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Win 7 x64 RAID5

WSheehey

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Aug 21, 2014
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Hello,

I'm stuck and looking for advice. I'm a photographer and also do a lot of video editing. I use a Windows 7 64bit machine. I have a couple of SSDs attached as well as an external HDD (1TB). One SSD (225GB) contains my OS and most programs, the other (450GB) is content.

I had a HDD fail recently and lost some work. I was backing up, but only about once a month. In addition to needing a lot more space, I also wanted to build in redundancy, while maintaining some performance for the video editing. I figured a RAID5 configuration would be best.

I bought an OWC Mercury Elite Pro Qx2 with 4 3TB Seagate Barracudas, to connect via an eSATA port on the back of the computer. And then I discovered that Win 7 doesn't support RAID5.

I looked into setting it up in the BIOS on my Asus P8Z68-V Gen3 motherboard, but 1) I guess it doesn't recognize eSATA in the SATA setup section (I only saw reference to the onboard SATA ports), and 2) it scares me a little at the thought of initialized RAID in the BIOS with my boot disc attached.

I think that in order to achieve what I want I'll need an RAID controller card. I have space for a PCIe x 8 card.

Am I right (will I be able to achieve a RAID5 array with an external tower of 4 HDD through a single eSATA cable into a RAID controller card)? Is this the best way to go? If not, what am I missing?

If this is the best way to get what I want, can anyone recommend a specific controller (or brand)? I'm blown away by the price range in the RAID controller card market. I did a search in Newegg for eSATA cards capable of RAID5 and they range for $20 to $180. I did notice that the more expensive ones had multiple inputs, expandable to up to 20 HDDs, but I definitely don't need that.

I appreciate any help. I don't want to order something that I don't need or can't use.

Walter
 

newtekie1

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If I'm reading the manual for the right product, found here, then you shouldn't need anything extra. The RAID is actually controlled by the drive enclosure itself, not Windows. You need to select RAID5 using the little dial inside the front cover(this will destroy any data on the drives if they aren't new). Then when you plug it in via eSATA, it will show up as one large drive to Windows. You then have to go into disk management and format the large drive before it will show up as a drive under Computer.
 

WSheehey

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Aug 21, 2014
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It wasn't working for me. My system showed 4 unallocated drives. I read your post (and the manual) and called the manufacturer. Apparently the unit needed to be reset. It's all up and running perfectly now. Thanks!
 
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