Dual Hard Drives

[JOEX]

Is it possible to have two internal hard drives on one computer? How difficult is it to install it and transfer data from one to the other?

[LazeR]

very possible and very EASY! The only thing you gotta make sure is that, the other harddrive you install, the little jumper is on Slave, otherwise both harddrives will be trying to be the master and that dont work. Just hook up the cables like on your other one....screw it in....format it.....then to transfer data, its cut/paste or drap drop howeveer you wanna do it.

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by LazeR
very possible and very EASY! The only thing you gotta make sure is that, the other harddrive you install, the little jumper is on Slave, otherwise both harddrives will be trying to be the master and that dont work. Just hook up the cables like on your other one....screw it in....format it.....then to transfer data, its cut/paste or drap drop howeveer you wanna do it.

Yeah do what he said . :confused: :huh

You lost me after the word EASY !!!! lol . :ermm:

[Butters]

Originally posted by LazeR
very possible and very EASY! The only thing you gotta make sure is that, the other harddrive you install, the little jumper is on Slave, otherwise both harddrives will be trying to be the master and that dont work. Just hook up the cables like on your other one....screw it in....format it.....then to transfer data, its cut/paste or drap drop howeveer you wanna do it.

man your good. :D

[LazeR]

Originally posted by Quad18star
Yeah do what he said . :confused: :huh

You lost me after the word EASY !!!! lol . :ermm:

haha, i guess i did kind of write it fast!!! ok....here it is, step by step for ya greg :blah:


Step #1 - Take off sidepanel from tower
Step #2 - On the HDD itself, find where the jumper is, normally 6 pins, and 2 are covered by the jumper, find where it says slv and cover those 2 pins with the jumper
Step #3 - Mount the harddrive underneath or above the current one
Step #4 - plug a power cord into it
Step #5 - Plug the Cable into it, with the red stripe towards the #1 pin
Step #6 - Boot up the computer with a disk, and go to the command prompt
Step #7 - Let the computer boot up and find the drive letter of the new hdd
Step #8 - Reboot the comp, with a startup disk and go to the command prompt
Step #9 - type Format D: and press enter (D is just an example and may not be the actual drive letter for you)
Step #10 - Press Y so it will format, when its done you can enter a volume label if you want but is not needed and you can just press enter
Step #11 - Take the boot disk out, and start up your comp
Step #12 - Transfer any files you want to your new HDD
Step #13 - Make sure you put the side cover back on :devil:

[JOEX]

Thanks LazeR.....

Does it matter if I have one DVD-Rom drive and another CD-R Drive? I'm thinking those ont matter, just want to make sure.

I'd want to make the new hard drive the main one and then transfer data from the old one.

Would it be easier to make the new HD the Slave first to make sure everything is working right then switch it to the Master?

[Mxjunkie]

Originally posted by LazeR
very possible and very EASY! The only thing you gotta make sure is that, the other harddrive you install, the little jumper is on Slave, otherwise both harddrives will be trying to be the master and that dont work. Just hook up the cables like on your other one....screw it in....format it.....then to transfer data, its cut/paste or drap drop howeveer you wanna do it.

yup i do it to every computer i get, its awesome :macho

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by LazeR
haha, i guess i did kind of write it fast ok....here it is, step by step for ya greg :blah:


Step #1 - Take off sidepanel from tower
Step #2 - On the HDD itself, find where the jumper is, normally 6 pins, and 2 are covered by the jumper, find where it says slv and cover those 2 pins with the jumper
Step #3 - Mount the harddrive underneath or above the current one
Step #4 - plug a power cord into it
Step #5 - Plug the Cable into it, with the red stripe towards the #1 pin
Step #6 - Boot up the computer with a disk, and go to the command prompt
Step #7 - Let the computer boot up and find the drive letter of the new hdd
Step #8 - Reboot the comp, with a startup disk and go to the command prompt
Step #9 - type Format D: and press enter (D is just an example and may not be the actual drive letter for you)
Step #10 - Press Y so it will format, when its done you can enter a volume label if you want but is not needed and you can just press enter
Step #11 - Take the boot disk out, and start up your comp
Step #12 - Transfer any files you want to your new HDD
Step #13 - Make sure you put the side cover back on :devil:

I'm sure those helped someone out .... but for me ... $40 at the local computer place does the trick . :blah: . I;ll keep it in mind though , the next time I slam my computer against the wall and parts fall off of it . :)

[LazeR]

Originally posted by JOEX
Thanks LazeR.....

Does it matter if I have one DVD-Rom drive and another CD-R Drive? I'm thinking those ont matter, just want to make sure.

I'd want to make the new hard drive the main one and then transfer data from the old one.

Would it be easier to make the new HD the Slave first to make sure everything is working right then switch it to the Master?

Your CD/DVD drives will have no affect you are right.

What you're wanting to do can cause problems. I would just make it the slave, because the one that you already have in. already has windows on it. So you would have to transfer everything, and im not sure if you can transfer windows ????? If you can then you could just transfer the whole drive and then take your comp back apart and switch the jumpers, other wise you would have to format your old one, and install windows on the new one after you transfered your files and changed the jumpers.

[JOEX]

Originally posted by LazeR
haha, i guess i did kind of write it fast!!! ok....here it is, step by step for ya greg :blah:


Step #1 - Take off sidepanel from tower
Step #2 - On the HDD itself, find where the jumper is, normally 6 pins, and 2 are covered by the jumper, find where it says slv and cover those 2 pins with the jumper
Step #3 - Mount the harddrive underneath or above the current one
Step #4 - plug a power cord into it
Step #5 - Plug the Cable into it, with the red stripe towards the #1 pin
Step #6 - Boot up the computer with a disk, and go to the command prompt
Step #7 - Let the computer boot up and find the drive letter of the new hdd
Step #8 - Reboot the comp, with a startup disk and go to the command prompt
Step #9 - type Format D: and press enter (D is just an example and may not be the actual drive letter for you)
Step #10 - Press Y so it will format, when its done you can enter a volume label if you want but is not needed and you can just press enter
Step #11 - Take the boot disk out, and start up your comp
Step #12 - Transfer any files you want to your new HDD
Step #13 - Make sure you put the side cover back on :devil:
I gotta read that a few more time before I kick my comp again:eek: :D
What if I can't find the side cover:eek: :p

[LazeR]

Originally posted by Quad18star
I'm sure those helped someone out .... but for me ... $40 at the local computer place does the trick . :blah: . I;ll keep it in mind though , the next time I slam my computer against the wall and parts fall off of it . :)

I take it you are pretty computer saavy :huh :eek2: :scary:

Remind me to keep my computer at least 500 feet from you at all times :blah:

[LazeR]

Originally posted by JOEX

What if I can't find the side cover:eek: :p

Yoncalla isnt that far from you...Bring it down here and i will install it for free.

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by LazeR
I take it you are pretty computer saavy :huh :eek2: :scary:

Remind me to keep my computer at least 500 feet from you at all times :blah:

I know as much about computers , as I do about rocket science . When you hear beeping and see smoke ... kick it and run . I've only destroyed one computer ( during high school) and flipped my home computer a handful of times . Other than that , I just peacefully walk away and blame it on someone else in the house . :devil:

[JOEX]

Originally posted by LazeR
Your CD/DVD drives will have no affect you are right.

What you're wanting to do can cause problems. I would just make it the slave, because the one that you already have in. already has windows on it. So you would have to transfer everything, and im not sure if you can transfer windows ????? If you can then you could just transfer the whole drive and then take your comp back apart and switch the jumpers, other wise you would have to format your old one, and install windows on the new one after you transfered your files and changed the jumpers.
I'd make it the slave at first with it's own operating system just to get the basics situated then make it the master and transfer what data I want from the the old HD as needed.

I'm just trying to simplify the process of updating while having a something to fall back on (the old HD alreadyu hooked up).

[LazeR]

Originally posted by Quad18star
I know as much about computers , as I do about rocket science . When you hear beeping and see smoke ... kick it and run . I've only destroyed one computer ( during high school) and flipped my home computer a handful of times . Other than that , I just peacefully walk away and blame it on someone else in the house . :devil:

Its actually really easy to learn. I've self taught myself everything, and my patiences dont stretch very far.... But i dont break things either when they make me mad...i just walk away pissed off and try and find something else to do, so i dont kill it lol

[JOEX]

Originally posted by LazeR
Yoncalla isnt that far from you...Bring it down here and i will install it for free.
If you come up her and dig through my shed for it!:devil:

[LazeR]

Originally posted by JOEX
If you come up her and dig through my shed for it!:devil:

haha, you cant have your cake and eat it too!

[DillonTMNT]

After using my foot to destroy my MOBO 2 days ago I ripped my HDD out of my computer and installed it into my father computer just so I can have access to my stuff. I am pretty sure formatting is not needed. I just plugged in the slave (extra) IDE port and then the power cable that is also extra on there and it was good to go after XP reconized a new piece of hardware. Drag and drop my friends...drag and drop. Once I get my new computer built there will be no kicking near it!:devil:

also I am fairly knowledgable about this computer stuff. Between lazer and I we could prolly open some kind of dr.fixit e-shop. heh



-Dillon

EDIT: I have the grammar of a 4 year old boy....

[LazeR]

Originally posted by DillonTMNT
After using my foot to destroy my MOBO 2 days ago I ripped my HDD out of my computer and installed it into my father computer just so I can have access to my stuff. I am pretty sure formatting is not needed. I just plugged in the slave (extra) IDE port and then the power cable that is also extra on there and it was good to go after XP reconized a new piece of hardware. Drag and drop my friends...drag and drop. Once I get my new computer built there will be no kicking near it!:devil:

also I am fairly knowledgable about this computer stuff. Between lazer and I we could prolly open some kind of dr.fixit e-shop. heh



-Dillon

EDIT: I have the grammar of a 4 year old boy....

If there is already stuff on the hard drive you are correct there is no formatting required. But if its brand new you have to format it, or all the ones i have done for the school had to be formatted. :confused: Might not be true for every hard drive though

[DillonTMNT]

I dont think about new cause well...I am too poor to ever get anything new. I hate formatting active harddrives. hah



-Dillon

[SGA]

Real easy to do Joe. Hit me up on aim if you have any questions.
If you have XP, its even easier. XP will pick up your new hard drive and assign a letter to it. Set both hard drives to Cable Select (CS), the hard drive at the end of the cable will be the master and the hard drive in the middle will be the slave.

[SGA]

Or you can make one hard drive Master and the other one slave and it will not matter where you have them on the cable. Most people today just use the CS setting. It easier that way.
Now, when you're ready to put dual OS's on one hard drive, let me know, piece of cake or you can put your swapfile on one hard drive and your OS on another, or you can.......:D

[JOEX]

Originally posted by SGA
Real easy to do Joe. Hit me up on aim if you have any questions.
If you have XP, its even easier. XP will pick up your new hard drive and assign a letter to it. Set both hard drives to Cable Select (CS), the hard drive at the end of the cable will be the master and the hard drive in the middle will be the slave.
Thanks SGA, I have '98SE now and wanting to put XP on the new drive yet have the currrent drive easily accessible if thing don't go right with the change over and still have internet access to fix things.

You lost me with the CS.........:confused: I don't know much about XP

[JOEX]

Originally posted by SGA
Or you can make one hard drive Master and the other one slave and it will not matter where you have them on the cable. Most people today just use the CS setting. It easier that way.
Now, when you're ready to put dual OS's on one hard drive, let me know, piece of cake or you can put your swapfile on one hard drive and your OS on another, or you can.......:D
I've thought of the dual OS's but I like the safety net of unplugging something:p

Swapfile on one drive and OS on another? Too many left turns for me!:eek: :p

[SGA]

XP is SO much better than 98. It has tons more drivers than 98 to make things work.

Easy answer, heres what I would do.
Pull out your old hard drive, install the new one following the instructions. You can just about bet its set to CS (cable Select) from the factory. Look for the little jumpers on the hard drive. Put the new hard drive at the end of the cable. Install XP on it. Get XP up and running, updates, etc.
Make sure your old hard drive is set to CS with the little jumpers on it. With the new XP hard drive still at the end of the cable Hook the old hard drive to the center slot on the cable, hook up the power cable and fire it up. Win XP will recognize the new hard drive and give it a letter( the next one available) probably "E or F".

In XP, Go to start, my computer, you will see your old hard drive listed. it will probably say "Local disk "E or F". Click on it and open it. Go to your files and look around, they will be there. You can then copy and paste your files over to the XP hard drive where you want them. Its really easy. Choose a file, copy it, then click on your XP hard drive ''C", go where you want your files. Probably my documents, click paste. XP will move the files from the old hard drive to the new hard drive. Notice I said "copy and paste", not "cut and paste" That way your files will stay intact on your old hard drive in case you make a mistake, plus they will always be there just like they always have been. Ok enough typing for me.

[SGA]

Add on: You will notice that when you click on your old hard drive, Win 98 will not start up. You will just see your files. Win 98 is there, but XP is smart enough to know that its the boss and 98 is not needed .

You can remove your XP hard drive, plug in your old hard drive at the end of the cable by itself and win 98 will fire right up like nothing ever happened.

[LazeR]

You just taught me something SGA! Thanx :D Learn something new everyday

[JOEX]

Thanks SGA:) I hope to get this this done soon.... I have a gas stove coming this week that is replacing an electric. Talk about reformating!:devil:

[ballisticpb]

Just remember that you can all ways transfer files from one hard drive to another. cannot transfer programs from one to the other and have them still work. there are programs out there that can clone the drive from one to the other like what was wanted before in this thread. the clone would include the operating system and all files. you cannot just drag and drop all files for the os and still have it boot. hope that helps

[sickmojave]

I use my second hard drive to hold all my pictures.;)

[FasstMidnightZ]

thats what i did with my old comp

[wilkin250r]

Originally posted by sickmojave
I use my second hard drive to hold all my pictures.;)

I use my second hard drive as a coaster to hold my coffee.