RAID Harddisks

[gmooij]

I now have two HD's. Each 30Gb. One is the systemdrive, the other is for video-editing puposes. Both connected to the primairy IDE-port; system-HD as master and video-HD as slave. On the secundary IDE-controller I have connected a DVD/CD-ROM and a CD-RW. I like to connect both HD-drives to an extra RAID-PCI controller, to maximize datatransfer speed, and use both HD's for video editing purposes. To be able to use both HD's as RAID they have to be completely empty. I can empty the video-HD. However I like to keep the data/system/applications which now are stored on the system-HD. What can I do to empty the system-HD while safegarding the data located on it, without having to reinstall W98SE which I'm running right now. I will add an extra HD-drive, to be used as the 'new' system-HD, on the primairy IDE-port as soon as this port has room for it. Who can give me hint. Thanks. Brgds Gert.

[Andy-S]

Remove your slave video hard drive from the primary controller and replace with your new hard drive.

XCopy the contents of your system hard drive to the new hard drive (ensure all hidden files and system files are copied). Make the new hard drive bootable by typing sys D: (or whatever drive is the new drive) from the C:\ command prompt.

Switch off the machine and remove the system hard drive leaving only the new hard drive as the master on the primary controller. Verify that it boots okay to Windows 98 before deleting the contents of the system HDD.

Hope this helps.

[gmooij]

Thanks Andy-S, I appreciate yr answer.
Is XCopy a SWtool? Does it matter whether the new system-HD is the slave (the video-HD was set as the slave which will be replaced by the new one) while booting from that drive? Can I switch it later to the master position? How does the sytem now I switched the system drive from slave to master? brgds Gert

[Andy-S]

xcopy is a DOS command which can be run from the command prompt.

Set up the new HDD as the slave when copying the files from the master and then set it as the master when you want to try to boot from it. The system automatically detects the setting from the drive (based on the jumper configuration).

[gmooij]

Thanks Andy
To be able to copy data from the 'old' system-HD to the 'new' system-HD, do both drives have to be of the same size? Does xcopy also copy partitions all at once, or do I have to copy partion per partition. My present system-HD does have 3 partitions. Why did you stipulate to ensure all hidden files and system files are copied? Do I have to do something extra? How do I recognize I have such files? Thanks, brgds Gert

[Andy-S]

Gert,

If you want to copy all of the contents of the old drive then the new drive has to be at least the same capacity as the old drive. As xcopy is a DOS command then I think it will only copy one partition at a time.

You have to ensure that the hidden and system files are copied if you want the new drive to be your bootable image. An alternative method is to ensure that show all files is selected in the view tab of folder options in explorer and then select all partitions and copy using explorer.

[gmooij]

Andy, I think I can manage now with your info. Thanks. Brgds Gert

[Phil_H]

This is the type of system that i am using although the raid is built into mb ie Abit KT7a Raid
I am pretty confident that xcopy does not copy system files so will not work, a better way is to use Partition Magic or Norton Ghost they will do the job perfectly
Phil