SSD and HDD linking

[peehdee]

I have a dell desktop with 2TB drives (2 separate 2TB drives) in RAID 0 set up and a 3TB WD external drive that automatically backs up the RAID drive.

I just upgraded my drive to Samsung SSD 1TB. But I had to delete a lot of files from the 2TB RAID to get it to work. I tried "excluding" several TBs of data from the 2TB RAID but the program kept stalling or getting stuck so couldn't clone the drive. But once I deleted a bunch of file from the RAID (went from 1.2 TB to like 600GB), it worked flawlessly. I have all my files of course backed up on the WD 3TB drive.

My new SSD drive is working perfectly and faster than the old.

1) I'd like to use my 2TB RAID 0 set up as a back up drive and also keep using the 3TB WD that will automatically back up the SSD and the 2TB. Will this be possible? or am I stuck only using the 3TB drive to back up the SSD?
2) Can I keep my RAID 0 set up as the backup drive? or will I have to break up the RAID set up?
3) Originally my RAID were connected to the computer on 2 bays. Now the SSD occupies one bay but now I am stuck with 2 drives. How do I connect all 3 drives? extension cables?

Am I stuck only using the 3TB drive to back up the SSD?

Right now, the SSD (1TB) is running everything. The 2TB (two separate 2 TB drives) RAID 0 is disconnected. The computer won't recognize this drive by the way. The 3TB WD backup drive is unplugged as well.

Hope my questions were clear. And more importantly someone can guide me.

Thank you.

 

[RealBeast]

Do not use RAID 0 for data storage or backup, it is far too unreliable -- even more so if you are using bios based RAID.

Reinitialize the 2TB drives and use them separately. If you are using Windows 8 or 10 consider using Windows Storage Spaces as an alternative that will be more reliable, although you should still backup to an external drive periodically.

 

[USAFRet]

A RAID 0 is quite possibly the worst thing you could use for a backup target.

You have:
1TB SSD - OS and currently all your stuff. Basically, everything
2 x 2TB drives, maybe in a RAID 0.
1 x 3TB external

This is what I would do:
Undo that RAID 0 thing.
1 x 1TB SSD - OS, applications, and a bunch of stuff that fits
1 x 2TB HDD - whatever does not fit on the SSD
1 x 2TB HDD - Unknown
1 x 3TB - backups, however you wish to do that.

 

[peehdee]

thanks for the comments.

how do I UN RAID 0? I think I used Intel Rapid Storage Technology to set it up as RAID. But now windows wont' recognize the drives. it says the RAID set up is failed. but there is no option that says, 'make these drives no longer RAID".

 

[USAFRet]

thanks for the comments.

how do I UN RAID 0? I think I used Intel Rapid Storage Technology to set it up as RAID. But now windows wont' recognize the drives. it says the RAID set up is failed. but there is no option that says, 'make these drives no longer RAID".

Unsure of how to undo it.
But...know that ALL data on both of those drives will be gone. (as it is already)

What setting/options do you see in the IRST?

 

[RealBeast]

To "undo" your RAID the most simple method it to open an elevated command prompt (right click and choose run as admin) the type:
diskpart
list disk
select disk n (where n is one of the RAID member disks)
clean

Then run it again for the other disk. You can then use disk management to reinitialize each disk and format.