Other World Computing (OWC) Launches OWC SoftRAID 8.5 for macOS and Windows

[btarunr]

Other World Computing (OWC), a trusted leader in high-performance storage, memory, connectivity, software, and accessories that empower creative and business professionals to maximize performance, enhance reliability, and streamline workflows, today announced the release of OWC SoftRAID 8.5, the latest update to its powerful RAID management software for macOS and Windows. Packed with dozens of enhancements, OWC SoftRAID 8.5 delivers dramatic increases in reliability, functionality, and performance - ensuring next-level data protection, functionality, and system stability for everyone from video editors to IT administrators, novices to power users.

The new OWC SoftRAID 8.5 driver, included with Apple's macOS 15.4 update, introduces significant improvements for RAID 4/5 volumes, particularly when dealing with failing HDDs and SSDs. The driver now proactively marks a disk as failed upon detecting the first read or write error, ensuring uninterrupted performance by leveraging RAID redundancy to reconstruct data dynamically.



Other key enhancements include:

• Improved Disk Failure Handling - Prevents read/write errors when a drive in a RAID 4/5 volume fails.
• Better Handling of Disconnected Disks - Ensures stability even when multiple disks or enclosures are disconnected while volumes remain mounted.
• Enhanced OWC SoftRAID Tool for Administrators - The command-line tool has been refined with expanded functionality, allowing more OWC SoftRAID tasks to be executed from a Terminal window or via scripting.

OWC SoftRAID Windows 8.5: Expanded RAID Functionality and Stability Updates

OWC SoftRAID 8.5 for Windows introduces a range of new features and critical fixes, further aligning it with the power and flexibility of OWC SoftRAID for Mac.

Key enhancements include:

• New Cross-Platform Support - Now supports mounting, reading, and writing non-RAID volumes created on OWC SoftRAID for Mac.
• Enhanced RAID 1+0 Management - Users can now change primary disks and remove member disks from RAID 4/5/1+0 (10) volumes.
• Diagnostics Tool Upgrade - Improved troubleshooting capabilities with the latest diagnostic enhancements.
• Optimized TRIM Handling - Increased efficiency for RAID 4/5 SSD volumes.
• Event Log Improvements - More detailed logging for system events.
• Added Compatibility - Supports Window Volume Shadow Copy Service, which allows users and apps to create backup copies of files or entire volumes.
• Enhanced System Stability and RAID Management - Introduced key updates to improve volume validation, ensure seamless automatic rebuilds, and strengthen RAID 1+0 handling, delivering a highly reliable and resilient experience.

"OWC SoftRAID 8.5 represents our ongoing commitment to delivering cutting-edge RAID solutions that work just as hard as our users do," said Larry O'Connor, Founder and CEO of Other World Computing (OWC). "Whether you're a content creator, IT professional, or someone simply looking for dependable data protection, this update brings even more performance, reliability, and flexibility to both Mac and Windows platforms."

OWC SoftRAID 8.5 is now generally available (GA) as a free update for existing users with an active OWC SoftRAID subscription.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[aktpu]

"an active OWC SoftRAID subscription" raid sub? no thanks

 

[bug]

"an active OWC SoftRAID subscription" raid sub? no thanks

Yeah, I liked them when they sold enclosures. Now that they want to sell me the SSDs they want, the services they want, I like them as much as Trump likes the EU.

 

[b1k3rdude]

"Most power raid tool on the planet"...

You'd think companies would have learned to make straight up lies in thier marketing by now..

And having or adding subscrtiption into something that should be a one of cost er... F*** right off and do one mate.

 

[DirtyDingusMcgee]

For many years, I knew OWC as the only source of Mac parts that wasn't Apple.

They have nice stuff, but the prices are eye-watering.

 

[L'Eliminateur]

"an active OWC SoftRAID subscription" raid sub? no thanks

this is probably awkwardly worded in the article, it's most likely a "support & upgrade" subscription: you buy the software once and receive upgrades as long as you have an active subscription, otherwise you retain the software you bought as-is, same as opening support cases.

Some companies give you free point updates for every major release (for example X.y, y+1 y+2) but for major versions (X.y -> X+1) you need a subscription or to buy again (also applies to smaller subpoint in case the .y is the major release), some others also throw in support cases with the subscription

It's a pretty normal business model.

 

[Athlonite]

Why on earth would I pay for a software RAID subscription when what they're doing has been available from within mobo BIOS's or in Windows Disk Manager for free for years
OWC are becoming the BMW of the PC world RAID subscription/Heated seats no difference and they can both fuck right off

 

[bug]

Why on earth would I pay for a software RAID subscription when what they're doing has been available from within mobo BIOS's or in Windows Disk Manager for free for years
OWC are becoming the BMW of the PC world RAID subscription/Heated seats no difference and they can both fuck right off

Because users are getting dumber and dumber, and looking at the BIOS or disk manager is akin to reading Chinese to them.

 

[bonehead123]

OWC used to be da bomb for Mac-only stuff back in the day, even though most of it was very nice, it was still more expensive compared to their windblows counterparts, but they occasionally had some killer sales with significant discounts....

However, once the fruity bois starting leaning towards making Intel compatibility a reality and got OS X to a more polished state, they got the big head and starting raising prices to absurd levels....

nope, not doing that !

 

[Chrispy_]

I'm confused. Windows has done software RAID for free since, uh, I forget. Windows 2000? Or was it XP? Sure, it's only striping, mirroring, or JDOD, but if you're doing software RAID then it's a single motherboard chipset and a single point of failure anyway, so what more do you need?

Paying a subscription for RAID is indeed odd, it's not like the SATA standard or RAID configurations have changed much in the last 30 years.
Paying a subscription for feature-creep vendor-bloat like backup or volume shadow copy that has nothing to do with RAID makes some sense, although at that point why are you running your RAID array on Windows or MacOS when you should be using an actual storage OS? It seems like a very 1990's or early 2000's way of doing things and it died back then for so many valid and repeatable reasons that I'm not even going to dignify listing them all.

 

[L'Eliminateur]

I'm confused. Windows has done software RAID for free since, uh, I forget. Windows 2000? Or was it XP? Sure, it's only striping, mirroring, or JDOD, but if you're doing software RAID then it's a single motherboard chipset and a single point of failure anyway, so what more do you need?

Paying a subscription for RAID is indeed odd, it's not like the SATA standard or RAID configurations have changed much in the last 30 years.
Paying a subscription for feature-creep vendor-bloat like backup or volume shadow copy that has nothing to do with RAID makes some sense, although at that point why are you running your RAID array on Windows or MacOS when you should be using an actual storage OS? It seems like a very 1990's or early 2000's way of doing things and it died back then for so many valid and repeatable reasons that I'm not even going to dignify listing them all.

Windows raid is a joke, it's extremely limited, it has practically no management or visibility(you have no first party smart monitoring and all you can see it's buried into cryptic event log events) and you're limited to raid 0 and 1 and only on windows pro
On Mac i don't think you can do anything.

At least they're value adding some stuff like having a very easy to see and visible gui with proactive smart monitoring and disk status

 

[Chrispy_]

Windows raid is a joke, it's extremely limited, it has practically no management or visibility(you have no first party smart monitoring and all you can see it's buried into cryptic event log events) and you're limited to raid 0 and 1 and only on windows pro
On Mac i don't think you can do anything.

At least they're value adding some stuff like having a very easy to see and visible gui with proactive smart monitoring and disk status

Yes, but it's $149.99 for one year, then $79.99/year.

You can buy a LSI/Adaptec SATA RAID card for ~$100 with a dedicated RAID management utility that does what Windows doesn't, including boot from it, which an OS-level RAID solution can't do.