Complex Partitioning with dynamic disks
Basically, I have an 80 GB and a 120 GB HD What I would like to do is create an 160 GB (2 x 80 GB) striped volume using dynamic disks between the two of them, with a 40 GB simple volume in the remaining space on the larger.
This topic was started by janus,
Basically, I have an 80 GB and a 120 GB HD
What I would like to do is create an 160 GB (2 x 80 GB) striped volume using dynamic disks between the two of them, with a 40 GB simple volume in the remaining space on the larger.
Problem is, I can't seem to install windows from the cd-rom to a dynamic disk unless it has just one volume on it.
What I'm planning is this (I already have a simple volume I boot from on the larger HD)...install windows to the 2nd HD, so that I can boot to that. Then I move everything from the 1st one to the 2nd, and wipe the 1st. Then I set up a 40 GB volume and install windows to it. Then I boot to that first disk with the new 40 GB partition, and move everything from the 2nd BACK to the 1st, and wipe the 2nd. Theoretically, I should now have 80 GB on each that is unallocated, from which I can create a striped volume. What I'd like to know is whether this will work...I don't want to wipe things and then find out I've wiped my windows installation for nothing...it is a bitch to do a clean install and reinstall and configure EVERYTHING.
And lastly, if you don't know what you're talking about, keep quiet, I don't want people who don't know a dynamic disk from their asshole to give me their two cents...such ignorant advice is NOT helpful. Also I am aware that HW raid is better but i'm on two different sized disks and don't want to lose the other 40 GB of space
What I would like to do is create an 160 GB (2 x 80 GB) striped volume using dynamic disks between the two of them, with a 40 GB simple volume in the remaining space on the larger.
Problem is, I can't seem to install windows from the cd-rom to a dynamic disk unless it has just one volume on it.
What I'm planning is this (I already have a simple volume I boot from on the larger HD)...install windows to the 2nd HD, so that I can boot to that. Then I move everything from the 1st one to the 2nd, and wipe the 1st. Then I set up a 40 GB volume and install windows to it. Then I boot to that first disk with the new 40 GB partition, and move everything from the 2nd BACK to the 1st, and wipe the 2nd. Theoretically, I should now have 80 GB on each that is unallocated, from which I can create a striped volume. What I'd like to know is whether this will work...I don't want to wipe things and then find out I've wiped my windows installation for nothing...it is a bitch to do a clean install and reinstall and configure EVERYTHING.
And lastly, if you don't know what you're talking about, keep quiet, I don't want people who don't know a dynamic disk from their asshole to give me their two cents...such ignorant advice is NOT helpful. Also I am aware that HW raid is better but i'm on two different sized disks and don't want to lose the other 40 GB of space
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I read somewhere that dynamic disks arent stable unless you use a server OS.
I had a dynamic disk that stalled and crashed, only with GetDataBack for NT could I recover the lost data.
anyways, i'd suggest a hardware raid controller instead.
I had a dynamic disk that stalled and crashed, only with GetDataBack for NT could I recover the lost data.
anyways, i'd suggest a hardware raid controller instead.
Windows XP Help and Support
When installing Windows XP Professional. If a dynamic volume is created from unallocated space on a dynamic disk, you cannot install Windows XP Professional on that volume. However, you can extend the volume (if it is a simple or spanned volume). This setup limitation occurs because Windows XP Professional Setup recognizes only dynamic volumes that have an entry in the partition table.
Basically, I have an 80 GB and a 120 GB HD
What I would like to do is create an 160 GB (2 x 80 GB) striped volume using dynamic disks between the two of them, with a 40 GB simple volume in the remaining space on the larger.
Problem is, I can't seem to install windows from the cd-rom to a dynamic disk unless it has just one volume on it.
What I'm planning is this (I already have a simple volume I boot from on the larger HD)...install windows to the 2nd HD, so that I can boot to that. Then I move everything from the 1st one to the 2nd, and wipe the 1st. Then I set up a 40 GB volume and install windows to it. Then I boot to that first disk with the new 40 GB partition, and move everything from the 2nd BACK to the 1st, and wipe the 2nd. Theoretically, I should now have 80 GB on each that is unallocated, from which I can create a striped volume. What I'd like to know is whether this will work...I don't want to wipe things and then find out I've wiped my windows installation for nothing...it is a bitch to do a clean install and reinstall and configure EVERYTHING.
And lastly, if you don't know what you're talking about, keep quiet, I don't want people who don't know a dynamic disk from their asshole to give me their two cents...such ignorant advice is NOT helpful. Also I am aware that HW raid is better but i'm on two different sized disks and don't want to lose the other 40 GB of space
Ok, you need to do a basic partition in windows setup for your remaining space, you have to install on that drive. Let that be your startup drive. Then, you go into windows and set up your dynamic drives. You cannot install an OS onto a dynamic drive, as it is setup through windows and is software based. The only way to do what you're talking about without having windows installed on the smaller drives, is by getting a raid card.
Hope this helped,
DoTheDew
http://www.techcolumnist.com
yes, I figured what I could do is shrink my current C: partition with windows to 40 GB, convert to dynamic, and stripe them, but the risk just doesn't sit well with me. In addition, the 40 GB on the windows partition is essentially wasted because windows will not use up that much. What I always do anyway is have a 2nd windows installation on the 2nd disk (bootable) so that if the 1st one gets fux0red I can get in and recover things (this is really only necessary with my 1 monster 120 GB partition for data and windows...if windows gets messed up and requires a format, I would be screwed, so the plan is to boot into 2nd and use partition software to split it into data and windows)
basically I am considering the following steps:
—shrink current 120 GB to 40
—shrink current 80 to 2 (there's a windows installation there which I don't feel like reinstalling again)
—convert both to dynamic
—create spanned in the remaining space
the only problem is I currently have 70 GB of data I don't want lost...and nowhere to move it while I do this shrinking and rearranging.
basically I am considering the following steps:
—shrink current 120 GB to 40
—shrink current 80 to 2 (there's a windows installation there which I don't feel like reinstalling again)
—convert both to dynamic
—create spanned in the remaining space
the only problem is I currently have 70 GB of data I don't want lost...and nowhere to move it while I do this shrinking and rearranging.
