wombatman

Well, after receiving such excellent help with my original computer problem, I figured I would come back for some more. Before I fixed the BSOD problem, I was looking at hard drives to replace my apparently broken one. Fortunately, I don't have to, but I couldn't resist getting a new 74GB Raptor and a 6800 GT video card.

My question is this: How should I go about making the Raptor my booting drive, the one that loads up Windows? I know I can just hook it up by itself and install Windows, but when I hook up my old Maxtor 160GB (which will now be for storage and whatnot), how can I make sure Windows doesn't crap on itself trying to deal with 2 bootable drives? Also, when would be the right time to hook up the 6800 GT? Will it matter if I have it plugged in while I'm installing Windows on the Raptor? Or should I use my old GF 5600 and then do all the driver uninstalling and reinstalling?

Once again, thanks again in advance for the help and advice.

sailor

The video card shouldnt matter for when you are installing windows. There isnt a driver being used like that, so it doesnt matter.

As for the drives, put the one you want to be the bootable drive in the master position of the primary IDE channel. Make sure the jumpers for it are set to Master. Plug the other one in on the slave position and set its jumpers to Slave.

One more thing--when installing windows, make sure you have the SATA drivers for your mobo on a disk. When the windows installer is loading and asks you to hit F6 to load any SCSI drivers, do it and load the SATA drivers.

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mikec

why not just copy your existing windows partition to the new HD?

PartitionMagic is the best tool for this. Makes it real easy. If you have it, or access to it, post back, and I'll post details.

If you're going to reinstall anyway, then what I would do is, disconnect the old drive, install windows on the new drive, and make sure it is the priority device in BIOS. Once you're reinstalled, when you hook the old drive back up, your machine should have no problem seeing your new install, and the old install as just data instead of bootable.

If you want to install the new video card and not do the whole reinstall windows thing, uninstall your previous video card drivers, shut down, install the new card, boot back up, load the new drivers.

hope at least some of this makes sense for ya hhahha.

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Until the 20th century, reality was everything humans could touch, smell, see, and hear. Since the initial publication of the charted electromagnetic spectrum, humans have learned that what they can touch, smell, see, and hear is less than one millionth of reality

wombatman

I believe I'm going to do the install Windows separately deal. Then I'll copy over whatever I need from my old drive and reformat it or something. One more question regarding loading up the SATA drivers. The Raptor drive is OEM. If it doesn't come with any CD drivers, will I need to get some from Western Digital website? Or will I be able to proceed with the Windows installation?

Lasereth

One thing: I'd install Windows with ONLY the Raptor plugged in. If you don't, you run a huge risk of the Raptor drive being drive E:, and that really bothers me. The XP Setup will notice Windows is on the old HDD and make the Raptor E: instead of C: . I'd simply install XP on the Raptor, then plug the old HDD into your system afterwards. Oh, and enjoy your GT...they're actually worth the $450 pricetag.

-Lasereth

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wombatman

Yeah, that's what I had planned to do. And as for the GT, I definitely planned to do so, especially since it was only $424 retail with Farcry included

mikec

The SATA drivers would come with your mobo or expansion card, not the HD.

__________________
Until the 20th century, reality was everything humans could touch, smell, see, and hear. Since the initial publication of the charted electromagnetic spectrum, humans have learned that what they can touch, smell, see, and hear is less than one millionth of reality