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Trinakrian

Member

From: Acushnet, MA

Registered: 2014-10-13

Posts: 26

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Best protocol for dual booting on a hardware RAID 0 array?

Hi folks. I would like to dual boot Windows 7 and Arch. I'll append the specs. I have a Terrabyte to split evenly between the two drives - each is 500G. Unless someone can come up with a reason and convince me otherwise, I want to do away with the RAID array. There's no redundancy anyhow and the speed I would lose breaking the array is negligible, therefore irrelevant.

My issue is that I have a RAID 0 hardware array with Intel Rapid Storage Technology as the controller. The computer did NOT come with a Windows disk, but rather a recovery partition. It is my understanding that if I break the array, I will lose the recovery partition and will not be able to reinstall Windows - which I need. IF....the recovery partition can be unphased by breaking the array and I can use it to reinstall Windows, I would prefer that since I may need to recover Windows in the future. It's not a deal breaker if I can't keep the recovery partition, since I have the Windows key.

Is this the ideal protocol?:

1. Backup - I plan on using Alienware Respawn or Clonezilla to backup to a CD and will also backup to an external drive.
2. Break array, but do not alter BIOS to AHCI - leave as RAID.
3. Restore Windows on one drive.
4. Install Arch on second drive.
5. Configure GRUB.
6. Smoke stogie or alternatively weep because I turned my computer into a brick.

At which stage does the partitioning come in? Before or after breaking the array? Is there a better method, than the one I listed. I have spent days scouring Google and the forums and while it's easy to find info on breaking a hardware RAID, there isn't much on doing this with the recovery partition and Alienware Respawn aspects involved. Any help would be appreciated. Please don't kill me or shred my diameter.

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Specs:
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU Q 740 @ 1.73GHz 1.73 Ghz: 8 Intel(R) Core (TM) i7 CPU q740 @ 1.73GHz
Installed Memory: 8.00 GB RAM
64 Bit Operating System

Alienware M17X10
Windows 7 Home Premium

Performance Options: DEP turned on. Virtual Memory: 8180 MB

Architecture: AMD64 Intel64 Family 6 Model 30 Stepping 5, GenuineIntel

Computer: ACPI x64-based PC
Display Adapters: 2 ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5800 Series
DVD/CD-ROOM: HL-DT-ST DVDRWBD CA10N
IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers: Ricoh PCIe Memory Stick Host Controller, Ricoh PCIe SD/MMC Host Controller, and Ricoh PCIe xD-Picture Card Controller

IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers: Ricoh 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller
Imaging devices: Integrated Webcam
Mice; 3 HID-Compliant Mouse and Synaptics PS/2 Port Toch Pad
Monitor: Generic PnP Monitor
Sound, video and game controllers: AMD High Definition Audio Device and High Definition Audio Device
Storage Controllers: Intel(R) Mobile Express Chipset SATA RAID Controller

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Buddlespit

Member

From: Chesapeake, Va.

Registered: 2014-02-07

Posts: 501

Re: Best protocol for dual booting on a hardware RAID 0 array?

I think the big thing will be backing up. I don't know anything about the two programs you would use, but I know that if I dd copy the disks, I would have to change the size of the partitions to match the size of the new partitions. IE: I have Arch installed on a RAID0 of 32GB each, and if I wanted to break my RAID and install on just one disk, I would have to shrink the size of my dd'ed copy to match the smaller drive.
Otherwise, it looks like you have the right idea, or at least the right direction.

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