How to setup raid 1 on asrock Z77 extreme4

[skywalker311]

I need some info to make sure that I'm doing this right.
I have a OCZ 60GB ssd with windows 7 ultimate 64 SP1 and I've got two seagate 500GB harddrives.
What I want to do is just put the two 500GB in a raid 1 so I'll have a complete backup of if one should fail.
I just got the second hard drive cause I lost everything a month ago. So every week I do a backup of windows 7 on the hard drive.
So that way I'll have a restart point to go to but if the hard drive fails well then we know how that feels. I'm getting ready to do another build in two weeks and I'll be doing a raid 10 on that build so this will be great learning experience for me.
I'm giving this computer to my mother and I want her to have a back up if something happen to her data.
Please tell me if this is right. I go into asrock utilities, click on advance, click on storage, click on AHCI and change it to raid.
Then back out of bios and save.
I dont know after this. I read that a window will pop up and let me choose a raid 0 or 1 setup.
Choose which raid I want and then I let it format the two hard drives and that it.
I should be good to go and I wont have to install windows 7 since it be on the ssd (right).
This why I need anyone advice on the subject so I can do it right the first time. (at least try to)
I just want to say thanks in advance for any info that you give.

 

[alexoiu]

Connect the SSD to one the Intel SATA III ports and the HDDs to the Intel SATA II ports.
If Windows is already installed on the SSD (in AHCI mode I suppose), then for switching to RAID you'll have to apply the Microsoft fix (modifying the registry) http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976.
Then install the Intel RST driver (Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver and utility ver:11.7.0.1013) from http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z77%20Extreme4/?cat=Download&os=Win764
Go to BIOS and switch SATA from AHCI to RAID. Ctrl+I at startup and configure the RAID volume. Leave the SSD as non-RAID.
Exit, boot to Windows and format the volume.
You can find on Youtube videos for more details.

 

[J_E_D_70]

RAID 1 is NOT a backup. You still need to do daily/weekly backups of the array to an external drive. If a file is accidentally perma-deleted, a virus starts nuking files, etc the RAID is no help.

 

[skywalker311]

First, I want to say thanks for the post so far. Just to clarify, The 60GB ssd will be for windows and the programs that is used the most and not be in a raid configuration. I'm wanting to do a raid 1 with the two seagate 500GB so that way my mom does not lose any pictures or movies or just any info on 500Gb hard drive. I know when you do a raid 1 setup that there only be 500GB of data to use cause it makes a mirror of it self. Even though there 1TB of data. I also have it setup on every sun to do a backup/system restore off the ssd and put it on a file that I've name windows backup to the hard drive.

 

[J_E_D_70]

Copy. What I'm saying is that you need to be backing up the RAID1 array to another internal or external disk. RAID1 is meant for higher availability of data, not to protect data.

Putting the SSD image on the external drive is also advised since restoring the image from the RAID1 could be problematic. Easier to boot to a recovery CD and pull the image off a single drive.

 

[skywalker311]

I just read this and I understand what you are trying to say now. Thanks you.
For anyone else thinking about this read this first.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/257159-32-raid-substitute-backup

 

[skywalker311]

Copy. What I'm saying is that you need to be backing up the RAID1 array to another internal or external disk. RAID1 is meant for higher availability of data, not to protect data.

Putting the SSD image on the external drive is also advised since restoring the image from the RAID1 could be problematic. Easier to boot to a recovery CD and pull the image off a single drive.

Is there a good program that I can use to make a back up of my data to one of the hard drives each week. I thought I would ask first before look on the web.

 

[J_E_D_70]

My seagate external came with basic backup software. Can look at easus todo on the free side and acronis for about $40.

 

[youcanDUit]

i also have a question regarding the asrok thingy board. i have 2 HDD's, in different sizes, can i do the RAID thingy with them? one of them is 2tb the other is 3tb. thank you.