Replacing system drive RAID-0 with single drive

[barnabas1969]

There have been many discussions about replacing your system drive with an SSD. I've read up about cloning my system drive and then replacing it. However, I have a bit of a different situation.

I have two SSD's configured as a RAID-0. It's a long story as to why I ended up this way, but I want to swap them out for a single, faster, larger SSD. The RAID is configured in BIOS.

I downloaded the fully-functional 30-day trial of Acronis True Image and did a test backup of the system drive to a partition on one of my hard drives. That part was easy. I intend to make a new backup when I'm ready to actually swap the SSD's. I want to be certain that I don't mess up my HTPC because I have lots of copy-protected recordings. So, in case things go wrong, I am wondering if I will be able to simply plug my old SSD drives back into their respective SATA ports, and configure them as a RAID in BIOS without erasing the data on them.

That last part is my big question. I don't know if the RAID configuration in BIOS will wipe my drives if I am forced to abort the upgrade and re-connect my old drives. Anybody have experience with this?

[Scallica]

Can you better clarify your objective?

[barnabas1969]

What I'm asking is.... if things go wrong (restore doesn't work, new drive is bad, whatever), I need a fallback plan. In case of failure, my plan is to plug my old drives back into their respective SATA ports.

However, if I do this, I'm afraid that my BIOS will require me to setup a new RAID and wipe the data off of my old drives.

[KHTPC75]

Typically, as long as you set the bios settings back to what they were originally for the 2 SSD drives and you plug them into the same ports, everything should come back up properly. You may want to set your bios settings first without the drives attached, power down the PC then attach the drives and bring it back up.

I've done the same thing many times with servers and desktops. We'll even pull drives from a dead server and pop them into a different server with the same hardware and bring them back online without any issues.

I recently installed a new motherboard from a different manufacturer. It had the same RAID BIOS as my original motherboard so I just plugged all drives into the same ports as the other board and set the sata to raid and everything came back online.

[Scallica]

RAID configuration is stored as metadata on the drives. You won't have to reconfigure anything. For best results, reconnect the drives to their original SATA ports.

Let us know how things work out.

[KHTPC75]

Oh...make a windows system image first to an external hard drive or a network drive. That way you have another copy of your data.

You really don't need to use a drive imaging tool as windows system image will do the same thing. Just make sure the new system partition is the same size or larger than the original or it won't work even if the original partition contains less data than the size of the new partition. It will just give you an error and won't tell you why it's failing. Took me a hour to figure that one out.

You just boot with your windows 7 disc and use the restore from system image option. It will allow you to restore the image from a network location or disk.

[barnabas1969]

Oh...make a windows system image first to an external hard drive or a network drive. That way you have another copy of your data.

You really don't need to use a drive imaging tool as windows system image will do the same thing. Just make sure the new system partition is the same size or larger than the original or it won't work even if the original partition contains less data than the size of the new partition. It will just give you an error and won't tell you why it's failing. Took me a hour to figure that one out.

You just boot with your windows 7 disc and use the restore from system image option. It will allow you to restore the image from a network location or disk.

When I try to run a Windows system image, and only select the C: drive, it tries to backup all of my data (recordings and all), even though my recordings are on a separate set of HDD's. I don't have a place big enough to put all that data. Acronis allows me to make an image of only the drive I'm replacing.

[barnabas1969]

RAID configuration is stored as metadata on the drives. You won't have to reconfigure anything. For best results, reconnect the drives to their original SATA ports.

Let us know how things work out.

If the metadata is on the drives, and I make a system image with Acronis True Image, will my new disc contain this RAID metadata after the restore? If so, will this cause me any problems?

[KHTPC75]

Oh...make a windows system image first to an external hard drive or a network drive. That way you have another copy of your data.

You really don't need to use a drive imaging tool as windows system image will do the same thing. Just make sure the new system partition is the same size or larger than the original or it won't work even if the original partition contains less data than the size of the new partition. It will just give you an error and won't tell you why it's failing. Took me a hour to figure that one out.

You just boot with your windows 7 disc and use the restore from system image option. It will allow you to restore the image from a network location or disk.

When I try to run a Windows system image, and only select the C: drive, it tries to backup all of my data (recordings and all), even though my recordings are on a separate set of HDD's. I don't have a place big enough to put all that data. Acronis allows me to make an image of only the drive I'm replacing.

Does it not let you uncheck the drive where the recordings are located? It may be the way the OS was installed. The OS drive may appear as the second drive to the os so it installed the boot information on first logical drive which is the same logical drive as your recordings. That way it needs both drives during the backup. Just a guess.

[KHTPC75]

RAID configuration is stored as metadata on the drives. You won't have to reconfigure anything. For best results, reconnect the drives to their original SATA ports.

Let us know how things work out.

If the metadata is on the drives, and I make a system image with Acronis True Image, will my new disc contain this RAID metadata after the restore? If so, will this cause me any problems?

It won't. Since you'll be creating the raid array (s) and logical drive (s) prior, it will only be restoring the data to the new logical drives.

[barnabas1969]

Does it not let you uncheck the drive where the recordings are located? It may be the way the OS was installed. The OS drive may appear as the second drive to the os so it installed the boot information on first logical drive which is the same logical drive as your recordings. That way it needs both drives during the backup. Just a guess.

Yes, it lets me un-check the recording drive. I already know why Windows backup is doing what it's doing... it has something to do with the way I have some other things configured. That subject would just complicate this thread. Basically, I'm using Acronis for a good reason. My only concern is wiping my drives in case I am forced to plug them back into my SATA ports and attempt the upgrade later.

[Scallica]

RAID configuration is stored as metadata on the drives. You won't have to reconfigure anything. For best results, reconnect the drives to their original SATA ports.

Let us know how things work out.

If the metadata is on the drives, and I make a system image with Acronis True Image, will my new disc contain this RAID metadata after the restore? If so, will this cause me any problems?

That's a good question and I believe the answer is no. Acronis is taking a snapshot of the logical drive created by the RAID array, not the physical disks.

[barnabas1969]

It won't. Since you'll be creating the raid array (s) and logical drive (s) prior, it will only be restoring the data to the new logical drives.

I think we're getting really confused here. I want to backup my RAID, and restore it to a single drive. IF, and only if, that fails, then I'll need to re-install my original system drives as a RAID-0... hopefully without losing any data that is on them currently. I also don't want that RAID metadata to mess up my new, single SSD.

Clear as mud?

[barnabas1969]

That's a good question and I believe the answer is no. Acronis is taking a snapshot of the logical drive created by the RAID array, not the physical disks.

OK, good answer. That makes sense. So, basically, I want to avoid doing a "Disk Image" and stick with a "Partition Image". According to the documentation for Acronis True Image, when I choose the system partition, it will automatically backup/restore the hidden system partition as well. That sounds like it will work.

[Scallica]

I don't think disk image vs partition image matters. Acronis can only see the logical disk created by the RAID-0 array.

Also, after you restore the image to your new SSD, if Windows fails to boot for any reason, you can insert the Windows cd and use the startup repair utility.

[barnabas1969]

Time to go. I'll post back with results after I receive the new drive. It might be there waiting for me right now. We'll see.

[barnabas1969]

I started to replace the drive last night, but it turns out that the 30 day free trial of Acronis True Image will not allow me to restore my backup unless I pay for the software. I'll see what I can do this weekend.

[richard1980]

Did they change that recently? I remember testing it a while back (I'm sure it was in the last 6 months, but maybe it was longer) to make sure I could backup an OS image from the HDD and restore it to SSD without killing DRM'd recordings. I'm pretty sure I used the trial for my test.

[barnabas1969]

I did some searching and found that all of the major players do this... free trial with no restore ability. It kinda sucks... I'll have to spend almost as much for the software ($50) as I spent for the drive ($64) in order to replace the old drives.

[Beradon]

So here's a few things that you'll run into when doing this... I actually attempted it recently from a RAID 5 configuration to a single drive and ended up with a BSOD loop, mostly my fault though.

Windows, when configured, expects a certain registry key, in addition to drivers (which was my problem) in order to properly boot. If you configure your machine as AHCI and want to switch to RAID, or IDE and likewise if you want to switch from RAID to AHCI or IDE the system *will* BSOD if you flat out image the RAID array and try to stick it on a single disk.

If that doesnt explain it, let me try to clarify, then offer two suggestions, however one of those might kill your DRM.

Here is the reason this happens:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976
The boiled down version is this: Microsoft disables all the storage controllers that are not required during the Windows installation, so when you attempt to switch from RAID to AHCI, IDE to AHCI, AHCI to IDE or RAID, essentially the system cant see the drive anymore once it gets past a certain point in the boot and it posts a BSOD.

A post concerning this same issue:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... 72c841023a

Now, since it sounds like you're sticking with a single motherboard, you shouldnt have to do the second option, so try Option 1A or 1B

Option 1A:

• Change the registry key as outlined in the links above (there are also tools that you can download to do this, I dont know that I'd bother though unless you want to go find them)
• Image the drive
• reset the registry keys back to raid (to maintain integrity of your array so you can boot to it again later)
• load image on new drive
• shutdown
• Set BIOS to the correct setting (AHCI or IDE for the new drive)
• Boot windows

If for any reason Option 1A BSODs on the new drive, set the BIOS back to RAID and see if it will work, essentially turning Option 1A into option 1B.

Option 1B: (Honestly, I havent tried this method, but in thinking about your options, this should work, this is likely the easiest of the three as well)

• Image the drive
• load image on new drive
• boot into windows on the new drive (this should work since Windows will still see your drive as on the RAID controller despite being a single drive install)
• change the registry key
• reboot
• change bios setting from RAID to AHCI or IDE, whatever you select
• boot into Windows

The beauty of methods A and B is they will not change your original system drives in any way, so if for whatever reason something happens, you can simply slap them back in, set the bios properly and boot to them.


Option 2: (which could kill your DRM)
Generalize your windows Install.

What this does is it resets all of your system drivers to general drivers. In essence it goes through the 'first boot' procedure on your system again.

How you do it is this:

• Open an elevated command prompt
• navigate to C:\Windows\System32\sysprep>
• run Sysprep
• select "Enter System Out of Box Experience (OOBE)"
• select "Generalize"
• select "Shutdown"
• When it finishes, boot from a recovery CD (not Windows, I'm talking Macrium, Windows PE, Acronis, ImageX) and image your drive
• Place the image on the new drive
• Boot from the new drive with the settings as you want them in your BIOS

So, what I ran into is this. I switched the motherboard on my girlfriend's machine, and the newer board had a newer controller than what she had used previously which unfortunately required a driver during the windows installation that I simply did not have because I was trying to re-use her disk image from the previous motherboard, and in addition, go from RAID to AHCI. The reason this was an issue is because despite the fact I generalized the Windows installation, it still didnt have that driver which it would have requested at the start of the Windows installation and I was stuck behind an impenetrable wall of BSODs... I suppose I could have stuck the original motherboard back in and put the drives back as they were but I wasnt that patient, so I simply ended up reinstalling Windows.

If this isnt clear let me know, I've been awake all night since I work third shift and my thoughts get a little bit foggy near the end of the shift (IE: now)

Read This: (whatever method you choose, read this first for more information, its basically a more detailed version of what I outlined above in option 2)
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/13 ... puter.html

Quick subnote: If you use the generalize method and the generalization fails, stop the Windows Media Player networking service. This is a known issue. I had to do it on both of the machines I generalized recently.