AMD Fastbuild - Remove Array

[superfuzzy]

My boot drive is currently RAID 1 using AMD Fastbuild, and I'd like to remove the RAID 1 array so I can use the 2nd disk for other stuff. I'm using a Gigabyte AM2 MB with XP . When I go into the Fastbuild utility to remove the array it warns that all data will be lost. I need the data since it contains the OS. I suppose I could use Acronis to make an image of the drive, then delete the array, and restore the image with the OS to one of the drives, but Is there an easier way?

In other words I want to break the RAID 1 array which has the OS on it.


Thanks!

 

[superfuzzy]

Anyone? If additional info is needed let me know.

 

[GhislainG]

I'd make a backup, but a RAID1 can normally be broken without losing data (at least the ones that I'm familiar with).

 

[woshitudou]

Put another disk in, copy the data off the raid drive onto that disk, thats a good starting point for backup. Then remove one disk from the raid. Since it's mirrored you won't lose the data. I suspect that if you try to use the software to destroy the raid you're going to in effect destroy the raid with its data. Try just running the hdd by itself.

But of course I'm talking this out of my ass so read the manual.

 

[woshitudou]

I googled a bit and someone wrote to make an image of your raid drive on another drive, destroy the old raid 1, then put it back to single disk mode and write your old hdd image over the other one. If its done right then the only thing you may have to do is reinstall windows in repair mode.

I did a disk copy a few years back to another disk to use as my priamry and afterwards I had to use another copy of windows to edit my main win installation's registry to copy over new id's from the drives so it would detect them properly. It was painful.

 

[woshitudou]

Google for break raid 1 mirror

 

[superfuzzy]

I googled a bit and someone wrote to make an image of your raid drive on another drive, destroy the old raid 1, then put it back to single disk mode and write your old hdd image over the other one. If its done right then the only thing you may have to do is reinstall windows in repair mode.

I did a disk copy a few years back to another disk to use as my priamry and afterwards I had to use another copy of windows to edit my main win installation's registry to copy over new id's from the drives so it would detect them properly. It was painful.

Thanks for the responses. I was hoping there would be a simple solution, but I'll just keep it RAID 1 for now since SATA drives are dirt cheap. Bottom line is breaking RAID on the primary (boot) disk is a PITA

The simple solution that *might* work is to unplug one of the drives to break the RAID.

 

[GhislainG]

It's simple and the risks are low. If you really want to do it, disconnect one disk and then remove the other one from the array. However, it is was my system, I would still make a backup before doing it.