Raid 0

[JRW21]

I am in the process of setting up a Raid 0 configuration.

I am using 2 maxtor 60's and a syba ultra ata ide raid controller.

I cannot get passed the windows install. I am trying to load windows 98. Maybe this is the problem.. After it tries to load 98 I get an error message: extended error 26,112.

If anyone could help that would be great.

[Leonardo]

Perhaps Win98 does not have the necessary drivers for your RAID controller. Sheesh, it's been so long since I've loaded '98 that I don't recall how or when in the installation sequence to load additional drivers. Isn't there a prompt during the installation for that? Or, can you not get to that point? How far into the install can you make it before the operation errors out?

[JRW21]

Thanks for the response.

well, it doesn't even get to the point to install 3 party drivers. I think i am SOL w/98

[TheSmJ]

Yeah. Besides, if you're that intrested in performance, Win 2k/XP is a much better choice.

[JRW21]

lol, Yeah.. I do have xp. But, it only loads from an existing platform.. So, i was going to load 98 then load xp from that..

[mmonnin]

Nah, I guess you have an XP upgrade disk? Stick it in, when it says there is no OS it will ask for a 2k or older CD. Stick it in, let it see you are upgrading, replace the XP disk and off you go. This is the way it works with 2k at least. I have even used XP with the 2k update CD, 2k was the only OS it wouldnt accept.

[JRW21]

well, all that is doing is giving me a disk boot failure.

If this is the problem? \I can borrow a friends xp and boot from it.. then load my copy.

[TheSmJ]

Yeah, I have an upgrade XP disk as well, and I also have to insert the disk as "proof of ownership" of an OS I honestly don't want when I install XP.

Just hit F6 whenthe instalation starts (when it says to on the bottom of the screen), wait till it gets around to asking for the driver itself, put the floppy in the drive that has it (and select it and make sure it knows you need to install it) and continue the instalation (you'll be asked later for a "previous version of Windows" CD later. You have no need to install Win98 to your computer what-so-ever.

[TheSmJ]

well, all that is doing is giving me a disk boot failure.

If this is the problem? \I can borrow a friends xp and boot from it.. then load my copy.


You can try his/hers, yeah. If it's a diffrent version of Win XP (like an OEM disk, or the full version) then you will be unable to either switch disks mid-install, or use your key with your friends' disk (I know, I've tried).

[JRW21]

Wow, this is amazing! I cannot believe the performance of my machine now.

Well, by now you can tell I have it working :)

I want to thank all of you for helping me getting this going. It was the windows 98 that was holding me back. After I loaded my buddies version I loaded my XP pro and downloaded SP2.

Like I said, runs like a champ.

[Leonardo]

...and all the people said, "Amen". Good! Glad it's working now. :thumbsup:

[JRW21]

Ok guys, one more question. This will reveal my ignorance... My old hardrive, a seagate 40gig.. I would like to reinstall it so I can switch back in forth from the operating system on it and the Raid config I just set up.

Question: Do I hook it up as a slave to the raid drives? Or...?

[gtghm]

you can't have slaves on raided drives

[floppybootstomp]

You have at present a RAID 0 array with XP on it. This is seen as one drive both by your machine and XP.

Another hard disk would be installed in the usual way. What OS did you want to install to the extra hard disk?

You can't really 'switch back and forth' between OS's but you can dual boot. If it's WIN 98 you want to install as an extra OS you're out of luck as WIN 98 has to be installed prior to XP. (Actually, it can be done the other way round installing WIN 98 secondly, using Partition Magic 8 or similar, but it's a helluva lot of messing around).

If you want to install a Linux Distro, however, shouldn't be a problem if you use one of the latest versions, most will automatically set up LILO to dual boot for you.

[Mt_Goat]

Why would anyome want 98???

Support is offically gone and all that's left to do is start puting dirt in the hole after the eulogy and and a few prayers are offered that such nonsense will never appear on the planet again! :rolleyes:

[edcentric]

Warning OT OT OT
MG, what fsb have you gotten your DFI to???

[JRW21]

The other os is xp as well. The reason behind wanting to do this is.. I want to seperate my business work and my video editing.

My hard drive the 40 gig. Already has Xp on it and all of my old files. I thought I could do a dual boot with it at its present state. Just wandering how to hook it up to do this.

[JRW21]

I installed my 40 gig into the normal spot, with it set as master. The machine booted up on the 40 gig, giving me no option to select what OS i wanted to start up in.

I have XP home on the 40 gig and XP pro on the Raid 120gig.

When it booted up on XP home it did show the raid config as local disk g.

[floppybootstomp]

Well I suppose you could change the boot option in the Bios each time you wanted to log in to a different OS, the RAID will probably boot first either under 'RAID' or 'SCSI' boot option.

But seems a bit of a waste to me, two XP OS's.

Best config (imo) would be to have the RAID config set up as main disk, create two users 'Mr Video' & Mr Business Work' ;) to keep things seperate and use the 40Gb disk as storage/backup for important files.

[gtghm]

Well I suppose you could change the boot option in the Bios each time you wanted to log in to a different OS, the RAID will probably boot first either under 'RAID' or 'SCSI' boot option.

But seems a bit of a waste to me, two XP OS's.

Best config (imo) would be to have the RAID config set up as main disk, create two users 'Mr Video' & Mr Business Work' ;) to keep things seperate and use the 40Gb disk as storage/backup for important files.

the only thing that I think you might want to think a bit differently about is making the Raid a secondary disk and put the OS on a sinlge disk buy itself.

The reason i say that is because after having had a raid 0 system now for a couple of years I can tell you that if and when, and it most likley will happen at some point, a drive in the raid array goes or you have a bad driver update and you break the array you will loose everything....

For Video editing I would look to setting up the system mainly on the one drive then use the raid array to render on and do all of the video stuff however I would put the finished product on a safe seperate disk if it going to be stored for a long time.

Have to keep in mind that Raid 0 is faster but provides no data safety.
At the very least you should have a complete system back up plan...

GL,
"g"

[Mt_Goat]

You could dual-boot with 2 copies of XP. I did it for a while and just had to rename one and just added a '2' to the end of the "XP Professional". Then at bootup you simply select which one to run.

[Mt_Goat]

Warning OT OT OT
MG, what fsb have you gotten your DFI to???
Now for the OT reply

I got it to 265 but it wasn't totally stable as I was running an Antec True 480 for a PSU (20 pin). I recently got my Antec 550EPS12v (24pin) and haven't tried anymore OC's as I had to RMA original board because the sound module crapped out. I should be back in buisness by next weekend and will be installing on the 2 new 74GB Raptors I just got with the new PSU.

[Leonardo]

Have to keep in mind that Raid 0 is faster but provides no data safety. It will crash. You will corrupt the array's files. You will have to reinstall. Recommend that your non-RAID hard drive is a backup drive, to where you regularly image your array. That way, you are just a few minutes to an hour away from total restoration in the event (when it does happen) when the RAID 0 goes down.

There are those who will say that their RAID 0 setups are very stable. I venture to say that they are not the majority of RAID 0 users. Remember, in RAID 0 with two hard drives, your chances of corrupted files and OS failure is twice that of a single hard drive.

Leo gets off his platform now and returns to other threads.