[SOLVED] How to configure RAID1 as separate storage (i.e. not the boot drive)?

[breshaiah]

Hi All,

Just finished my first gaming PC build and my storage management plan was to have Windows 10 boot and run apps from my M.2 NVME (Samsung 970 Evo Plus 250 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive) and configure my two other SSDs (Western Digital Blue 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive) in RAID1.

Mobo: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard

So, here we go:

I have installed Windows 10 to the Samsung and intend on using that as my boot drive. I am now trying to configure my 2 WB Blues in RAID 1 to access them as separate storage from my boot drive.

I have done the following:

1. In the UEFI BIOS Utility (1405), Advanced Mode/Advanced/SATA Configuration, I have set the SATA Mode to RAID.

2. After resetting the computer, the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility appeared. In RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility, I selected Array Management and Create Array. Here is where I created my RAID 1 Array with the following properties: RAID Level 1, Array Status: Ready, Array Capacity: 499.5 GB, etc.

3. After creating my RAID array, I saved and booted Windows.

My problem: I cannot set up my RAID 1 array as a disk storage drive (i.e. D in Disk Management - I don't see it in Disk Management at all. All I see is my Samsung boot drive. Note that I have installed Armory Crate and updated my Chipset, Wi-fi, etc. drivers. But, when I go to Device Manager, there are four 'RAID Controller' devices that do not have drivers installed. The four RAID Controller devices are located on PCI bus 7, 8, 14, and 15.

I have downloaded the RAIDXpert2 Utility zip file folder from the Armory Crate but am not sure if this is what I need to do. In the RAIDXpert2 directory, there are a lot of different app files (e.g. 'AsusSetup') and don't want to perform actions I shouldn't. However, I did install the RAIDXpert2 Utility. When I opened the browser program, the username/password was 'admin', but it wouldn't allow me to 'Submit'. When researching, doing this was mentioned, but most of the forums I have read are explaining how to set up a RAID configuration as a boot drive. This is explaining a different process from what I am looking to do, so I am not sure of the steps I need to take prior to accessing RAIDXpert2 Utility (if at all).

Any help/direction would be much appreciated. This is unfamiliar territory for me and my knowledge is quite elementary.

Thanks in advance!

 

[popatim]

install the Raid driver from the Sata section of your motherboards download page
https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/TUF-GAMING-X570-PLUS/HelpDesk_Download/

 

[USAFRet]

First question - Why RAID 1?
Hopefully, you're not looking to that as data security.

 

[breshaiah]

install the Raid driver from the Sata section of your motherboards download page
https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/TUF-GAMING-X570-PLUS/HelpDesk_Download/

Thanks a bunch - first time manually installing drivers.

Any idea why Armory Crate didn't locate and install the drivers from there?
Similarly, it looks like the driver versions that Armoury Crate installed for other components (i.e. Chipset) are not the lastest versions (even though Armoury Crate is indicating the drivers are up-to-date) when compared to the versions on the ASUS website.

Should I bother with Armoury Crate or just update manually from the mobo webpage?

Thanks again,
Bresh

 

[breshaiah]

First question - Why RAID 1?
Hopefully, you're not looking to that as data security.

Thanks for the reply - popatim resolved my issue.
Please see my response to popatim if you have any additional insight for me re: drivers.

Since this is my first build, I came across RAID and thought it might be a good opportunity to learn a bit about disk management and work in the BIOS. My understanding is that RAID 1 is basically protection against a hardware failure, not data security in the sense of a backup (if drive data is lost/corrupted, it will be lost/corrupted on both drives).

I have a 4TB external hard drive that I plan on using for routine backup.

So, pretty much just an excessively redundant learning experience for someone looking to play around.
I'll probably end up reformatting them into individual drives as my storage starts to fill up.

Bresh

 

[USAFRet]

As a learning experience, OK.
I asked, because far too many people assume RAID 1 (or 5 or whatever) is a safeguard for their data.
It is not.