[manhattanman]

And THEN install the OS?

I may install Win 10 Pro.

 

[spunk.funk]

the 32GB SSD is just big enough for the Windows OS, as long as you move the location of the User Files as previously outlined to one of the 500GB HDD's,
If you want the computer to be like you previously had it, then follow Stancestans instructions

 

[manhattanman]

Based on my HDD and SSD configuration, how would my engaging the RAID-0 process differ from this YouTube tutorial?

 

[Stancestans]

And THEN install the OS?

I may install Win 10 Pro.

YES.

 

[spunk.funk]

You may have to press a different Key Combo to Enter the RAID configuration Control Panel. But other then that, you are going to select the Two 500 GB HDD's and create a RAID 0 Striped set. Once it is completed, then boot off of the Windows installer and choose to install Windows on the now 1TB (2 X500GB's in Striped Set) Volume.

 

[manhattanman]

I can't get into the RAID O setup page. Directions for the M17X-R2 (see attachment) don't work on my machine.

After completing the numbered steps, making the choice for "RAID" and pressing "ESC" the little blue box just blinks rapidly. Nothing else happens.

Notice the attached page mentions the RAID procedure is for "most" Alienware products. My product isn't shown in the setup tutorial.

https://www.alienowners.com/threads/setting-up-a-raid-on-most-alienware-systems-how-to.1952/

 

[Stancestans]

I can't get into the RAID O setup page. Directions for the M17X-R2 (see attachment) don't work on my machine.

After completing the numbered steps, making the choice for "RAID" and pressing "ESC" the little blue box just blinks rapidly. Nothing else happens.

Notice the attached page mentions the RAID procedure is for "most" Alienware products. My product isn't shown in the setup tutorial.

https://www.alienowners.com/threads/setting-up-a-raid-on-most-alienware-systems-how-to.1952/

IS RAID available as an option for SATA Operation mode? If so, did you PRESS ENTER AFTER highlighting it? You must press Enter BEFORE pressing Esc. Esc is merely used to cancel or go back to the upper level of the navigation chain, while Enter is for setting the selected option.

 

[manhattanman]

I'll go through the process a third time, but I followed all of the instructions shown on the attached Alienware RAID O page for the M17X-R2 model, which didn't work. Notice my comment at the bottom of that page.

 

[Stancestans]

I'll go through the process a third time, but I followed all of the instructions shown on the attached Alienware RAID O page for the M17X-R2 model, which didn't work. Notice my comment at the bottom of that page.

I'll ask again. Is RAID an option for SATA Operation mode on YOUR machine? Shouldn't you be following the instructions for M17x R3 and M18x AND NOT M17x R2? Isn't your model M18X?

 

[spunk.funk]

Boot into Setup (Bios) go to Advanced tab/SATA Mode. (see Attached) Is RAID mode an option?

 

[manhattanman]

My model is the M18X-R2, not the M18X. They're different models.

I HAVE gone to "Advanced\ tab/SATA mode". The RAID mode IS an option. It won't activate when pressing enter on "YES". It just blinks rapidly and does nothing.

Apparently there's another method for activating the RAID option.

 

[spunk.funk]

In the Bios, select RAID, then press Enter to accept it, then press ESC to Save and Exit out of the Bios

 

[manhattanman]

After doing those things, how do I access the RAID menu?

 

[Stancestans]

After doing those things, how do I access the RAID menu?

Proceed with the Setting up RAID section of the tutorial you were following. If you have changed SATA mode to RAID, saved the changes and exited BIOS setup, the pc should reboot and will prompt you to enter the Intel RAID ROM utility using the keys shown on screen. That should be Ctrl + i according to the tutorial. You need to press that key combination as soon as the prompt appears on screen. Wait too long and Windows will process with booting. Do it too soon and it may not respond to the key presses. Once that RAID utility loads, you can then assign the two identical hard drives to a RAID 0 configuration. If you waited for too long, force shutdown the pc and start again.

 

[manhattanman]

This is the imaged progression of results I get when attempting to gain access to the RAID setup. The screen just moves back into the desktop. There is no intel RAID utility prompt displayed before moving into desktop.

 

[Stancestans]

This is the imaged progression of results I get when attempting to gain access to the RAID setup. The screen just moves back into the desktop. There is no intel RAID utility prompt displayed before moving into desktop.

That doesn't seem right. After setting RAID as the SATA mode, saving changes and restarting the pc, you should see messages on screen about the RAID setup. When prompted, press Ctrl + Shift + I

 

[manhattanman]

As stated in one of my previous replies, the RAID setup procedure explained in the Alienware tutorial applies to "MOST" Alienware products. MY M18X-R2 machine is NOT shown in that list of products.

I'd contact Dell product support, but the machine is no longer under warranty and it may necessitate being charged for their support assistance. I may have to take that option.

 

[spunk.funk]

The problem is that you have already installed Windows on one of the 500GB HDD's so the computer is not going to let you create a RAID with that drive. You will need to boot off of your Windows installer and Delete the partitions on that drive that has Windows on it. So both drives are Unallocated Space.
Restart the computer, go into the Bios, Set it again for RAID press Yes to Save and Exit and then at the next bootup, it should see there is no Operating System and go thru the RAID setup. Then you can Boot off of the Windows installer again, once you have the RAID in place and choose to install to that drive.

 

[manhattanman]

It's not letting me delete one part of Drive O's partition. Other Drive O partitions were successfully deleted. An additional part of the O Drive is unallocated.

Then I went through the RAID procedure in Bios.

After turning the machine off manually and restarting, no RAID menu is shown.

 

[spunk.funk]

You need to delete all partitions or this will not work. You can remove the HDD and attach it to a working computer via a USB Adapter, Dock or Enclosure and use a 3rd party app like Minitool Partition Wizard, or you can create a bootable Flash Drive of Minitool and boot off of that in the Alienware and delete the partition.