Can I install Windows 10 in one hard drive and later add another one as RAID 1 configuration?

[BigLouis1971]

The title says it all, can I add the second disk later and still configure both drives as RAID 1.

 

[Jared_31]

No.

You need to plug both drives in, enable the RAID controller via BIOS settings, then format both drives and build an array. Once the array is built, you then install windows and go about your merry way.

edit: Same goes for when you want to disable RAID and move back to single drives. You need to destroy the RAID array and lose everything.

 

[Shaun o]

When you first setup any sort of raid array.
You must have the two physical drives present in the system at the same time when creating the raid array.
The minimum drives required to create any array from a raid 0 to a raid 1 setup must be two drives.

You cannot create and array. otherwise BigLouis1971
Due to the way the drives have to be formatted and setup for the array.

It depends on if you are setting the array of two drives minimum to gain read and write transfer speeds.

Or you are setting up an array with Data retention in mind.

 

[BigLouis1971]

No.

You need to plug both drives in, enable the RAID controller via BIOS settings, then format both drives and build an array. Once the array is built, you then install windows and go about your merry way.

edit: Same goes for when you want to disable RAID and move back to single drives. You need to destroy the RAID array and lose everything.

Thanks for your answer. I guess that the raid will have to wait a few days or even weeks since I was able to order just one disk for now.

 

[USAFRet]

Also, what is your planned concept for the RAID 1?

Generally, RAID of any type is pretty useless in regular consumer use.
Contrary to popular belief, RAID 1 is not a backup, if that is what you were thinking.

 

[BigLouis1971]

Also, what is your planned concept for the RAID 1?

Generally, RAID of any type is pretty useless in regular consumer use.
Contrary to popular belief, RAID 1 is not a backup, if that is what you were thinking.

Really? That's exactly what I was thinking. I just need the mirror disk just in case that one fails, I'm able to swap it with a new one.

 

[USAFRet]

Also, what is your planned concept for the RAID 1?

Generally, RAID of any type is pretty useless in regular consumer use.
Contrary to popular belief, RAID 1 is not a backup, if that is what you were thinking.

Really? That's exactly what I was thinking. I just need the mirror disk just in case that one fails, I'm able to swap it with a new one.

A RAID 1 helps in one and only one fail mode - that of a physical drive fail.
It does nothing for accidental deletion, corruption, viruses, fire, flood, etc, etc.
Which are all much more likely than the drive breaking.

A RAID 1 is good if you actually need 24/7 uninterrupted ops. Say if you were running a server for a webstore, where downtime = lost sales. In the unlikely instance of the actual drive failing, operations can continue to limp along on the single remaining drive.
And any rational business that has a config like that also has an actual backup.

There are MUCH better ways to protect your data.
I have my system to do a full image of the C drive every night. Keep a week or two worth.
In the rare case of my actual C drive failing, simply put in a new drive, and recover that whole C image from last nights image.
Or, in the case of a accidentally deleted file or other weirdness, grab the image from the day before that happened.

A RAID 1 only ensures that the accidental deletion happens on 2 drives at the same moment.
That file is gone, gone, gone.

 

[Paperdoc]

I agree fully with USAFRet. RAID1 is NOT a backup system. I use a RAID1 system in a Point-of-Sale computer in our small retail store so that, IF one drive fails, the system just keeps on running through the business day. Then when the store is closed I can diagnose and repair the failed array. Our backup system is completely different. We do NOT have any RAID systems, and certainly not RAID1, in any of your home computers.