Help Guys! Use of Serial ATA Raid

[Lauren]

Hi guys,

Lauren from London here...
I need some help.

I acquired Maxtor 80GB SATA HD(won it for free ).
I currently have MSIK7N2Delta with
>>yes yes am a Techi-gal! but as you can see not really... <<

IBM40GB HDx1
Segate40GB HDx1
with all my OS installed on them...normal IDE that is..(w2k)

What do I do with this "Serial ATA" thing?
1.Do I just install it & use it like normal HD(my board has serial ata connectors and all that stuff)?(additional 80GB?)
2.Whatever that is install it as RAID 0 or 1?

As I have mentioned above, I already have my os up & running in my normal IDE HD.
And I have this Raid drive...

What shall I do with it? and how?????

So complicated... I did try to read this and that...
must be a blond thing....

Looking forward to your help...

Thanks

Lauren xXx

 

[MrGaribaldi]

:wave: Hello & Welcome to TechSpot :wave:

Congrats on winning a SATA drive!
Wish it was me, as my OS drive sounds like it's starting to die, but anyways..


Normally, you'd just plug it straight in, install the drivers (otherwise windows won't find it), and you're set to go.

But since it's a RAID SATA controller, you might have to set it up as a RAID array.
To do this enter the RAID BIOS, comes up after the regular BIOS. There you should have an option for the BIOS to set it up automaticly. Use this, reboot and install the RAID controller drivers. Format and you should be set to go.

I'd suggest you also check your motherboard manual to make sure what I've suggesetd is correct. Normally, I'd check it myself, but MSI's download speed is extremly slow right now...

Hope this helps you out, and that you'll stay around

 

[Lauren]

Thanks MrGaribaldi!

MrGaribaldi Thanks for the reply!

I really appreciate it...
I am still having somewhat difficulty in understanding this SATA concept....must be a blond thing! Doh!

At the moment with my MoBo, I have used IDE1(2x40GB hard) IDE2(15GB hard+ CDRW) each.

Hence I have RAID IDE3 & 2x SATA connection left.

Now do you mean......
1. with my "newly won Maxtor 80GB" I can either connect to IDE3 and use it as a normal hard drive drive??(hopefully, but this SATA HD does not seem to have proper connector to IDE slot...?)

2.Do I have to connect to that thin SATA raid connection and use it as either SATA 0 or 1.. which will actually not at all increase my hard disk space...


Have I got it right?

Looking forward to hearing from ya....

Many thanks...

Lauren xXx

 

[MrGaribaldi]

You've gotten it partially right..

SATA is a new standard which is set to supercede the regular IDE standard. It would be possible to use a SATA drive on a regular IDE channel, but that would require an adapter, which I don't know if exists.
Therefor you cannot do 1.

What you do is that you connect the SATA drive to one of the SATA channels (as you said in 2), then configure the drive in the RAID bios (as I outlined in previous post).

This will add to your total hard disk space, just like adding a new drive to a regular IDE channel would.

If/When you have installed the RAID driver, Windows will detect the drive as any other, and allow you to partition and format it.

I think some of your confusion comes from having to configure the drive as a RAID drive.
The reason you have to do this is because the SATA controller is part of the RAID controller. This however doesn't mean that you have to use the disk in a RAID array. If you want I can go into more detail about this, but I won't right now, as it might just lead to more confusion.

Did this clear things up? If not, please tell me what you're confused still confused about, and I'll do my best to explain it in more detail

 

[Lauren]

You are a STAR!!!!

Mr.Garibaldi You R my STAR :grinthumb

I understand it much much better now.

I will try that.

Thanks so very much!

Lauren xXx

P.S. I think people like you make this world really go around!

 

[Godataloss]

SHAMELSS!

That has got to be the most blantant use of the feminine privilidge I have ever withnessed.puke:

It is rather nice to have a woman about the place though.:slurp:

I just hope for Mr. G's sake it isnt a 13 year-old boy preying on his chivalaristic instinct.

 

[Phantasm66]

Re: You are a STAR!!!!

Originally posted by Lauren
Mr.Garibaldi You R my STAR :grinthumb

I understand it much much better now.

I will try that.

Thanks so very much!

Lauren xXx

P.S. I think people like you make this world really go around!

Hey! I'M the computer expert that desperately needs female attention here! Mr G. is a stud who already has PLENTY of g/fs anyway, and is only helping you in the hopes of using you to play them off against each other!

Actually, in all seriousness, he is a great guy. We've met in real life (he was visiting my country) and he's a gem. There's plenty of gems here.

 

[MrGaribaldi]

Re: You are a STAR!!!!

Originally posted by Lauren
Mr.Garibaldi You R my STAR :grinthumb

I understand it much much better now.

I will try that.

Thanks so very much!

Lauren xXx

P.S. I think people like you make this world really go around!

Thank you, it's allways nice to be of service!


Phantasm & GAATL> LMAOROTF! (<- not an expression I've ever used before, but this time it fitted) Dunno why, but that exchange between the two of you just struck me as hilarious!

Phantasm> Thank you And you're not exactly a slob yourself!