# 2 Computer Q's: getting rid of RAID 0, and installing bootable OS partition on new drive **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-computer-qs-getting-rid-of-raid-0-and-installing-bootable-os-partition-on-new-drive/548351 "2010-07-28T19:23:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-computer-qs-getting-rid-of-raid-0-and-installing-bootable-os-partition-on-new-drive/548351/21 "2010-07-30T00:44:54Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > You should be able to clone the partition with any number of tools. Just try cloning the partition to the blank 1tb. Then disable or bypass the raid controller/drives and see if it boots, just don’t reformat the raid drives until you have a new working drive in place. > > Keep good notes so you can reconnect the old drives in their original configuration if it all goes sideways. Well, I did all this, but the computer refused to boot from the new drive. I tried changing the BIOS settings, but it didn’t help. During the cloning, Macrium gave me 3 options for the MBR, and I probably picked the wrong one, although it was the recommended choice. Maybe I’ll mess with it more tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-computer-qs-getting-rid-of-raid-0-and-installing-bootable-os-partition-on-new-drive/548351/22 "2010-07-30T04:45:57Z")
Unless the HDD clone software specifically knows that the drives are in a RAID0 setup it’s never going to get it right. Did the cloning software indicate that it knew a RAID0 setup was present? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-computer-qs-getting-rid-of-raid-0-and-installing-bootable-os-partition-on-new-drive/548351/23 "2010-07-30T05:28:26Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > Unless the HDD clone software specifically knows that the drives are in a RAID0 setup it’s never going to get it right. Did the cloning software indicate that it knew a RAID0 setup was present? The subject never came up. But every file is indeed on the new hard drive, they all copied correctly, and the total file sizes are exactly the same. There were 2 partitions on the old drive, a hidden Dell resource one that was about 40 MB, and then the C drive. I made 2 partitions on the new drive the same sizes as on the old drive(s), and put them there. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-computer-qs-getting-rid-of-raid-0-and-installing-bootable-os-partition-on-new-drive/548351/24 "2010-08-01T20:35:32Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > > [@mittu](#): > > > > Unless the HDD clone software specifically knows that the drives are in a RAID0 setup it’s never going to get it right. Did the cloning software indicate that it knew a RAID0 setup was present? > > The subject never came up. But every file is indeed on the new hard drive, they all copied correctly, and the total file sizes are exactly the same. There were 2 partitions on the old drive, a hidden Dell resource one that was about 40 MB, and then the C drive. I made 2 partitions on the new drive the same sizes as on the old drive(s), and put them there. What version of windows? IF its XP boot to a windows cd and select the recovery console. Once you are in to a dos prompt try the command bootcfg /rebuild this will try to recreate the boot sequence that starts windows and get it pointing at the right place. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-computer-qs-getting-rid-of-raid-0-and-installing-bootable-os-partition-on-new-drive/548351/25 "2010-08-01T21:54:05Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > IF its XP boot to a windows cd and select the recovery console. I just discovered the [testdisk](http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk) utility, part of the SystemRescueCD I mentioned above. It rocks – just saved me from having to reinstall XP (and subsequently, all the other software) rather than restoring from an image. Just thought it might be of interest to someone reading along… ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-computer-qs-getting-rid-of-raid-0-and-installing-bootable-os-partition-on-new-drive/548351/26 "2010-08-01T22:34:59Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > > [@needscoffee](#): > > > > The subject never came up. But every file is indeed on the new hard drive, they all copied correctly, and the total file sizes are exactly the same. There were 2 partitions on the old drive, a hidden Dell resource one that was about 40 MB, and then the C drive. I made 2 partitions on the new drive the same sizes as on the old drive(s), and put them there. > > What version of windows? > > IF its XP boot to a windows cd and select the recovery console. > > Once you are in to a dos prompt try the command > > bootcfg /rebuild > > this will try to recreate the boot sequence that starts windows and get it pointing at the right place. It’s XP, but I don’t have a Windows CD. I only have the Dell install image CD that came with the computer. ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-computer-qs-getting-rid-of-raid-0-and-installing-bootable-os-partition-on-new-drive/548351/27 "2010-08-02T00:30:47Z")
You could try adding the XP Recovery Console to your boot options by following these instructions: # With Windows running, insert the Windows CD into your CD drive (or Dell CD provided it has the files needed rather than just an image). # Click Start and clickRun. # Type the following commands (where X: is the CD Drive letter), and then press ENTER on your keyboard. X:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons Note There is a space before /cmdcons. # Click OK and follow the instructions to finish Setup. That should give you an option when booting the PC to boot into a command prompt rather than loading Windows. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-computer-qs-getting-rid-of-raid-0-and-installing-bootable-os-partition-on-new-drive/548351.md?page=1)