Quantcast
Subscribe to magazine

How to Set Up RAID on Your PC

Boost your hard-drive performance, add redundancy, or do both by converting your PC to use a RAID setup.

Kirk Steers, PC World

  • 0 Yes
  • 0 No

Installing the RAID Adapter and Hard Drives

Here's how to install a RAID adapter card in your PC. If your motherboard already supports RAID, skip to "Configure the Adapter in BIOS" below.

  1. Unplug your PC and position the case so that you can comfortably reach into the interior. If you have a tower case, you'll find installing an expansion card easier if you lay the case on its side.
  2. Protect your PC's delicate circuits from static electricity charges on your body by properly grounding yourself. If you don't have the patience or time to buy a grounding strap, at least make an effort to ground your body by touching a metal faucet, a pipe, or even your PC's case before touching the inside of your PC or any component.
  3. Locate an open PCI or PCI Express expansion slot and remove the cover bracket that blocks the slot's access port on the back of the case. Typically, a single screw secures the bracket.
  4. Remove the adapter card from its packaging, handling the card by its edges; avoid touching the chips and circuitry on either face of the card.
  5. Align the adapter card's connector with the expansion slot and gently but firmly push down on the top edge with even pressure until the card is securely seated in the slot. Secure the card to the chassis with the existing screw or other clamping mechanism.
  6. Once the card is installed, install and connect the hard drives to be used in the array. See "How to Install a New Hard Drive" for instructions.
  7. Reassemble the PC and power it up.

Configure the Adapter in BIOS

Each RAID adapter has a firmware configuration program, unique to that make or model, that lets the user select the type of RAID array to install and choose which hard drives to include in the array. Refer to your adapter or motherboard documentation to guide you thorough the specific installation steps for your adapter.

  • Typically, you launch the program by pressing Ctrl-R, Ctrl-A, or some other key combination during the PC boot process. Watch the screen for a prompt, or check your adapter's documentation.
  • You may also have to launch your PC's CMOS setup program and configure your SATA hard drives for use in a RAID configuration.
  • When asked to select a stripe size or chunk size for a RAID 0 or RAID 5 array, select the default size. Playing with these settings may increase performance for users with plenty of time and energy to experiment.

Install the Adapter in Windows

If you are installing Windows XP or 2000:

  1. Carefully watch the bottom of the screen at the very beginning of the setup process for the prompt, and press F6 if you need to install a third-party SCSI or RAID driver. Be quick: You have only a few seconds to press F6 and launch the installation process.
  2. Wait for the screen that says 'S=Specify Additional Devices' in the lower-left corner. Press S.
  3. When prompted, insert the floppy disk with the adapter's drivers into the floppy drive and complete the driver installation. Once that's done, Windows should continue the Windows installation routine.
  • Recommend this story?
  • 0 Yes
    0 No

"How to Set Up RAID on Your PC" Comments

Print 65% more pages than with refilled inks. Trust Original HP Inks. Hit Print Reliably.

Featured APC Accessories For Your System
10% Off Entire Cart at Online Store

  • APC Back-UPS ES Safeguards your equipment from damaging surges and spikes that travel along your utility & data lines.
  • APC SurgeArrest Performance Highest level of protection for your professional computers, electronics and connected devices, as well as provides surge protection.

Focus on Personal Productivitysponsored by Microsoft

  • Personal Finance 2.0 These free and fee-based Web services not only aggregate data from your online bank accounts, they give you tools for managing your money.
  • High-Tech Travel Tips Plenty of stories provide advice for elite mobile professionals. But what about you, the unproductive traveler?

People who read this also read:

  • 2007 Microsoft Office Suites Comparison This paper compares and contrasts four suites of the 2007 Microsoft Office system: Microsoft Office Standard 2007, Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007, Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 and Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007. This paper is intended to help organizations understand the applications and capabilities offered, and to identify the suite that best fits their needs.
  • Windows Vista Migration: The Business Proposition It's not so much a matter of "if" but "when" for most organizations regarding migration to Windows Vista. Laying the groundwork now for this migration can yield higher ROI than waiting until later. This Computerworld Technology Briefing explains it all.

PC World's Marketplace