setting up raid with pci card... possible without format?

[homestarmy]

I have a 120GB drive in my main computer and another in my second computer, but they will both be in my first in a few days and I have a RAID card on the way. Can I set up a raid on my first computer without having to completely format both drives?

 

[compso]

Will you use RAID 0 (striping) or RAID 1 (mirroring)? Either way you still have to format and start from scratch.

 

[shekondar]

If you are mirroring (RAID 1), you only need to format the new drive (the RAID controller should do this automatically when it mirrors the drive)

 

[mrEvil]

What shekondar said. No way to avoid it with RAID 0. Of course, you lose 1 drive, you lose all data with Raid 0 also.

 

[homestarmy]

I'm sorry I didn't specify, I will be doing RAID-0. I will have two 120G drives. I suppose I will make an exact copy of my current 120G drive onto my spare 80, then format both 120's to get ready for the raid.

I've never set a raid up before though. How exactly am I supposed to get started? Start the windows install, point it towards the drivers for the RAID card then...? And when do I choose which RAID that I want?