1
GOOGLE.COM: It’s the only web site we know of that’s used as both
a noun and a verb. Learn to make Google work for you, and you’ll
never regret it.
2
WINDOWSUPDATE.COM: Update Windows regularly! It’s good for you,
it’s good for your friends, and it’s good for those tiny baby seals that
live down by the sea. Really.
3
ARSTECHNICA.COM: Hardware- and software-agnostic computing
news is only a bookmark away. Ars Technica has something for
computer geeks of every persuasion.
4
SLASHDOT.ORG: “News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters.” Slashdot’s tag
line says it all.
5
SHACKNEWS.COM: If it’s gaming, Shacknews covers it. Get all the lat-
est news about games here.
6
THEINQUIRER.NET: More than 90 percent of computer-related news on
the net originates here. OK, we made that up, but The Inquirer is
always five minutes ahead of the rest of the web.
7
PENNY-ARCADE.COM: Every once in a while we all need a laugh. The
wacky-asses at Penny Arcade will provide just that, if you read the
column too!
8
GIZMODO.COM: If you ever wondered where that gadget-savvy pal
finds out about all his wonderful toys, it’s probably Gizmodo. Get
the latest on PDAs, wireless tech, and just-plain-cool stuff.
9
HYPERDICTIONARY.COM: Every word a link. Every link a definition. This
is the way dictionaries should be.
10
WIKIPEDIA.COM: The Internet’s own free encyclopedia. With more
than 170,000 articles, the Wikipedia holds answers to many of your
burning questions.
11
MAXIMUM PC FORUM: With 2 million-plus posts, the Forum holds the
collective wisdom of hordes of helpful -aXimUm 0# readers. Go to
http://www.maximumpc.com and click Forums.
11 WEB SITES THAT EVERY GEEK SHOULD BOOKMARK
Why settle for a single hard drive when
you can easily pair it with a second
drive and have yourself a RAID array?
It’s an upgrade that’s accessible to
anyone! Here’s what you need to run
RAID: At least two hard drives of the
same capacity (and preferably the
same make and model) and a RAID
controller, which can be either an
onboard chip or an add-in PCI control-
ler. Once you have these ingredients,
you must prepare your system for a
fresh install of your operating system,
so back up all your files and make sure
you have drivers for the RAID control-
ler on a floppy disc (this is crucial).
Got the files on a floppy? Great.
Now attach the hard drives to the RAID
controller, insert your XP CD into the
optical drive and boot your PC. During
boot, a screen following the POST
screen will identify the RAID control-
ler and the drives attached to it along
with a prompt to set up your array.
Press the buttons as instructed on the
screen (usually Ctrl+F) and select “auto
configuration” in order to streamline
the array creation process. You will
then be prompted to select whether
How To...
SET UP A RAID ARRAY
30 MINUTE
you want a striped
or mirrored array.
(Striping breaks
data into chunks
and paints it
across both drives
to share the work-
load, and mirror-
ing simply writes
everything to both
drives so you have
a backup in case
one drive fails.)
Once the wizard
finishes creating
the array, it will
reboot your PC.
Upon reboot,
enter the BIOS
and make sure the boot sequence starts
with the CD-ROM drive holding the XP
CD. Your PC will then commence the XP
installation sequence; have your finger
poised over the F6 key because you will
suddenly be prompted to press F6 to
install RAID drivers. Once XP finishes
its loading process, you’ll be prompted
to insert the floppy disc containing the
RAID controller drivers. If all goes well,
your PC will examine the floppy disc,
prompt you to select the correct drivers
for installation, and then “see” the RAID
array for the first time.
Once this process is complete,
you should be able to install XP as if
you were using a single hard drive.
Congratulations on installing a RAID
array—here’s your cookie!*
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
è Running a two-drive striped array
doubles your chances of suffering data
loss because if one drive fails, you lose
the data stored on the entire array.
Running this type of configuration
without a reliable backup method is like
running next to a pool with a pair of
scissors while you’re staring directly at
the sun. It just isn’t smart.
è A hard drive’s worst enemy is heat,
so if possible leave a gap between the
two drives when you mount them for
optimum air circulation. Installing a
case fan in front of the drives is also a
good idea. n
COOkie nOt inCLUDeD
How-To
54 MAXIMUMPC AUGUST 2004
When you press F6 to install drivers, you’ll see a screen like this.