Windows Question...

[Keebler Elf]

I've got a new hard drive and I want to do a fresh Windows install on it and use it as my primary OS platform. I'll keep my old drive and use it as a slave.

If I delete all the old Windows files off the old drive, will that have any undesirable effects on the drive's performance? I wouldn't think so since my OS will be off the new drive, but I just want to make sure...

(I want to wipe Windows off the old drive b/c it's heavily corrupted and I wouldn't consider running off it even as a backup/temporary measure)

 

[papasmerf]

Feel free to format
BUT I have found it is best to set up the new drive with the OS then add your second drive and format it

 

[xix]

partition first

I would suggest ( from to many pratices or experiences) let the new one be the master and the old one the slave.
But only give power to the new one, once the OS is installed and running properly then hook up the slave and format it completely.

I suggest the master be partition to 10 gigs for the OS to sit on. Then 1 gig for temp memory or virtual memory. Then you can partition the rest to your liking.

In the 3rd partition create the folder "Program Files", this way all the software you install will go in the folder and not with the OS. If the OS dies or fails or is screwed all valuable info is still in intact. This can still be saved.

 

[Keebler Elf]

I've got the new drive all set up with Windows installed (I didn't partition; I hadn't seen the last post nor do I have any experience doing it so I went with what I knew at the time).

There is data on the secondary (old) drive that I still want. I'd rather not format it completely b/c the data amount is quite large and transferring it to my new drive would take quite a while. That's why my original question was what happens if I delete all the old Windows stuff off my old drive? I'm not using it as an OS anymore, so is there any problem with deleting the old OS? I'm running off the new drive, so I dunno if there'd be any problem. Obviously, the ideal solution would be to transfer the data, wipe the drive, then transfer it back. But I just don't want to spend the time sitting around waiting for the data to transfer...

 

[baci2004]

Obviously, the ideal solution would be to transfer the data, wipe the drive, then transfer it back. But I just don't want to spend the time sitting around waiting for the data to transfer...

Do it this way; start the transfer before you go to bed or to work.

If the new HD you got already had windows installed on it it also has all the previous motherboard drivers too and probabley some other stuff that you don't want.

I know you won't...but you should format the new drive with NTFS and reinstall windows again. Allow xp (which I believe is what you have) to have the entire drive, no partitions. If you are uncomfortable doing all of this or don't have the time send it out.

 

[Macdaddy4life]

I have done this several times for people and never had any issues. The only thing that I would suggest is that you use an updated virus scan on the remaining data on the old drive using your new system. If nothing is found then you should be fine. You should do this before accessing the old files with your new system.

 

[Philanthropist]

so is there any problem with deleting the old OS? ..

No. After deleting, maybe run a defrag to clean up the drive a little.

 

[Keebler Elf]

Cool. Thanks guys. I've got anti-virus and I scan my disks like clockwork so that's covered.

 

[Keebler Elf]

If the new HD you got already had windows installed on it it also has all the previous motherboard drivers too and probabley some other stuff that you don't want.

I know you won't...but you should format the new drive with NTFS and reinstall windows again. Allow xp (which I believe is what you have) to have the entire drive, no partitions. If you are uncomfortable doing all of this or don't have the time send it out.

The new HD was fresh. I formated it with NTFS and no partitions. I wouldn't trust a Windows install from someone else.

 

[baci2004]

The new HD was fresh. I formated it with NTFS and no partitions. I wouldn't trust a Windows install from someone else.

My mistake..I thought I read that you picked it up with windows on it.

 

[W Guess]

Remove the drive during install

I would remove the drive during the install of the new O/S. Windows XP installation is crap and will sometimes corrupt the install if an old O/S is present. Just pull the power from the drive until after you've installed.

Definitely defrag the old drive. Keep in mind that the old drive WILL fail in the next year or two. Might keep your computer from booting when it does.

I'd definitely recommend Linux over XP anyday if you are going to all the trouble. Novell SuSE 10 Pro is pretty good and free. Unless you are running Windows games, there is no good reason to use XP anymore.

Bill

 

[Keebler Elf]

Yeah, I unplug everything except the bare minimum when installing new hard drives and Windows.

I dunno about hard drive failure. Over the past 10-15 years, I've never had one crap out on me. Of course, I upgrade every 2-4 years.

I'm pretty much done my reinstall now; it only took me about 12 hours!
Thank god it's a long weekend!

The hitch was that the new drive is SATA and the old one is ATA, and my motherboard only supports ATA so I had to install a controller card. And, of course, the drivers on the support disk don't match up with the drivers in the installation manual. *sigh* But all is well now. Time for bed!

 

[MarkII]

I would remove the drive during the install of the new O/S. Windows XP installation is crap and will sometimes corrupt the install if an old O/S is present. Just pull the power from the drive until after you've installed.

Definitely defrag the old drive. Keep in mind that the old drive WILL fail in the next year or two. Might keep your computer from booting when it does.

I'd definitely recommend Linux over XP anyday if you are going to all the trouble. Novell SuSE 10 Pro is pretty good and free. Unless you are running Windows games, there is no good reason to use XP anymore.

Bill

Intersting....but can we non IT trained people set it up as easily as a Ms XP install?

Do you have to have an "education" as you do to be able to make it work the same?

No..I'm not being sarcastic...I'm really curious. I know these options are out there...but I avoid it because it's so hard to get up to speed on these options.

M2

 

[Keebler Elf]

I have zero IT training. I picked up some of what I know from watching a buddy of mine fix my computer, but now I pretty much do it on my own. The key is the internet; you can find all sorts of help online. Before I do anything to my hardware/software, I check the net to see what the process is and what I should look out for (make sure to print it out!).

One thing I'm not comfortable doing is messing around with the registry. There's lots of tweaks you can do to your computer to speed it up and modify it, but when it involves the registry I get a little nervous.

The absolute key to fixing your own computer is patience. It never goes right the first time and it almost always requires some troubleshooting to figure out what the problem is.

Another bit of advice is to try to make sure anything you buy has an installation guide and disk with drivers included. I've bought parts before that I didn't know who made them and they didn't have any manual, disk, or even box with them. That's a huge problem if something goes wrong.

Also, don't buy parts from Best Buy or Futureshop unless there's a great deal on. I've found the smaller computer shops sell stuff for FAR cheaper, and it's the exact same parts that the big stores sell - just without the box (i guess they get them wholesale). For example, I bought a USB extension cable from Radio Shack/The Source for $28 (!), not realizing that I could get one for under $10 from one of the smaller computer shops. Beware!