Windows XP: stuck because of Intel Rapid Storage Manager

[User1589699940172478]

I want to clone an Xp drive with vital legacy software ASAP. This is a problem because XP and Intel Matrix are very finicky. I want to upgrade the OS, but I’m terrified of doing it on the original drive and I’m trying to get a clone to work with.
The thing that got me helping my good buddy on this project is that XP is obviously getting harder and harder to work with or upgrade, and this old HP Compaq PC has that Intel Matrix Storage Option Rom feature, and one of the RAID drives died! Plus the box is literally falling apart. We are running out of time.
* The computer will boot fine on that one degraded drive. But if I try to add an internal drive for cloning, the Intel Matrix RAID interrupts the boot up demanding that I do something with the added drive, like add it to the RAID, or else I can hit escape and then reset the disks, delete the RAID, or exit. I see conflicting reports on whether I can delete the RAID or reset the disks without losing data. And I'm terrified of breaking it.
* I tried cloning to an external USB drive, using HDCloneX, and it made the clone, but the clone does a BSOD if I try to boot from it.
* I can use the disk internally if I boot from gparted. I tried to clone using it, but then the pc complains with intel raid again, or if I select the internal clone in boot menu, i just get a blinking cursor.
* If I have to, I'll try to upgrade from XP on the original drive, but it would be disastrous if it goes fubar, because of some of the important licensed software on it.
Things I haven't tried yet:
* Appeasing the Intel monster and throwing in yet another drive and rebuilding the 2-HDD RAID. but then after I clone, i worry I'll have the same roadblocks.
Hoping one of you has the sage wisdom. I read another forum post about attaching a report, so I’m doing so here. 

[AlHill]

Stop this nonsense with XP and come into the present where you will be supported.  It makes no sense to continue with an OS that is now long discontinued and unsupported.  And, with your messing around, I sure hope you have your data backed up.

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)

[User1589699940172478]

The purpose of this is to upgrade to a newer OS. I don’t want to do it on the original. I’m trying to get a bootable clone in case something goes terribly wrong. My hope is somebody in this forum can show me how to get around the roadblocks with Intel Matrix Storage Manager.

[AlHill]

Backup your data.

Take your existing system and stash it in the basement.

Build a new OS on a new HW platform.

Reload your data.

Now, you are done without having two decades of garbage being migrated.

And, you will respect yourself in the morning.

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)

[User1589699940172478]

I gather as a super user you help a lot of people and so kudos to you for that. This isn’t helping me very much. There’s special legacy software on this computer and there is an upgrade path, and I need to get it upgraded pass the original XP. I would like it very much if anyone is here to advise me specifically on the ends and outs of Intel matrix storage manager. I have seen people in this forum look at the report and advise them as to what they can do without losing data. Thank you for your concern.

[ClariceStarling]

True, it's very possible that a lot of the hacked people in the news are still on XP.

[AlHill]

Believe me, I have heard the "Special legacy software" argument before.  There is no reason to still be on XP.   That you are, you have created a larger problem.

To expect to do this "without losing data" is naive.  Why not protect yourself and DO A BACKUP of the data?

Sorry to be so blunt about this, but you yourself have created this issue by not planning to migrate.  There was Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.x, and now Windows 10 (for the past 6 years).  What have you been waiting for?

No longer following this thread.

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)

[User1589699940172478]

Oh good lol

hopefully someone will come along who can help.

I think the answer is i can delete a raid 1 without losing data but I’d surely like some expert confirmation on that

[User1589699940172478 · Accepted solution]

So I’m not into being a jerk, so I’m going to post the results of what I’ve done so far, in the event it helps people in the future.

I was able to make a successful clone using acronis 2010 which is XP compatible. I took the SSD out of a new computer and connected it to the old XP computer internally using Sata. By using acronis bootable USB, I was able to boot into acronis and clone the drive without Intel matrix insisting that I can figure the raid with the new internal SSD added.

Then, and I’m told this is important, I disconnected the original hard drive from Sata, And booted up with the new clone. Success!

Now that I have a bootable clone, I can work on something and know that I can fall back to the original if it screws up somewhere.

Next I’m going to deal with Intel Matrix storage. According to what I’ve read, you can enter the Intel raid config during bios boot up and select delete. It sounds scary but it doesn’t delete the data. It just deletes the raid configuration. And then you’re no longer nagged about a degraded raid. There’s an option to reset, but that would cause a new raid to be created and I want to just get away from that. This may not be entirely necessary because the clone boots just fine.

Then I’m going to follow one of the many guides out there to upgrade from windows XP to Windows 7. Once I have a more migration-friendly Windows 7 disk, I will put the ssd clone back into the new computer, update/replace drivers, and then upgrade to 10.

This was able to solve my specific problem of helping my friend whose business runs an old legacy proprietary software that needed to be upgraded in steps.

I was really surprised and disappointed that I couldn’t get anybody to answer my simple straightforward questions about what the options mean in Intel matrix rapid storage manager. From what I read, delete is OK, and better than reset disks, which would cause a new raised to be built.

I will return to this thread if I discover any more useful information, or if any part of my plan fails. Otherwise future people can read it this and assume I was successful.