raid 0 installation question(p-7805u)

i have to format and fresh install window or do i simply add on hdd and there's option to enable raid?

 

Enable raid in bios then after leaving bios you will need to hit ctrl-I right after post screen. There you will setup the raid which will destroy all data on existing drive. Once completed you will have to re-install Windows.

 

i thought so.. sigh.. it just is too much pain to set up raid on mine at this point. it will take me like good 10 hours to re-configure my laptop to my taste if i were to install another hdd.

how fast is raid 0 if i were to install another 7200rpm 320gb hdd anyway? i mean reading and writing speed? will it be comparable to
my desktop velociraptor(300gb)? 100+mb/s

 

Can you use the Gateway Recovery Management to reinstall windows on raid 0?

Start > All Programs > Gateway > Gateway Recovery Management > Create factory default disc.

I have a 320gb 7200rpm western digital drive on the way and I didn't know if the factory default disc was a bootable disc you could use for a fresh install.

 

yes, you can even make full recovery disc or app disc only. gateway also ship you free OEM vista disc but that doesn't come with drivers so you will have to burn driver disc b4 you try install hdd if you haven't got yours yet.
you need 3 dvd discs. 2 for full recovery disc for factory default and one for
drivers(app) only. i already have made them and have OEM vista disc but it's just that too much of pain to install raid at this point. i should've done that b4 i install anything else.

 

If your satisfied with the speed of your drive that you have everything on now, Why not just buy another harddrive of any size and use it as a second harddrive, no RAID. You wont lose your data and you'll get whatever space you need.
Unless your only interested in RAID for speed and not space.

 

You can non-raid, as soon as the new drive is in first thing give it a dedicated 6 Gig page file and remove the page from C:\. Then take your user files and move/place them on the new E:\ drive. When installing games you can place them on the new drive as well, this way saved games are off the main drive in case you have to redo it.

 

I run RAID but I'm really not sure there is all that much advantage. I personally go back and forth on it. I'm a sucker for big benchmark numbers so I usually run RAID. I personally don't think you are missing much by not using RAID.

You are definitely more secure without RAID. It makes me nervous on laptops because there are only 2 drive. On desktops my data, etc. is on a 3rd drive.

You can clone, set up the RAID, then restore. But do some reading because it can be tricky. I can't remember the specifics.