Using Ghost to move from a 240GB RAID-0 array to 500GB single drive

[AdamK47]

I know it's possible to use Norton Ghost to copy the entire image of the RAID array to a single drive. When I installed Windows XP on the array, I had to provide a driver for the RAID controller. After moving everything over from the array would I have to remove the driver in order to boot off the new single drive? If so, how?

 

[Arcanedeath]

It depends on which version of ghost your using and if your raid array is supported under dos or if its a naitive implmentation that doesn't require special drivers.

 

[AdamK47]

It's Ghost 10 and the RAID works in DOS as it's using the nVidia RAID controller on the motherboard.

 

[AdamK47]

I guess I'll have to just try it

 

[Jiggz]

You do not have to remove the raid driver since it will not be used anymore. Just clone the array into a single drive and you will be all set. A better program for this kind of job is the Casper XP. It actually works inside Windows. I've done it many times because I back up my RAID 0 array on a single hdd and works everytime using Casper XP or Maxblast.

 

[AdamK47]

Anyone have experience with Acronis True Image. I saw this at MicroCenter the other day. How does it compare to the software mentioned above? Will it work for what I want it to do?

 

[spikespiegal]

Paragon also allows you to do live, in place Windows clones, and I use it all the time with critical servers like AD controllers and such. Restoring is a lot trickier.

I woulnd't touch Maxblast with a 10 foot pole if I had a condom on the end of it.

Heard good things about Acronis, but haven't used it.

Provided the RAID controller has native DOS support you should be able to do this - no problem. Most of the lower order onboard RAID controllers like Nvidia, HighPoint, etc., have basic DOS support.

 

[AdamK47]

I'm thinking of changing my plan of attack here. I originally wanted to go from RAID to a single drive since I plan to upgrade to Conroe when it comes out. I wouldn't be able to move a RAID array that is setup on my current motherboard since more than likely the Intel RAID controller won't work with an Array setup with an nVidia controller.

Since shopping around, I found out that Microcenter has OEM 250GB Samsung drives for $99 each. These drives are the Samsung SpinPoint P120s. They have two 125GB platters, 8MB cache, SATAII, and NCQ. I'll break down what I would like to do now...

1. Purchase two 250GB Samsung drives and set them up as a 500GB RAID-0 partition.
2. Use imaging software to move my current 240GB array over to the new 500GB array.
3. Remove the 240GB array from RAID and set the two drives up as two single 120GB partitions.
4. Use the imaging software to make periodic backup images of the 500GB array and span it across the two 120GB drives.

That's how I plan to keep it until Conroe comes out. Once I get Conroe and a motherboard for it, it's on to the next steps...

5. Use my spare PATA 60GB IBM drive and attach that to the new Conroe motherboard.
6. Install Windows XP on it along with the imaging software.
7. Attach the two seperate 120GB SATA drives along with the two 250GB SATA drives.
8. Set the two 250GB drives as RAID-0
9. From the 60GB drive I would run the image software and restore the spanned backup that's on the two 120GB drives onto the 500GB RAID-0 array.

I don't want to reinstall all of these and repatch them all over again. I've moved from motherboard to motherboard in the past with the same formatted hard drive WITHOUT incedent OR performance degredation. Windows simply asks for the correct drivers for the various motherboard functionality.

 

[AdamK47]

I purchased the two 250GB Samsung SpinPoint 120P hard drives yesterday. I also bought Norton Ghost 10. It was an easy process although Norton Ghost 10 appears to be dumbed down to the point where usability is compromised. They don't use terminoligy that an advanced user would easily recognize and everything goes through a wizard rather than a single screen. I now see why people are buying competing products.

I was much quicker than I thought to move 200GB of data over to the new 500GB array. It took about 30 minutes to transfer everything over.