Only one thing is certain about HDDs…

Question

…they will fail…and mine has started to.

Dell XPS 8300, Windows 7 with 2 x 1TB 7200 RPM HDDs in RAID 0

Apologies if the answers are somewhere here, I’ve searched but couldn’t find what I need.

I was hoping that the error message from Intel Rapid Storage about one of the drives having failed was a one-off as I was able to reset it but it has happened again. So, it looks like I need to change it (them) and I would be thankful for any help.

Leaving changing from RAID 0 to RAID 1 aside for the time being (I would have liked it to have happened before, even set as default when I bought it at the end of 2011), I was thinking of replacing both drives with 2TB or bigger versions. As the delivery time shown on the Dell parts website is 1 to 2 weeks and I was looking for alternatives anyway – Toshiba / Seagate (despite failure rate reports, it was the Seagate that failed) / WD (the other drive) or even HGST.

I’ve managed to get my personal files copied off now, so the bit I’m hoping for your help with – how do I go about replacing the drives? I use Acronis True Image for backing up and I’ll be looking for help there (copy vs clone) but does anyone out there know how to copy the contents of the drives (assuming the system stays up long enough) and copy it all back when I’ve swapped the disks?

Yes, I know I could put the £200+ towards a nice shiny, new XPS 8900 but 1) I’m happy with Windows 7 and 2) My first Dell (Dimension 8300) lasted from 2003 to 2011 before it gave me any grief (and I still use it from time to time) whereas the XPS had motherboard problems and has only lasted four and a half years so if the graph continues, the longer I put off upgrading, the better.

osprey4 · Accepted Answer

Yes, to all of your questions.

Boot to the Acronis disc and follow the procedure to create an image of the entire drive. Acronis 2014 and newer support creating an image of a RAID 1 array. This is going to be an image of the current 2TB RAID array. Then you'll restore this to one of your new 2TB HDDs.

After you've got everything up and running, install the second drive, and use the Ctrl-i menu to set up RAID 1. The system will write the mirror drive. Then you should be all set!

Gym Rat · Accepted Answer

I am 'speaking' to you now from my PC! I fitted the new discs last night, fired up my PC this morning, pressed Crtl+i at the prompt, IRS recognized the new discs as such and marked them as Non-RAID (saving me a job), I then created the RAID 1 volume.and exited. Using the Acronis True Image disc, I recovered the backup I had created of the whole PC and started Windows...success! Aren't computers wonderful things?

osprey4 · Answer

Hi Gym Rat,

Acronis can make a system image and you can use that to put the image onto one of the new drives. So that will be a direct 2TB to 2TB clone. Then you can add the second drive and set up RAID 1.

What I'm not exactly sure of is whether Acronis will allow you to make an image of a compromised RAID 1 array. If it does not, then you may be forced to perform a clean install, which wouldn't be so bad, since it will make upgrading to Windows 10 cleaner.

For replacement drives, anything will do. I've not seen any data that would indicate to me that one brand is better than any other. There's no problem buying from Dell but you'll get a manufacturer's warranty either way.

Gym Rat · Answer

Oh, well I didn't expect that as an option! I'm (hopefully) creating a backup (Acronis .tib file) of the volume (including partitions) rather than a clone, to copy onto the repaced drive(s) using the Acronis Recovery CD. I've never done it, but supposedly it's just a case of booting to the disc, selecting the new target drive(s), then the USB connected drive containing the backup and wait.

Are you saying that I can install 1 x 2TB drive, write the backup to that single drive then change to RAID 1? Is that possible? Does the Intel Rapid Storage copy the contents of disc 1 to disc 2 then run as RAID 1? I've been putting it off thinking that it was much more complicated and risky. Is it done at boot time with Ctrl+i? Ive seen it hundreds of times but never looked at it.

Gym Rat · Answer

Well, things are looking up for the first time in a week. Thanks for your time "Bringer of Good News".

I had already created the Acronis disc based on the "Carry the biggest, heaviest, most unwieldy umbrella, then it won't rain" theory I hold dear, in the hope that I would never need it. Did you mean "image of a RAID 0 array" my current configuration?

2 x 2TB drives on order, heading for my XPS 8300 with Acronis disc in hand now.

:emotion-7: Into the boot menu to get it to load the Acronis disc, create a USB drive backup of my C:\ drive with any partitions then wait for the discs to arrive...

...remove the old discs, install both new ones but only connect 1, boot to the Acronis disc again and write from the backup.

Everything crossed and boot to the new drive.

Connect the second drive.

Boot up and Ctrl + i to enter the Intel Rapid Storage settings to change to RAID 1.

:emotion-1: Live happily ever after and wonder why I didn't do it all sooner. :emotion-10:

The End

osprey4 · Answer

Yeah! Thanks for posting the good news.

Gym Rat · Answer

I've only got as far as stage 1 'create a USB drive backup of my C:\ drive with any partitions' as the replacement discs didn't arrive 'till this morning and it looks like that is where the good news ends. 'Computer says nooooo.' or at least 'The man from Intel, he say no.'I knew there was a reason I didn't change before, maybe I'm better off staying with RAID 0.News from the Intel forum and backed up by other sources are that it isn't possible to move from RAID 0 to RAID 1, only to 'Migrate' to RAID 1 from a 'RAID Ready system' 'from within Windows'. I now need to figure out how to reset the current RAID 0 to 'RAID Ready' and then how do I 'Migrate' to RAID 1 at some point in the process after stage 1 (or stick with RAID 0).

Gym Rat · Answer

Update -

Intel tell me that I should be able to reset or break the RAID 0 array from the Option ROM (Ctrl + i at boot) going to a non-RAID setup (effectively erasing the data) then create the RAID 1.

I don't want to do that with the installed discs in case things go wrong and I am able re-install them but then I'm not sure how the Option ROM will react to the new disks being installed, whether it will just treat them as though they are the originals and update the Device Models, Serial numbers and sizes or reject them.

I'll keep in touch.

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Only one thing is certain about HDDs…

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