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Basically I have a 250GB SSD as my primary / OS installed HD, and a 500GB SSD that I got for free of which I added to my PC for additional storage capacity. The 500GB SSD currently isn't being used and its cumbersome toggling storage between the two drives and want my PC to see them as one. It appears to be completely possible, but there is one problem. It appears both HDD's have to be reformatted, which will erase my OS and everything on my primary SSD.
I have an additional HDD that is also mostly unused totaling to 1 TB of space, but its not completely empty and I don't want to erase the data on it. Is there any way that I can back up my primary drive to it, create the RAID, and reload my OS, files, and software to the new RAID?
You'd need to wipe both SSDs and set them up as RAID 0. So backup preferably to an external and then go into your bios and create an the array, reinstall Windows, reinstall.
If you want to attempt cloning, you can give it a go. Sometimes you get problems, sometimes it works. Works better when the hardware isn't changing but also can just be a headache down the line. https://www.digitaltrends.com/comput...-10-to-an-ssd/
You'd need to wipe both SSDs and set them up as RAID 0. So backup preferably to an external and then go into your bios and create an the array, reinstall Windows, reinstall.
If you want to attempt cloning, you can give it a go. Sometimes you get problems, sometimes it works. Works better when the hardware isn't changing but also can just be a headache down the line. https://www.digitaltrends.com/comput...-10-to-an-ssd/
yeah I was afraid of that. I don't have my original Win 10 installation media and since I bought it from a vendor I'm unsure what the product key is. That was the main reason I was trying to avoid reinstalling.
You can download it from Microsoft. Since you're not changing the mobo/CPU it should just activate without any problems. Worst case scenario you call up support and tell them your Microsoft account ID and they'll manually activate it. If you just like to know:
Nowadays though the product key is pretty transparent to the user. You just go through the online activation and it lives on some server farm somewhere and you never need to know it.
To get a saveable copy of your MS Product Key, plus versions, lists of all installed software, most of their serial numbers, hardware installed, and a gob of additional data, use a systems info utility.
I've used Belarc Advisor for years: https://www.belarc.com/products_belarc_advisor
it's free, pretty quick, VERY detailed, and can be saved to a HTML file. (Make sure to save a copy OFF your machine, so it can be read if your machine has failed, or being updated, or such). I run it and save the results as a part of every monthly backup exercise.
Another suggestion: I understand why you want to combine the storage of the two SSDs, but recognize that you're reducing the level of redundancy. With RAID0, the to drives are paralleled to double storage yes, but if either fail, ALL the data on both is lost. If you just define the second SSD as your TEMP file area, and maybe the default for all your MS Office program user data files you might find your C: drive isn't over full.
On a home PC, I would recommend doing scheduled automatic image backups from one drive to the other. They can be once a day, once a week or whatever you like. You can do differential backups to speed up the process. Differential backups only backup what has changed since your last backup. That will take care of the backup part. Image backups will allow you to restore your entire hard drive with OS and programs to a bare drive in one swoop.
On a home PC, I would recommend doing scheduled automatic image backups from one drive to the other. They can be once a day, once a week or whatever you like. You can do differential backups to speed up the process. Differential backups only backup what has changed since your last backup. That will take care of the backup part. Image backups will allow you to restore your entire hard drive with OS and programs to a bare drive in one swoop.
Actually it sounds more like a JBOD volume. Dissimilarly sized disks shouldn’t be used for RAID unless you are ok with the lowest capacity for both.
Sounds like more hassle than it’s worth. But I would probably clone the 250 to the 500 and then make it primary. I’m assuming these are all SATA drives.
I've been using RAID 1 for quite some time, never did it with different disks though. Helps prevent the most common loss of data which is drive failure and it's always up to date. You also get boost in read speeds. It's not full replacement for backups, e.g corruption of a file on one disk and they both currupted but IMO it should be your front line in backup strategy.
Sounds like more hassle than it’s worth. But I would probably clone the 250 to the 500 and then make it primary. I’m assuming these are all SATA drives.
Which actually isn't a RAID but merging volumes, but I believe similar results are also capable in a RAID when not using for redundancy but rather combining storage space. The 250GB HD is just too small for everything on my machine and its a pain relocating everything I install to my HDD, having two drives with installed applications.
Which actually isn't a RAID but merging volumes, but I believe similar results are also capable in a RAID when not using for redundancy but rather combining storage space. The 250GB HD is just too small for everything on my machine and its a pain relocating everything I install to my HDD, having two drives with installed applications.
Try installing apps to the larger drive. Create a folder called "Program Files" on the larger drive.
When you install an app, select the second drive as the destination under that folder.
This is exactly what I do.
The smaller drive should only be for the system, updates, drivers etc. For example, if your video card comes with software, maybe that should be on the system drive anything else like Office can be on the larger drive.
Merging volumes should not be the reason to do RAID 0. If one drive fails, you will lose them both and it's not a matter of if but when. That is the way RAID 0 works.
A backup solution is the best way to safeguard your data. Even RAID needs to backed up.
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