RAID without BIOS support

Is there a way to install RAID in Windows XP on computers that do not have inbuilt RAID support while installing XP ?

 

Not sure if this is what you are looking for or not.

 

I am looking at same functionality as provided by Linux which enables you to create software RAID from 2 or more hard disks, during installation itself so that even OS can be installed on RAID.

Even low cost PCI RAID cards are not hardware based but fake RAID cards which upload most of their processing to the CPU.

Either way when you end up with less than perfect performance why throw money at these so called RAID cards ?

 

I would disagree with your assessment of PCI RAID add-in cards but everyone is entitled to an opinion and the opportunity to voice it.

 

Agreed & if MS updates any of these files, your enhancements go for six.

No Arie, I have not tried software RAID, but I have very bad experience with low cost RAID controller cards. In India a proper RAID card [from Adaptec/Intel] costs around INR 25,000/- [that's about 500 US$], as opposed to around INR 9,000/- [US$ 180] for a fake RAID card.

I don't have that money to plonk for my home system & in these times like this noway [My wife would beat me to death if she comes to know that I am spending so much money on computer & not on her ]

I am steering away from BIOS RAID controller as again basically they are software RAID with added complexity of BIOS [if my motherboard dies, my data dies too].

 

Time to add a little clarity and voice my own opinion.

The original question was "Is there a way to........" - I believe I answered that in my first post.

Now for the opinion - Personally, I am not a big believer in RAID configurations with the exception of large multiple drive servers. Now, I have setup mirrored drives for several small business servers and they have all been done with onboard controllers. I lost a striped RAID array about 5 years ago on one of my machines and swore "never again" - so far, I have held true to that promise. For those who are not aware, a striped RAID array offers somewhere in the vicinity of a 3% performance gain so its really not a big deal anyway.

Now, for PCI RAID controller cards - someone needs to bring a suitcase full of these to rsinfo so they can return with a suitcase full of cash. These are relatively inexpensive stateside and they do an adequate job. Bashing them as totally unacceptable "fakes" is a stretch. Would the Rockster recommend this? Yes, in some situations I would, but again, I'm not a big believer in RAID configurations.

What about my opinion re: software RAID? This is not my cup of tea. As some are probably aware, Mirroring has been available in Windows Server going back to at least Server 2000 and its a slow poke to say the least.

Best advice I can offer - lose the RAID ambitions - it might sound sexy, but it really isn't anything to write home about.

 

Hi Rockster,

If you see the price these are selling in India v/s in US, you could make a lot of money by exporting them to India [you would get your suitcase of money - but not from me ]

 

I also think so - what sounds sexy may not be appropriate.

Just a thought.