Boot from 2 Hard Drives?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Scott Townsend
  • Start date Start date
S

Scott Townsend

I have an Existing Vista install on HD1 and want to install Windows 7 on
HD2.

Was going to make HD2 the Primary Drive. Is there a way I can alternately
boot to the HD1 Drive if I need to?

Thanks,
Scott<-
 
Make sure vista boots up OK, and the 2nd Hard drive is installed correctly.
All you have to do is boot from the win 7 disk that you made, after setting
the DVD Drive to be 1st in the Boot Order.
..
Make sure that you do a Custom install of windows 7, so that you can direct
the install to your 2nd Hard Drive.

Once Win 7 is installed, you will be offered the dual boot option when you
boot up your computer.
 
So I want to just add the new HD as a Second HD to the System, Format it,
then just boot from the DVD?

When I install Win 7 on the new HD, will it install on C:\ for the new HD,
or will it think that it is D:\ I really dont want a D:\ system drive.
I've been there and its ugly!

Thanks!!
 
Hi Scott,

Yes, you can add the new drive as the second drive, boot from the Windows 7
and then you can format this drive and install Windows 7 on it.
After that, when you restart the computer, you will be prompted to choose
which system to start. By default, it will start Windows 7 if you do not
choose in 30 seconds.

In Windows 7, you will see your Windows 7 system files are located in
C:\Windows.

Tim Quan - MSFT
 
Scott, format is included in Win 7 disk.

When you boot into each Operating System, win 7 or Vista, it will see itself
as C:
The best way to look at this, is when you are in each OS, click on
Computer, and you will see what letters are allocated by each System to the
other Volume.
 
The other way is to disconnect the drive that Vista is on.....and install W7
onto the new HD.
No boot records will be changed on the Vista drive since it is not
connected.
Once you have W7 up and running reconnect the Vista drive.
Now when you boot up you need to manually pick which drive to boot from by
means of either
entering the BIOS or if your BIOS supports it by means of the F12 key during
the beginning of
boot which would open a window to let you chose the drive to boot from

peter
 
Thanks.

Maybe it was Server, but when I had a 2nd Hard Disk on a server that was
already marked as a D Drive in another OS I've had new installs install the
OS so the Windows Folder was d:\Windows...

Thanks again...

Scott<-
 
So In order to see the Vista HD in Windows 7, can I just assign it a Drive
letter in Windows 7 without having to worry about messing up the booting of
the Vista Drive?

Thanks,
Scott<-
 
Hi Scott,,

How are things going? I have not heard back from you in a few days and
wanted to check on the status of the issue. Please let us know how things
turned out.

Tim Quan - MSFT
 
Hi Scott,

You can install Windows Vista or 7 on a drive (C or not C), however, the
system will always show the current system drive as Drive C. For example,
you install Windows Vista on Drive D and install Windows 7 on Drive C. When
you boot into Windows Vista, the Windows Vista drive will be recognized as
Drive C and then you boot into Windows 7, the Windows 7 drive will be
recognized as Drive C. That is to say, for Windows Vista and 7, you will
always see the current system drive is Drive C.

If anything is unclear, please let me know.

Tim Quan - MSFT
 
Hi,

I just want to touch base and check if there is anything that I can do for
you now. If so, please do not hesitate to let me know and I will be happy
to help.

Tim Quan - MSFT
 
Back
Top