There is no way. You'll need to back up the existing system to an image on an external drive, break the array and replace one or both drives. Then restore the image.
The data is striped across both drives - the loss or replacement of either means you lose everything on both drives.
Hi @DMWairsick seems that your two drives are in a RAID configuration. If this is not intentional, switch off the RAID configuration so that these drives become independent of one another.
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical disk drive components into one or more logical units for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both. Data is distributed across the drives in one of several ways, referred to as RAID levels, depending on the required level of redundancy and performance. The different schemes, or data distribution layouts, are named by the word "RAID" followed by a number, for example RAID 0 or RAID 1. Each scheme, or RAID level, provides a different balance among the key goals: reliability, availability, performance, and capacity. RAID levels greater than RAID 0 provide protection against unrecoverable sector read errors, as well as against failures of whole physical drives.
Yes, that is correct. Intel Raid 0 Volume. The laptop was set up that way when I got it. So if I was to turn off the Raid (when I figure out how to do that), I would see 2 separate drives?
Hi @DMWairsick guess that your system is the Alienware m15 R2 Gaming Laptop and that you want to start using it as a conventional laptop. The best solution will be for you to buy and transfer all the data onto a conventional laptop. Then retain the m15 R2 as your Gaming Laptop.
Your Alienware m15 R2 does not have two HDD, it has two M.2 PCIe MVNe SSD and the system is pre-installed in the RAID 0 configuration. (Alienware m15 R2 Documentation) You must have the two SSD drives installed for the m15 R2 to work because everything is shared half and half on the two drives. It is complicated to get what you are asking in the opening post to this thread.
Hi @DMWairsick to continue... Create a copy of your m15 R2 Raid 0 disk as part of your disaster recovery process.
You have purchased a new 1TB or 2TB (M.2 PCIe MVNe) SSD and visited their webpage to get their free cloning application. You have a second laptop (new, borrowed, etc.) and connected both laptops so they talk to one another. The new SSD is installed in the second laptop and the cloning application used to create a copy of your m15 R2 RAID 0 disk.
Check that your new SSD is fully operational. Then, and only then remove the two RAID 0 disks and install the new SSD into your m15 R2. The BIOS/UEFI should automatically acknowledge the boot partition on your new SSD for the system to open in the Windows operating system. When the splash screen appears, it may run diagnostics to check everything is OK and then open Windows.
Please remember to give the Dell Community an update in this thread. Thank you.
Hi @DMWairsick to continue… to retain the Alienware m15 R2 Gaming Laptopgaming playability, make sure that your new SSD is ultrafast. The m15 R2 System Board's SSD slot interface is up to PCIe Gen3.0. (There is no benefit in getting a PCIe Gen4.0 or Gen5.0) Use internet search to select the best ultrafast M.2 PCIe Gen3.0 read/write performance for your M.2 2280 slot.
Hi @DMWairsick when you do not have access to a second laptop, clone your SSD Raid 0 drive to an external drive by using a USB Type C to M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD Enclosure with a speed of up to 10Gbps. Find example Here. This should be included in everyone's disaster recovery kit.
First, the RAID 0 array isn't needed, even for gaming. Many tests over the years have shown that RAID 0 with SSDs just doesn't boost performance to justify the risks.
Further, it's not necessary to have a USB to NVMe enclosure for disaster recovery -- simply keep regular image backups on an external drive and you'll never need one.
Still further, note that many of the "free" cloning utilities that come with drives won't work with RAID arrays. The free edition of Macrium Reflect will, and it's also quite fully featured as far as supporting multiple clone (and just as importantly, backup) operations, RAID included.
An external hard drive, a flash drive with a recovery image of Reflect, and regular backups will subvert the need for "disaster" recovery and keep you running smoothly.
That's what I was looking to do, use the external drive, thanks for the link. I'm trying to get all the information and best tools before I commit to the process. I'm trying to free up space for my games, COD takes up 220g of space so it limits my ability to play many other games. Most of my conventional files are on an external drive.
Hi @DMWairsick thank you for sharing the additional information that most of your conventional files are on an external drive. Please be aware that all drives have a declared life span, less if there is a catastrophic fault. The reliability of drives is getting better, when a storage fault is found, that block is flagged as not in use.
If you want to retain important data, you should embrace a storage disaster recovery process, for internal and external drives.
ejn63
10 Elder
•
30.7K Posts
1
October 9th, 2020 15:00
Cloning is one way -- but make the image or clone before you break the array. Once you break up the array, you lose everything on both drives.
On some systems, the RAID BIOS is built into Setup (f2 at powerup). On others, CTRL+I will get you into the RAID utility.
ejn63
10 Elder
•
30.7K Posts
0
October 9th, 2020 03:00
There is no way. You'll need to back up the existing system to an image on an external drive, break the array and replace one or both drives. Then restore the image.
The data is striped across both drives - the loss or replacement of either means you lose everything on both drives.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
1
October 9th, 2020 13:00
Hi @DMWairsick seems that your two drives are in a RAID configuration. If this is not intentional, switch off the RAID configuration so that these drives become independent of one another.
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical disk drive components into one or more logical units for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both. Data is distributed across the drives in one of several ways, referred to as RAID levels, depending on the required level of redundancy and performance. The different schemes, or data distribution layouts, are named by the word "RAID" followed by a number, for example RAID 0 or RAID 1. Each scheme, or RAID level, provides a different balance among the key goals: reliability, availability, performance, and capacity. RAID levels greater than RAID 0 provide protection against unrecoverable sector read errors, as well as against failures of whole physical drives.
DMWairsick
6 Posts
0
October 9th, 2020 15:00
Okay, so I need to clone the drive then, right? Is that what you mean by "image"?
DMWairsick
6 Posts
0
October 9th, 2020 15:00
Yes, that is correct. Intel Raid 0 Volume. The laptop was set up that way when I got it. So if I was to turn off the Raid (when I figure out how to do that), I would see 2 separate drives?
Thanks
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
1
October 9th, 2020 17:00
Hi @DMWairsick guess that your system is the Alienware m15 R2 Gaming Laptop and that you want to start using it as a conventional laptop. The best solution will be for you to buy and transfer all the data onto a conventional laptop. Then retain the m15 R2 as your Gaming Laptop.
Your Alienware m15 R2 does not have two HDD, it has two M.2 PCIe MVNe SSD and the system is pre-installed in the RAID 0 configuration. (Alienware m15 R2 Documentation) You must have the two SSD drives installed for the m15 R2 to work because everything is shared half and half on the two drives. It is complicated to get what you are asking in the opening post to this thread.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
1
October 9th, 2020 18:00
Hi @DMWairsick to continue... Create a copy of your m15 R2 Raid 0 disk as part of your disaster recovery process.
You have purchased a new 1TB or 2TB (M.2 PCIe MVNe) SSD and visited their webpage to get their free cloning application. You have a second laptop (new, borrowed, etc.) and connected both laptops so they talk to one another. The new SSD is installed in the second laptop and the cloning application used to create a copy of your m15 R2 RAID 0 disk.
Check that your new SSD is fully operational. Then, and only then remove the two RAID 0 disks and install the new SSD into your m15 R2. The BIOS/UEFI should automatically acknowledge the boot partition on your new SSD for the system to open in the Windows operating system. When the splash screen appears, it may run diagnostics to check everything is OK and then open Windows.
Please remember to give the Dell Community an update in this thread. Thank you.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
1
October 9th, 2020 19:00
Hi @DMWairsick to continue… to retain the Alienware m15 R2 Gaming Laptop gaming playability, make sure that your new SSD is ultrafast. The m15 R2 System Board's SSD slot interface is up to PCIe Gen3.0. (There is no benefit in getting a PCIe Gen4.0 or Gen5.0) Use internet search to select the best ultrafast M.2 PCIe Gen3.0 read/write performance for your M.2 2280 slot.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
0
October 9th, 2020 23:00
Hi @DMWairsick when you do not have access to a second laptop, clone your SSD Raid 0 drive to an external drive by using a USB Type C to M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD Enclosure with a speed of up to 10Gbps. Find example Here. This should be included in everyone's disaster recovery kit.
ejn63
10 Elder
•
30.7K Posts
0
October 10th, 2020 03:00
A few alternate ideas:
First, the RAID 0 array isn't needed, even for gaming. Many tests over the years have shown that RAID 0 with SSDs just doesn't boost performance to justify the risks.
Further, it's not necessary to have a USB to NVMe enclosure for disaster recovery -- simply keep regular image backups on an external drive and you'll never need one.
Still further, note that many of the "free" cloning utilities that come with drives won't work with RAID arrays. The free edition of Macrium Reflect will, and it's also quite fully featured as far as supporting multiple clone (and just as importantly, backup) operations, RAID included.
An external hard drive, a flash drive with a recovery image of Reflect, and regular backups will subvert the need for "disaster" recovery and keep you running smoothly.
DMWairsick
6 Posts
0
October 10th, 2020 12:00
That's what I was looking to do, use the external drive, thanks for the link. I'm trying to get all the information and best tools before I commit to the process. I'm trying to free up space for my games, COD takes up 220g of space so it limits my ability to play many other games. Most of my conventional files are on an external drive.
Thanks
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
0
October 10th, 2020 16:00
Hi @DMWairsick thank you for sharing the additional information that most of your conventional files are on an external drive. Please be aware that all drives have a declared life span, less if there is a catastrophic fault. The reliability of drives is getting better, when a storage fault is found, that block is flagged as not in use.
If you want to retain important data, you should embrace a storage disaster recovery process, for internal and external drives.