Free raid software windows 7

Even better: find another of the same exact drive. Technically you don't have to match specs, but I haven't tested this with widely varying drive architectures. Open up Computer Management, Disk Management. Right-click the unallocated drive and select "New Mirrored Volume". Select the drives you want to use and edit the volume sizes if necessary.

Click Next. You will be prompted to convert the disk to Dynamic disk. Select Yes to continue. Once you've completed the steps above, the data from your primary volume will begin to mirror over to the secondary volume. Mirroring time will depend on the amount of data being mirrored. Now, you've successfully mirrored your volume.

Note: This procedure mirrors volumes, not drives. The two drives are cloned, if one drive fails or deteriorates, the other has a complete replica of the data and it can be retrieved or even swapped into service immediately without moving the data. Adding more hard drives will not add more capacity only more redundancy.

Unfortunately when it comes to capacity, you can only use half of the capacity available as the other drive is used for replication of data. In the event of a single disk failure the chances are very good. The disk can usually be swapped back into service easily with minimal effort. Very small amounts of data loss could theoretically occur if data was not entirely written to all disks and a mechanical failure occurred however this is unlikely.

In the event of a multi-disk failure the recovery chances are reduced but may still remain good if the disks were not adjacent in the array. Failures due to other non disk related issues such as controller failure or configuration loss leave great recovery possibilities for RAID 1 arrays. How to Recover Deleted or Lost Partition. This is the most popular RAID type. RAID 5 encompasses block level striping with distributed parity.

It consists of a system of checksums called parity. If one drive fails subsequent reads can be calculated from the distributed parity in other drives and therefore no data is lost. RAID 5 requires at least 4 drives to achieve its ideal capacity and performance. A single hard drive collects the parity data. In the event that a drive fails, the RAID can be rebuilt and all data recovered. All you must do is add another hard drive to complete the array and begin restoration.

The process may take quite some time but is considered a safer option in terms of redundancy and capacity. RAID is not a substitution for backup.

A critical event can happen anytime which damages the array or multiple drives. Even with redundancy you are still prone to viruses, accidental deletion, mechanical damage or human error. If multiple disks have failed data recovery is still possible on the remaining live disks outside of the RAID array. It is also possible to replace the damaged drive and recover with the core RAID functionality.

This type of RAID array can be recovered easily if the damage is not related to disk failure but rather controller failure, etc. Basically, it combines increased capacity and fault tolerance into a single solution.

You achieve double the performance and capacity. Generally recovery chances are quite good although the overall health of the remaining disks and the number of failed disks in the array plays a large role in the likelihood of successful file recovery. RAID systems are generally considered a reliable and safe option for managing and accessing data. However, occasionally they are susceptible to failure just as other hardware devices and this may lead to catastrophic loss of data.

The consequences are much more severe if important files were not previously backed up. RAID may fail due to several reasons, a few of which include:.

Generally the safest step at this point is to stop using the array and assess the severity of the damage to your RAID array. While it is generally recommended that you repair and replace the array as needed, recovery may also be an option. There are several solutions which may help you recover RAID data. Below we discuss some options for each RAID array recovery strategy using the internal mechanisms.

PCI Express 6. Wordle Scams. T-Mobile iCloud Private Relay. Avira Antivirus Crypto Miner. Linux PinePhone Pro. Google Green Messages. Use Your iPhone as a Webcam. Hide Private Photos on iPhone. All Microsoft's PowerToys for Windows. Take Screenshot by Tapping Back of iPhone. Windows 11 Default Browser.

Browse All Windows Articles. Windows 10 Annual Updates. OneDrive Windows 7 and 8. Copy and Paste Between Android and Windows. Protect Windows 10 From Internet Explorer. Mozilla Fights Double Standard. Connect to a Hidden Wi-Fi Network. Change the Size of the Touch Keyboard.

Reader Favorites Take Screenshot on Windows. Mount an ISO image in Windows. Boot Into Safe Mode. Where to Download Windows Legally. Find Your Lost Product Keys. Clean Install Windows 10 the Easy Way.