Hello again internet people,
Today we got in a G-RAID External RAID box bought on eBay for a steal of a deal! Little did I know these boxes come in RAID0 and don’t let you change them to RAID1. I was pretty bummed because the whole point of a RAID is for file redundancy aka “mirroring”. This means that my computer sees one drive, but all the files that go there, automatically get copied to two drives. If one drive fails, there is another one ready to go, which helps keep data safe.
After some messing with it, I did change the G-RAID to RAID1! Full mirror is now possible and we’ve been testing it for a little while with no issues at all (x64 win7)
Box was damaged, no padding whatsoever O.o tested ok though..
Specs on this particular RAID box:
| Product Description | |
| The 200+ MB/second data transfer rate through eSATA port, the G-Technology G-RAID external hard drive provides speedy performance to move data to the drive. With up to 32 MB per drive cache, this G-Technology external hard drive ensures quick access to data. Integrated with thermo-regulated and quiet smart fan, this G-Technology hard drive delivers silent performance to carry out reliable functioning throughout. The G-Technology G-RAID hard drive supports Mac OS X and Windows, letting you run advance content efficiently. The soft-touch on/off switch in this G-Technology external hard drive offers simple maneuverability. The compact industrial design of this G-Technology hard drive, with aluminum enclosure, adds on to its durability. |
|
| Product Identifiers | |
| Brand | G-Technology |
| Model | G-RAID |
| UPC | 705487181418 |
| Key Features | |
| Enclosure | External |
| Capacity | 2 TB |
| Buffer Size | 32 MB |
| Hard Drive Type | NAS |
| Spindle Speed | 7200 RPM |
| Interface | SATA I, USB 2.0, eSATA |
| Technical Features | |
| Platform | Mac, PC |
| Form Factor | 2.5″ |
| Dimensions | |
| Height | 2.87 in. |
| Width | 5.12 in. |
| Depth | 9.25 in. |
| Weight | 3.85 lbs |
RAID1 from RAID0
Ok, enough of that technical stuff. Either you want to do this with your G-RAID 2TB, like ours – but it appears it will also work with other G-RAID/G-Technology boxes locked into RAID0.
I see it there, but RAID0 (striped data) is pretty much pointless.
First off, you’re going to need the “G-RAID Mini” Configuration program. This program is not made for using with the other G-RAID drives.. but guess what, it works!
http://support.g-technology.com/support/g-raid-mini-raid-configurator I have provided mirrors to the version I used, below:
grm_config_mac_jm_060713 – Mac ver. JMicron Chipset
grm_config_mac_ox_081910 – Mac ver. Oxford Chipset
grm_config_pc_jm_xpV78_080113 – PC VER. JMicron Chipset x32/x64
grm_config_pc_ox_32_022613 – PC VER. Oxford Chipset x32
grm_config_pc_ox_64_072911 – PC VER. Oxford Chipset x64
Ok, so download that for your chipset. The chipset is probably more important than the G-RAID Drive type as we’ll soon see.. Run the program.
Be sure to select the RAID1 (Protected) option and then click “Configure”
Click Yes, as long as you don’t need the data on the G-RAID.
YAY! RAID0 to RAID1 on the G-RAID Drive!
Ok, one more step left though for most people. Check to see if your G-RAID Drive is showing up..
It’s missing for me. I know my computer can see it though since it makes a “ding” when I plug it or unplug it. Ok, lets fix this.
Go to your start menu and right click on “Computer” and click “Manage”
Then click “Disk Management” on the left column. If it asks you to “Initialize Disk” just click OK
Now we need to make a new Volume on the G-RAID Drive. So find your G-RAID drive in the list. It should show up as ~931GB(1TB) if it was a 2TB G-RAID drive. This is because before, in a RAID0 it was storing half the data on each disk making it twice as risky as if it were just on one normal hard drive. Now that it is RAID1, each drive has to hold a copy of every file, cutting their 2TB RAID Drive to a 1TB – but making everything on it mirrored and more reliable. Always remember to also do backups, and store backups off-site!
You should see the below screen. Right click on your G-RAID drive and select “New Volume”
Click next until you get here. Make a name for it – I used G-RAID1 for the name. Click Next again, and OK and finish.
When it’s complete, Windows should pop up with this window, confirming that the G-RAID RAID1 Drive is 100% up and ready for files!
You should be all set! 🙂
RAID0 = BAD RAID1=GOOD…. so now this 2TB External G-RAID Drive = GOOD!
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