Computer rebuild question(s)

[scOtt]

Here's my plan:

I have a 320GB hard drive running XP Pro. Has been running for over two years and is so filled with crap it's almost unusable.

I bought a 1TB hd and Win 7 Pro. (First Windows OS I have ever paid for. In 18 years...)


Anyways. I'm going to disconnect the 320, connect the 1T and load a dead clean version of Windows 7 from DVD.

Then shut down, connect both drives and reboot. I should get a prompt to run XP or Win 7, right? Which drive will be c: ?

Copy all my files from the 320, then eventually reformat it. Then make a backup copy to the 320 of all my files.



Any tips or help will be greatly appreciated.

[Mark Carver]

All of this is with consideration that your motherboard has SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4, etc. connections.

1) Remove your old 320 Gb drive connections completely from your motherboard (you'll want to do this from accidentally installing Win7 onto this drive.
2) Install your new 1TB drive in SATA1 location of your motherboard.
3) Install your DVD drive in SATA2 location of your motherboard.
3) Do clean Windows 7 install onto your 1TB drive.
4) Go through all of the Win7 updates.
5) Than connect your old 320 Gb to SATA3 location of your motherboard.
6) Than boot up and your 1TB should boot up with your old drive as D or E drive and you'll be able to move files from it to your new drive.

[scOtt]

All of this is with consideration that your motherboard has SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4, etc. connections.

1) Remove your old 320 Gb drive connections completely from your motherboard (you'll want to do this from accidentally installing Win7 onto this drive.
2) Install your new 1TB drive in SATA1 location of your motherboard.
3) Install your DVD drive in SATA2 location of your motherboard.
3) Do clean Windows 7 install onto your 1TB drive.
4) Go through all of the Win7 updates.
5) Than connect your old 320 Gb to SATA3 location of your motherboard.
6) Than boot up and your 1TB should boot up with your old drive as D or E drive and you'll be able to move files from it to your new drive.
THANK YOU! This was really what I was worried about. I've had problems before making a new drive be c:

I have 4 SATA ports so I should be gold.

[McLovin]

All of this is with consideration that your motherboard has SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4, etc. connections.

1) Remove your old 320 Gb drive connections completely from your motherboard (you'll want to do this from accidentally installing Win7 onto this drive.
2) Install your new 1TB drive in SATA1 location of your motherboard.
3) Install your DVD drive in SATA2 location of your motherboard.
3) Do clean Windows 7 install onto your 1TB drive.
4) Go through all of the Win7 updates.
5) Than connect your old 320 Gb to SATA3 location of your motherboard.
6) Than boot up and your 1TB should boot up with your old drive as D or E drive and you'll be able to move files from it to your new drive.
Sort of. The 'boot' drive is going to be whatever he sets it to in the BIOS - which is not necessarily SATA1 by default.

[scOtt]

Sort of. The 'boot' drive is going to be whatever he sets it to in the BIOS - which is not necessarily SATA1 by default.
Well, yeah. I set that CD, floppy, HD. I just want to make sure my Windows drive is c:. I always had trouble with that with older ATA drives.

[McLovin]

Well, yeah. I set that CD, floppy, HD. I just want to make sure my Windows drive is c:. I always had trouble with that with older ATA drives.
No. That 'HD' in your list - you need to choose the right one - your new drive. Alternatively if it ends up set to the old drive, it will pick up that it has a boot sector and try to load your old copy of Windows.

[scOtt]

No. That 'HD' in your list - you need to choose the right one - your new drive. Alternatively if it ends up set to the old drive, it will pick up that it has a boot sector and try to load your old copy of Windows.
OH, alright. I see what you mean. Thanks.

[PitchingWins]

OH, alright. I see what you mean. Thanks.

I could be wrong boss, but I think if you install 7 without having the old drive in, it's not going to give you a bootloader without you adding some code. I dont have any experience with win7.

I would try this link, where after you install windows 7 as you one drive create a new boot partition for windows xp, i would imagine keep the OS's on the new drive, would be a better idea anyway.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/8790/dual-boot-your-pre-installed-windows-7-computer-with-xp/


Hope this helps man!

[McLovin]

I could be wrong boss, but I think if you install 7 without having the old drive in, it's not going to give you a bootloader without you adding some code. I dont have any experience with win7.

I would try this link, where after you install windows 7 as you one drive create a new boot partition for windows xp, i would imagine keep the OS's on the new drive, would be a better idea anyway.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/8790/dual-boot-your-pre-installed-windows-7-computer-with-xp/


Hope this helps man!
That's only if he wants to dual boot, which I don't think he does...

[PitchingWins]

Here's my plan:

I have a 320GB hard drive running XP Pro. Has been running for over two years and is so filled with crap it's almost unusable.

I bought a 1TB hd and Win 7 Pro. (First Windows OS I have ever paid for. In 18 years...)


Anyways. I'm going to disconnect the 320, connect the 1T and load a dead clean version of Windows 7 from DVD.

Then shut down, connect both drives and reboot. I should get a prompt to run XP or Win 7, right? Which drive will be c: ?

Copy all my files from the 320, then eventually reformat it. Then make a backup copy to the 320 of all my files.



Any tips or help will be greatly appreciated.


I took this as he wanted to dual boot

[scOtt]

I took this as he wanted to dual boot
No, I don't want to really. Once I switch I'll switch completely. I was just trying to know what to expect. When I built my present computer, I had my old ATA drive and a new SATA drive. I automatically got the prompt for which drive to boot to, XP or... XP.


Been lazy, I'll probably start tomorrow, maybe tonight if I feel like it. Had forgotten Win7 is 64 bit. That with a Dual Core is gonna scream, isn't it? :D