How to Create a Non-Bootable Drive Mirror
A drive mirror is a pair of hard drives running in parallel. Each drive automatically backs up the other because your computer writes to both simultaneously. To create a non-bootable drive mirror, you'll need to install two identical hard drives as a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) array and then configure it as a non-bootable RAID level-1 array. In almost every modern desktop PC, you can set up RAID 1 through its Built-In Operating System (BIOS).
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Things You'll Need
- Documentation for your computer's RAID setup
- Documentation for your computer's motherboard
- Two identical hard drives
- Two hard-drive signal cables
- Two hard-drive power cables
Instructions
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Find the support website for your computer, search for its RAID-setup document and then download it. Also, check the documentation for your computer's motherboard to determine which type of hard drives you need to purchase, typically Serial ATA (SATA). In your motherboard's documentation, find a diagram that shows the locations of its SATA cable connectors. The first four are typically SATA 1 primary, SATA 1 secondary, SATA 2 primary and SATA 2 secondary.
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Turn off your computer and inspect it to make sure it has empty drive bays for two additional hard drives. Verify that your motherboard has a pair of free SATA connectors for the new drives. For example, if you currently have only one SATA drive, its cable connects to the SATA 1 primary connector and nothing connects to the SATA 1 secondary connector. Therefore, you can connect your two mirrored drives to the SATA 2 primary and secondary connectors. Write down the signal and power cable lengths you will need to connect your new drives. Purchase your new hard drives and the cables.
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Back up all data on your computer. For example, you can copy data files and folders either to an external hard drive or to free space in another computer on your home network. If you have full-system backup software, also make a disk image of your main hard drive and store it on an external hard drive.
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Turn off your computer, and install your new hard drives and their signal and power cables.
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Set up your non-bootable RAID-1 array according to your computer's RAID-setup document that details how to configure RAID through your computer's BIOS. For example, you can enable RAID for only your SATA 2 primary and secondary drives, configure RAID 1 and specify that it is non-bootable.
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Copy data into your non-bootable drive mirror, which your operating system will identify through a single letter---for example "D." When you write any file or folder to your drive mirror, RAID 1 writes it automatically to both mirrored drives.
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Tips & Warnings
If your computer's motherboard does not support RAID, you can install a separate RAID controller module, connect it to two matching hard drives, and then configure them as a non-bootable RAID 1 mirrored drive.
To guard against injury or death due to electric shock, turn off your computer and unplug its power cord before you work inside its cabinet.
To guard against static-electric damage to your computer's components, wear a grounding wrist strap and connect it to your computer's chassis before you work inside its cabinet.
To guard against data loss, back up your data frequently to an external drive. RAID 1 only protects your data against a failure in either of its mirrored drives. Both drives can fail simultaneously---for example, due to a power-supply failure, a motherboard failure or a virus.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit two computer hard drives image by Elnur from Fotolia.com
