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Windows 7, two hard drives

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by Geri, 2009/10/28.

  1. 2009/10/28
    Geri Lifetime Subscription

    Geri Inactive Alumni Thread Starter

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    Hi
    I just recieved my Windows 7 Pro and was thinking of putting it on a 2nd HDD.

    Is this a good idea, bad idea? and is there a way to boot to W7 without going to the BIOS every time?

    Never did this before so I'm at a loss here.

    Thanks
    Geri
     
    Geri,
    #1
  2. 2009/10/29
    mattman

    mattman Inactive Alumni

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    Hi Geri,

    I loaded the pre-release version of Windows7 on a separate HDD as you are suggesting and selected the boot HDD from the BIOS. I avoid making boot managers. That system suited me, I don't like wrestling with boot managers when you want to delete one of the operating systems.

    Another suggestion...look at running one of the systems as a "virtual ". It seems that you use more resources, running one OS inside another, but it does not wreck your boot system like a boot manager when you want to remove the virtual one.

    Matt
     
    mattman,
    #2


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  4. 2009/10/29
    Geri Lifetime Subscription

    Geri Inactive Alumni Thread Starter

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    Thanks mattman
    I was hoping to get away from using the BIOS for which OS boots up.

    Geri
     
    Geri,
    #3
  5. 2009/10/30
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    I use EasyBCD on 2 dual boot systems (XP Pro/Win 7 Pro, Vista B/Win 7 RC1) without issue. Take a look at it.

    You get the standard dual boot menu on boot and the ability to set the default OS, etc - in exactly the same way as XP.
     
    PeteC,
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  6. 2009/10/30
    Geri Lifetime Subscription

    Geri Inactive Alumni Thread Starter

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    Thanks Pete
    I'll try it out.

    Geri
     
    Geri,
    #5
  7. 2009/10/31
    Dennis L Lifetime Subscription

    Dennis L Inactive Alumni

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    Hi PeteC
    I'm building a WHS system and would like to dual boot between WHS and W7. To eliminate any problems, w7 will be installed on it's own drive, which will NOT be included in WHS drive pool. Can this program manage this?? Any specific rules to Acronis/w7 image backup concerns??

    Thanks
    Dennis
     
    Dennis L,
    #6
  8. 2009/10/31
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Dennis

    I was of the understanding that WHS was a standalone system and dual booting with Win 7 or whatever negates the whole concept of WHS. When booted into Win 7 you will not have access to WHS and vice versa.

    Acronis 2010 works without issue on Win 7 - have been using it for incremental imaging since last August on 7 Pro x64.

    I can find no mention of WHS on the Acronis site, but I think WHS has it's own backup facility built in? I've not seen the beast :)
     
    PeteC,
    #7
  9. 2009/10/31
    Geri Lifetime Subscription

    Geri Inactive Alumni Thread Starter

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    Hi
    OK was going to set up w7 on a external hard drive, but it says that I can't use a USB controlled device.
    Any way to get this on a external HDD?

    Geri
     
    Geri,
    #8
  10. 2009/11/01
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Hi Geri

    No Windows operating systems can be installed to an external drive. They would be far too slow, among other things. Installation to externals is actively blocked by the Windows installer

    Source
     
    PeteC,
    #9
  11. 2009/11/01
    Geri Lifetime Subscription

    Geri Inactive Alumni Thread Starter

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    OK, Thanks Pete
    Guess I'll have to get a internal HDD.

    Geri
     
    Geri,
    #10
  12. 2009/11/02
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    And Geri - if you hook up another internal drive etc....Then if you pop in the Win7 dvd and install it - it will automatically create a Dual Boot Menu.
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #11
  13. 2009/11/03
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Just so you don't get confused when using 2 drives, one for XP or Vista and the other for win 7. Each windows install, when booted, will display itself as using the "C" drive letter. Boot xp on the first drive and xp will show up on the C drive and it will show the second drive as D, or a later letter. Boot to win7 and it too will show itself as C and the other drive as a later letter. You must remember which drive has booted, esp if have multiple partitions on the drives.
     
    TonyT,
    #12

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