, losing his ability to carry out his work for 3 days. He has decided that, if the RAID can't be relied on, he would like to get rid of it and use the 2nd drive as a clone of the 1st, which would be his live system. He would do regular manual cloning as well as his usual data backups.
His question is, can the RAID be removed, leaving 1 disk live in its current state, without having to resort to a complete system rebuild? If so, he would like to know how since he is not familiar with RAID configuration or removal.
Any help would be gratefully received.
Cheers,
Joan
Yes, it can be removed. Take full system backup using backup tool (I don't know if you already use one) like Backup & Recovery 14 Free: http://www.paragon-software.com/home/br-free/
Then boot the PC into RAID interface where the RAID was configured and remove the RAID.
After that boot the system from a Recovery CD for Backup & Recovery Free (should be created from installed copy before removing the RAID) and restore from backup over this single drive.
Another option is to disconnect one drive - remove RAID, disable RAID in BIOS and then reconnect the drive.
It must be able to boot from any of these RAID1 mirror drives.
If it won't boot - simply start the machine from Recovery CD for Backup & Recovery 14 and perform P2P Adjust OS which will adjust the OS to boot from non-RAID configuration.
As for backup. Instead of using manual backup - use scheduled backup approach. Paragon has a tool called Drive Copy 15 which can do daily clones of Diks0 to Disk1 based on schedule. So that if disk0 fails - your husband can easily switch to Disk1.
Then boot the PC into RAID interface where the RAID was configured and remove the RAID.
After that boot the system from a Recovery CD for Backup & Recovery Free (should be created from installed copy before removing the RAID) and restore from backup over this single drive.
Another option is to disconnect one drive - remove RAID, disable RAID in BIOS and then reconnect the drive.
It must be able to boot from any of these RAID1 mirror drives.
If it won't boot - simply start the machine from Recovery CD for Backup & Recovery 14 and perform P2P Adjust OS which will adjust the OS to boot from non-RAID configuration.
As for backup. Instead of using manual backup - use scheduled backup approach. Paragon has a tool called Drive Copy 15 which can do daily clones of Diks0 to Disk1 based on schedule. So that if disk0 fails - your husband can easily switch to Disk1.
>> one of the disks failed and the RAID did not carry on using the other one. << this suggests the raid was not a good one; probably an onboard raid? if you use raid, best go for a good raid controller, or a software raid.
it can even be a software problem - copied over on both drives
it can even be a software problem - copied over on both drives
ASKER
Thanks to everyone who has answered. Unfortunately, my husband is not experienced enough to carry out the RAID configuration. He has a manual which says to hold Ctrl & F while booting to get into the utility but, when he tries that, nothing happens. I think he will have to bite the bullet and take the PC to the company that installed the RAID in the first place.
seems the best solution then !
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ASKER
Hi Noxcho,
The motherboard is an ASUSTeK Computer INC. F1A55-M LE Rev X.0x.
We looked in the BIOS and all we could see that might be relevant was against the SATA drives where there was an option of choosing RAID, IDE or AHCI. It was set to RAID. Is it really as simple as changing to IDE? Although I have a fair amount of experience in computers I have not dealt with a RAID PC. My husband is considerably less experienced and I think would need step-by-step instructions. I don't know if that is possible.
The motherboard is an ASUSTeK Computer INC. F1A55-M LE Rev X.0x.
We looked in the BIOS and all we could see that might be relevant was against the SATA drives where there was an option of choosing RAID, IDE or AHCI. It was set to RAID. Is it really as simple as changing to IDE? Although I have a fair amount of experience in computers I have not dealt with a RAID PC. My husband is considerably less experienced and I think would need step-by-step instructions. I don't know if that is possible.
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But do a FULL backup first
ASKER
Thanks noxcho. One last thing he is asking though. What will the state of the 2nd disk be after disabling the RAID? Will it be usable as a clone or should it be formatted first? I have one very nervous hubby since he needs his machine for work.
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ASKER
Hi noxcho.
Many thanks for all the help you have given me. It has been well noted for the future. However, my husband decided that, since he wanted to install a SS system disc, he would rebuild on that and simply re-format his original drives, after backing up all his data etc. The RAID will have been removed when the disc was installed by the company who sold it to him in the first place.
Even though he didn't follow up on your advice, it was obviously good advice so I will accept the solution.
Thanks again.
Joan
Many thanks for all the help you have given me. It has been well noted for the future. However, my husband decided that, since he wanted to install a SS system disc, he would rebuild on that and simply re-format his original drives, after backing up all his data etc. The RAID will have been removed when the disc was installed by the company who sold it to him in the first place.
Even though he didn't follow up on your advice, it was obviously good advice so I will accept the solution.
Thanks again.
Joan
ASKER
Thanks noxcho.
Thanks for feedback Joan.
Have a nice weekend.
Nox
Have a nice weekend.
Nox
The deconfigure the RAID into separate disks. Restore the image onto the first one and format the other one to be clean. Unse your image generating software to back up the system as image (more space friendly) to the secondary disk. Most programs support incremental backup, so the next backup after x days/weeks/months/(...) wouldn't take hours to run.
Back up regulary, and store a "worst case backup" of that on some mobile HDD in another place.
Greetings