www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously?! WOW.

It'll knock your socks off....I promise you!

Windows Home Server has no problems with different OS's too....XP through to Windows 7 - all supported for access, backup and client software.

If I'm honest, I'd leave you current setup exactly as-is. Install the SSD, make it the default boot drive and do a clean install onto the SSD. Sure, it's a little more work, but it means all your data stays on the RAID set and you have a fresh install for the SSD.

Won't take you long.... ;)

Shame you arn't close, or I'd knock up a loan'er for you to trial - I'd put cash on you buying one after.

BG
BG

Forgot to ask....which one you gone for?

BG

I went for this one- CT512M4SSD2CCA 512GB Crucial m4 2.5" SSD with Data Transfer Kit about £623

My plan was to delete as much rubbish as possible from the computer, then remove all HD videos etc. and put them on my external hard drive. Then I'll just be left with installed programs on the hard drives. My current set up is two 1TB hard drives in raid 0 so then I was going to use the transfer cable to transfer all programs to the SSD, then install that and set it as the main boot drive and then have the two 1TB drives for storage.

Every time I edit a video (as this is the most power hungry thing I do) I was going to install the video onto the main boot drive, edit it, then upload it to youtube and then move it to one of the 1TB hard drives.


I'm just not sure if the SSD will boot if I do it this way because it is currently set to Raid 0 (obviously I'll change that in the BIOS at first boot)

I'd like to go for the fresh install but I have so many programs on here that it would take for ages and I probably can't find the serials for most of them again

You should be fiiiiiiiiiine.

You can just go into the BIOS and change the boot order to the SSD, stick your disk in and you are away - it will be marked as bootable and the RAID set will just become discs.

The only thing I'd MAYBE change if you are starting from scratch would be to change the RAID 0 to RAID 1 - then you only have 1TB of storage, but at least you have backup (Mirrored...).

whatever route you take, check it's got the latest firmware on before you transfer any data. Really important, I think - some updates wipe the drive but give massive gains in performance/stability other don't......check before you start or you'll be wasting you time and end up gutted!

BG

I'm confused now!

Are you saying to just install the new SSD and then make it the boot device and re-install windows onto it?

If so I won't be able to access any other programs on the other two disks will I ?

Also if I change the Bios from raid 0 to raid 1 I'll not be able to access any of the existing data on either of the disks as currently the data is split between the two disks?

Or have I totally misunderstood you ?

Sorry, I get excited easily :D

If you install the SSD, make it the first BOOT DRIVE in the BIOS and install Windows from DVD, then you will have a fresh install of Windows and need to reinstall your apps.

All data on the RAID set will be present, as an additional drive (proberbly just D:). While you can see applications there, they won't run without re-instalaltion.

The RAID change suggestion was if you was starting from scratch....changing the RAID type will usually wipe the discs - the same as if one of the discs fail when setup in 0 (stripe).

BG

Ahhh,

I didn't spot the transfer kit you have purchased.

Just do as you planned - sorry to confuse!

BG

No worries

It would be much simpler if I just had the one hard drive and no raid 0

Might even get an SSD for the Alienware as well if this one is as good as expected.

Thanks for the input

Pfffft... haven't understood one tenth of what BG has said there....just sounded like excellent Chinese...

Think it could be a new strain of the Chinese flue bug Wine~o

Ba-dum-tish!

I don't know what I'm talking about either....I'm actually a garden brush who masquerades as a goat, who pretends to work with computers in some fashion while partaking in the odd bit of diy. The dustpan brush takes the michael, but I know deep in my woody heart that I'm going to clear up this mess of a world.

BG

I remember now why I don't do backups.

My new 2TB backup drive came today at 13:00 so I started to do a full backup. It has now been going for 8 hours and is at 16%

Looks like I'll be leaving the computer on for a few days

What is it, floppy disk changer?

One of these- http://bit.ly/rWOxzB

Have you got it connected via USB 2.0? USB 2.0 is a bit on the slow side for a backup of that size. You really need USB 3.0 or an eSATA connection. In reality USB 2.0 can only manage around 35-40MB/sec.