[Question] - how to make XP see 2 hard disks as one drive?

[sirpelidor]

Hi,

I just got myself a older box w/ 2 10G harddisk. I already put XP pro SP2 in it but XP sees that I have 2 harddisks (Drive C, and D). How can I make window see my 2 harddisk as 1, so it'll say I have one 20G harddisk (Drive C) instead of 2?

Thank you

Title Edited - Please follow new posting rules from now on.

--Zxian

[Phoneguy]

You need a raid controller, use either raid 0 (for striping and performance) or create a JOB set up wich creates one drive from the two but gives you no performance boost.

[sirpelidor]

You need a raid controller, use either raid 0 (for striping and performance) or create a JOB set up wich creates one drive from the two but gives you no performance boost.

Hello Phoneguy, thanks for the tip.

the old box I got is one of those stupid Dell dimemson 2100. I don't think it supports RAID controller. Know any software (perferablly open source) I can install on my XP so that it'll see it as RAID 0?

Thank you for your time

[cluberti]

A RAID controller would be a hardware device, not software (although NON boot volumes in Windows can be configured as such within Windows). You would go about doing the following, if you really want to do this:

1. Purchase a PCI IDE RAID controller, either at your local retailer or online

2. Back up your personal files to another PC, a CD-R or CD-RW, or an external hard drive or USB key

3. Format both hard drives using a DOS boot disk (www.bootdisk.com)

4. Power down your PC

5. Insert the new PCI IDE RAID controller card into your PC

6. Attach both hard drive data cables to the new IDE RAID controller

7. Power up your PC

8. Follow the instructions that came with the IDE RAID controller to enter the BIOS

9. Follow the instructions that came with the IDE RAID controller to create a RAID0 array

10. Reboot your PC, and install Windows XP

[-I-]

if you want there is also a software way, (but it would st leave you with probebly 2 partions C and D... but you could change te size of your D (data) disk...

most Tech-guys (like me) already would advise you to use partions,

(what if your windows crashes - and you want to format your C-disk (youd lose all your file tooo)....

there is a way though, that you could change your C drive to (about 5gb ( usualy recomanded for most installs of windows xp)

and make your D: drive 15gb...

if this is what you'd want, just reply and il go into detail....

any-ways it involves using 2 hacked windows system-files to use software raid (for non system partitions only) exactly like windows server 2003 does it....

[EchoNoise]

I'm not sure if you can have your windowsXP as a dynamic disk but....

Have any of you heard of Dynamic Disks?

Click on Start >> Run >> Then type "compmgmt.msc" (without the quotes)

Then Click on Disk Management.

You can then proceed to right click on the drive you want to convert and click on the create dynamic option.

[cluberti]

You can make a boot volume a RAID1, but not a RAID0.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...;302969&sd=tech

[sirpelidor]

Hi guys,

Thank you very much for the tips, I think I'll try cluberti and undeadsoldier's suggestion tonight.

-I-, thanks for your partition advise. But I'm just a broke a$$ developer who tried to put a piece of crap machine together as cheap as possible so I can start writing software for my client. After I got paid, then I will invest into a better machine. I hope window won't die on my before my development is over heheh.

After I installed xp SP2 and Visual Studio.NET, I only got 3G left. I haven't even install SQL server and some other junks yet. I wouldn't even bother to put two 10G harddisk together into the same drive if i wasn't running outta space. Oh well, lets hope this box will get me through my project, so I can get some $ to buy a better machine IMHO.

Once again, thank you guys.

Edited March 14, 2006 by sirpelidor

[Stead]

one thing you could do, is put 2 drives in, and mount one drive as a folder, say c:\program files, so everything in program files would actually be on the other drive, mite be a bit fiddly to set up, but maybe its an idea?

well with that idea you'd have 10 gig dedicated for your program files folder, i do'nt see why it couldn't be done.

i've often done this with peoples my documents folders i've set up for people, ie make a seperate parition for my documents, as lots of people only like to see one drive, but that way, if you format the computer or windows stops working and you need to for whatever reason, it stays there! i'm sure theres good reasons for why not to do it, but i've found it works for me, hope it helps

Edited March 15, 2006 by Stead

[LLXX]

Have you nLited your XP installation? That can reduce the space requirements quite a bit.

You can normally get it down to 1Gb or less.