How to install Mac OS 10.4.8 on 4 new WD Raptors?

Question

Hello,
just got my Mac Pro delivered with 1 x 250 GB drive. Now I want to replace this drive with 4 WD 74GB Raptor's in a RAID 0 configuration. How can I do this? For the moment I have only the Install CD's and the 4 Raptor's. They are not yet formatted nor erased.
thnx,
Xavier
Mac Pro 2,66 4GB 4xWD Raptor 74GB   Mac OS X (10.4.8)   ATI1900 Dual Viewsonic 2030

Answer 1

You will need to get an external Firewire enclosure for the 250 GB hard drive. Install the 250 GB drive in the FW enclosure. Install your four Raptor drives in the computer, boot the computer from the external FW drive, prep all four drives, then create your RAID. Clone the external drive to the internal RAID.
Extended Hard Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in the Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Set the number of partitions from the dropdown menu to one (1). Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the volume mounts on the Desktop.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process will take 30 minutes to an hour or more depending upon the drive size.
After formatting has completed on all four drives select one of them from the DU left side list then click on the RAID tab in the DU main window. Select the type of RAID from the drop down menu (striped for RAID 0). Drag each volume to the RAID list. Click on Create button. Wait for the RAID to appear on the Desktop.
How to Clone Using Restore Option of Disk Utility
1. Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
3. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (journaled, if available) and click on the Erase button. This step can be skipped if the destination has already been freshly erased.
4. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
5. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
6. Select the startup or source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
7. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
8. Select the destination drive on the Desktop and press COMMAND-I to open the Get Info window. At the bottom in the Ownership and Permissions section be sure the box labeled "Ignore Permissions on this Volume" is unchecked. Verify the settings for Ownership and Permissions as follows: Owner=system with read/write; Group=admin with read/write; Other with read-only. If they are not correct then reset them.
For added precaution you can boot into safe mode before doing the clone.
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