help with hard disks needed, please!

Question

Dear wiser people, I tried to read the interesting emails that relate to  my question but I am afraid I need a kind soul to spell things out for me!!   I received my new Dell 9100 Dimension PC running Windows XP professional Version 2002 SP2, about three weeks ago,  and the hard drives are very noisy. (Two MAXTOR 6L160M0)   While investigating that noise I discovered this RAID 0 and RAID 1 arrangements, of which I was totally unaware!!! I thought I ordered a 320GB hard disk (to last me until I die...) but just discovered that I must have ordered 2x160 GB disks. But i don't know how to see if they are RAID 0 or Raid 1? I have been surfing reading up on the RAID technical explanation and trying to understand...... but not getting very far!   My PC order confirmation sheet lists:(among other things) 160GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive #1~320GB Serial ATA RAID 0 Stripe {2x160GB 7200rpm] 160GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive #2~160GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive #2 Does that mean I have the two hard disks set up in RAID 0 mode?   If they are RAID 0, I would prefer to change them to RAID 1 to have the redundancy. The next question is how to change from RAID 0 to RAID 1 if I have RAID 0.      To come back to the noisy hard disks. Are they noisy because they are working under one  RAID or the other? Or are they just badly manufactured disks? I think I will ask Dell to change them. I don't intend to spend the next five years feeling that I am about to take off! (that's how they sound, as if your sitting inside a jet airplane, it actually gets to you after a while!)   If I get Dell to change the hard disks must they set them up in any particular way?   Many thanks in advance for any replies.   Regards A novice user. (using PC's since 1985 but doesn't know much about the guts of the PCs!)      PS: I have no floppy disk!! I tried to include it in the Dell PC when buying it but the DELL sales man told me I could not have both it and the media card reader business? (would a USB floppy do if it is needed?)       Dear wiser people, I tried to read the interesting emails that relate to  my question but I am afraid I need a kind soul to spell things out for me!!   I received my new Dell 9100 Dimension PC running Windows XP professional Version 2002 SP2, about three weeks ago,  and the hard drives are very noisy. (Two MAXTOR 6L160M0)   While investigating that noise I discovered this RAID 0 and RAID 1 arrangements, of which I was totally unaware!!! I thought I ordered a 320GB hard disk (to last me until I die...) but just discovered that I must have ordered 2x160 GB disks. But i don't know how to see if they are RAID 0 or Raid 1? I have been surfing reading up on the RAID technical explanation and trying to understand...... but not getting very far!   My PC order confirmation sheet lists:(among other things) 160GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive #1~320GB Serial ATA RAID 0 Stripe {2x160GB 7200rpm] 160GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive #2~160GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive #2 Does that mean I have the two hard disks set up in RAID 0 mode?   If they are RAID 0, I would prefer to change them to RAID 1 to have the redundancy. The next question is how to change from RAID 0 to RAID 1 if I have RAID 0.      To come back to the noisy hard disks. Are they noisy because they are working under one  RAID or the other? Or are they just badly manufactured disks? I think I will ask Dell to change them. I don't intend to spend the next five years feeling that I am about to take off! (that's how they sound, as if your sitting inside a jet airplane, it actually gets to you after a while!)   If I get Dell to change the hard disks must they set them up in any particular way?   Many thanks in advance for any replies.   Regards A novice user. (using PC's since 1985 but doesn't know much about the guts of the PCs. But learning fast!)      PS: I have no floppy disk!! I tried to include it in the Dell PC when buying it but the DELL sales man told me I could not have both it and the media card reader business? (would a USB floppy do if it is needed?)

ejn63 · Answer

You have a RAID 0 array. If you want to change to RAID 1, MAKE SURE you have:

The OS CD (it is not shipped unless you added the $10 option, and
The drivers backed up (the Dell directory on the C drive), and
An INTERNAL (NOT USB) floppy drive.

The instructions for setting up a RAID 1 array are in the manual, which should be on your desktop.

As for changing the drives, you can call Dell and ask if they'll ship you another make of drive - Seagate, WD - as Maxtor's drives have lately been unreliable (and many, reportedly noisy).

pc4me · Answer

My 9100 is whisper quiet so I would be talking to Dell about the noise. Is it fan or HD noise?

I'm no help on the Raid 0 to Raid 1 except to think about a USB backup HD. I just added the 300GB Maxtor USB backup and it is doing well so far. About $230. for the 300GB dirve. The Raid drives are too small for me at Raid 1 anyway.

Setting up the disks, Raid 0 is looking at both disks and one big disk so I would say it would be a start over, probalby replacing both disks at the same time because everything is spread out between them. It is not like a "C" and "D" drive.

As far as the floppy drive, take a look at the new flash drives. They go into the USB slot. Much faster, much more relialbe, much larger, there is a 2GB flash drive out now for just over $100. and the 1GB's are on sale often for about $50. to $65. They do a much better job of moving data. Out with the old and in with the new. :smileysurprised:

I was a bit miffed after looking in the case to see there was not a HD controler for an IDE drive. Even more to see there was no room in the case for another drive anyway. Even more when I saw the small power supply. But all is well. After tech support replaced the MB, power supply and heat sink it runs very well. I am not used to having a quite machine though. I have yet to hear the fan speed up for heat. Hopefully it does not just quit when I start the video processing.

Teh Maxto HD has no fan either. It has a heat sink case. It is quiet too.

Hope this is some food for thought. :smileyhappy:

gentleperson · Answer

ejn63 and pc4me   Many thanks for your prompt replies.   Since posting my email, I continued searching the forum re the same subject, and actually I was just reading another reply from ejn63 posted  ( 08-19-2005 06:04 AM )  when I received your replies!   Your replies only show me (alas!) that I must go learn a bit more before attempting the change from RAID 0 to RAID 1! There seems to be enough info on the forum (as I have discovered after posting!) to help me (I think!). If I really get snookered I'll come back for more help.   pc4me, I envy you your quiet 9100! Good luck with it.   From a novice  point of view, It is great to have such forums where help is readily and generously offered.   Again many thanks.

Storage, Drives & Media

help with hard disks needed, please!

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