RAID5 using USB drives

[Azra]

Is it possible to create a software RAID5 array in Windows 10 Pro using USB drives?

Like Seagate Backup Plus Portable 4TB drives. I have a bunch of those and I'd like to put them to good use. But I can't erase the data that's on them just yet and I don't have Windows 10 installed yet on my target computer so I figured I'd ask before making plans.

Thanks!

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Yes. However, you have to trick the system into thinking they're not removable.

http://reboot.pro/topic/10534-converting-usb-removable-to-fixed-disk-bcdedit-menu-list/

Once you have the USB Removable flag unset, you can use Disk Management to create a software RAID.

That said, if you already have data on the disks, I'm 99% sure that combining them into a RAID5 configuration in Disk Management will require you delete all the data on them.

 

[Azra]

Thank you Dave. I'll see what I can do about that removable bit...

 

[Mark_Venture]

You can also just use Storage Spaces in Windows 10 parity pool. Its very similar to raid 5.

Storage Spaces can use USB, SATA, etc. drives.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12438/windows-10-storage-spaces
http://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-storage-spaces-windows-10

Oh, and the storage pool is portable between Windows 10 computers. (i.e. you can take the bunch of drives from PC A to PC B, and PC B will recognize and be able to use the pool)

 

[Azra]

I didn't know about Storage Spaces. It should solve my problem perfectly. Thank you Mark.