Double up your data

With the PC turned off, disconnect the power cord and remove the case lid. For desktops with tower-style cases, turn the tower on its side for greater stability while you work. Next, find an available PCI slot, and, if necessary, remove the slot back plate. Attach two of the bundled SATA data cables to the first two ports on the RAID card. Then, gently but firmly, slide the card into the open PCI slot on the computer's motherboard. Press the card down and screw its bracket into place.

Locate the drive bay where you'll mount your first new hard drive, push the drive into place, and attach it securely to the bay with screws. Using the Y adapter, plug a power connector from the power supply into the back of the new hard drive. Then connect the first SATA cable to the drive, reconnect the PC's power cord, and turn on your PC.

The RAID card should appear on the power-on self-test (POST) screen. Once the computer boots, install the RAID card's drivers and management software from the Adaptec setup CD. Restart, then confirm successful installation by checking the Properties tab of the new hard drive under My Computer.

Use colored or marked SATA data cables to differentiate between them.