Question Upgrading mirrored array with 2 larger drives Win 11 Pro advice requested please!

[LuMax]

On my PC I am running Win 11 Pro OS on a Samsung NVMe 980.
For storage I currently use 2, 6TB HDDs running 'Mirrored' using Win 11 Pro Disk Management.
This array has 6 partitions (Data, Photos, Video, Music, Archive, Backup)
I just ordered 2, 16TB HDDs to replace the 6TB HDDs as they are nearly full.

Here's my plan for the upgrade since I don't own anything voluminous enough to backup the current RAID data to externally:

1. Plug one of the new HDDs into an open SATA port, format it, partition it, and then copy the data from the current mirrored array into the corresponding partitions.
2. Once this is complete, shutdown and remove the mirrored disks from their SATA ports (0 and 1)
3. Install the formatted 16TB into SATA port0 and the other 16TB HDD into port1
4. Reboot and then select the 'rebuild mirrored array' (or whatever the Win 11 prompt is to accomplish this) from the HDD on port0.
5. Run PC until the rebuild is complete, keeping the old HDDs as-is until I know the rebuild is 100% OK.

Thoughts?
Is there a better method when I don't have a way to backup externally prior to expanding this mirrored array with bigger HDDs?
Thanks!

 

[USAFRet]

Is there a better method when I don't have a way to backup externally prior to expanding this mirrored array with bigger HDDs?

This is the problematic part.

You should always have a known good backup.
Doubly so when you are doing a major parts upgrade like this.

Your steps seem to look like they'd work.
But if they don't....

 

[LuMax]

My 'backup' is that the original 2 HDDs are not being changed, just unplugged. The data on both of them should not be affected during this process.
If the rebuild fails for some reason, couldn't I just plug either of these disks into an unused SATA port and then copy the data once I have a healthy new mirrored array with the larger disks?

 

[USAFRet]

My 'backup' is that the original 2 HDDs are not being changed, just unplugged. The data on both of them should not be affected during this process.
If the rebuild fails for some reason, couldn't I just plug either of these disks into an unused SATA port and then copy the data once I have a healthy new mirrored array with the larger disks?

As said,I think that would probably work.

A few years ago, I upgraded my NAS, RAID 5, from 4x 3TB to 4x 4TB.
But only with a known good offline backup of ALL data on the array.


Me being me, of course...I have to ask the reasoning behind the RAID 1? Especially with 2x 16TB.

 

[LuMax]

The mirrored array is for a possible HDD failure.
I had one of the 6TB HDDs fail ~18 months ago.
I replaced it with a new identical HDD the next day (Amazon to the rescue), the array rebuilt (required hours), but zero data loss.
The odds of both failing simultaneously are quite remote.

 

[USAFRet]

The mirrored array is for a possible HDD failure.
I had one of the 6TB HDDs fail ~18 months ago.
I replaced it with a new identical HDD the next day (Amazon to the rescue), the array rebuilt (required hours), but zero data loss.
The odds of both failing simultaneously are quite remote.

Right, the usual stated reason for a RAID 1.

But a real backup protects against that, as well as all the other forms of potential data loss.
Accidental deletion, corruption, ransomware, etc, etc.

 

[Zerk2012]

The odds of both failing simultaneously are quite remote.

Not really a power surge from a storm or something could kill all drives at the same time. Not likely but very possible along with everything else listed above.

A full backup routine should be a standard if you can't loose your data.

Raid is false security till it goes to crap then reality sets in.