Computer Hope
Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: Kelly on July 29, 2008, 04:53:29 PM
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I am adding a larger HD to a computer, I need to transfer a few files to the new larger drive and want to keep both drives.
Lets call them, Larger Drive (a) and Original Drive (b) both will run Win Xp
Drive (a) for movies and Drive (b) for 15 year old Stepdaughter (This PC is in her bedroom).
Can I set it up so that when I start up the computer I can then decide which HD I would like to use?
Kelly
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Kelly"When i start up the computer".If that is the actual point at which you want to have a choice then a way to do it would be to install an operating system on both HDD's and when the computer starts it will offer you the choice of which operating system you wish to use and by your choice you will be selecting the HDD you want to start with. There may be other ways but that is a way i have on one of my computers which should i so desire i can chose my start up HDD. i have not created the 2 O/S system to achieve your stated objective however it would accomplish it,truenorth
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Okay, thanks, I was hoping I would get the choice at start up. Yay and thanks for the quick response. :)
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There may be other ways but that is a way i have on one of my computers which should i so desire i can chose my start up HDD. i have not created the 2 O/S system to achieve your stated objective however it would accomplish it,truenorth
You lost me here, truenorth. If you don't have 2 OS, then what is this dual HD scenario you're talking about? You said, "i can chose my start up HDD". If you only have 1 OS, choosing between two HD during startup makes no sense. If you, indeed, have your system configured so that can choose between two HD during startup, then both drives obviously have an OS. You can't boot from a HD that has no OS on it. ???
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Soybean,I think you need to reread my reply to Kelly.You will see that my offered solution DOES REQUIRE the installation of 2 O/S's (one on each of the 2 HDD's that the poster indicates IS PRESENT).Further if the "you" IN the comment "if you don't have 2 O/S's " refers to me and not the general you then you will also see when you reexamine my reply that i do have 2 HDD's AND 2 O/S's (one on each HDD).The aspect of NOT having 2 HDD's and NOT having 2 O/S's is not relevant as both my reply and the posters question indicates the presence of both.Unless of course i have completely misunderstood the original query.truenorth
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Again, you said, "i have not created the 2 O/S system ...". I don't know how that wording indicates you do, in fact, have a dual OS configuration, but I'll take your word for it. ::)
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A simpler solution is to check your MBoard manual to see if it supports switching boot drives....much cleaner IMHO than a dual-boot setup as whichever drive is booted it only sees the other drive as a data drive.
Of course you would still be installing an OS on the newer drive...