[ctviggen]

I'm about to add two new 1.5 TB hard drives to a computer that currently runs windows XP.  I am also going to install Windows 7 at the same time.  I have a 300GB drive partitioned into C: and D:.  I have two additional 300GB drives, E: and F: (or maybe F: and G:; can't remember what I did with my DVD drive). 

Anyway, I want to "move" one of the additional drives, say G: to C: and then add the two new drives and then install Windows 7 on the "new" C:.  The drive I'll "move" is basically empty. 

How do I "move" a drive in a computer using SATA?  (With IDE, there were jumpers, but there are no jumpers in SATA.)  That is, how do I call the current G: drive the C: drive, and vice versa?

[flintstone]

Your motherboard should have SATA 1, SATA 2, SATA 3....ect. You can also move them around in system BIOS settings (probably F2 at boot).


Dave

[ctviggen]

Great, thank you.  I used three of the same drives, so picking which drive is which might be tricky, but I'll see what the BIOS looks like (and I'll check my motherboard's manual).

[srb]

Under All Programs > Administrative Tools > Computer Management (or right-click on Computer and choose Manage) you can select Storage > Disk Management.
 
There you can change Drive Letters to whatever you like, for both hard drives and optical drives.  You will have to, of course, change a disk to an unused letter first, to allow naming another disk with that letter, then reassign a letter to the original disk.
 
If you are doing a clean install of Windows 7, just install the disk you want to be C: and install the OS.  Then you can plug in the rest of the drives and configure the drive letters.
 
Steve

[turkey]

If you are doing a clean install of Windows 7, just install the disk you want to be C: and install the OS.  Then you can plug in the rest of the drives and configure the drive letters.
 
Steve

Very good advice.

[ctviggen]

That's outstanding advice.  I can just disconnect my drives, install, then connect the new ones.  Does a Windows 7 upgrade need to "see" a Win XP installation?  I want to keep the Win XP partition/drive for a while, until I determine if I need anything from it. 

[jermmd]

Bob,

You don't need to disconnect any drives. Just reassign the drive letters, make the new drive "C:" and install Windows 7 on that drive. Steve's advice is exactly right.

[ctviggen]

Thanks, Joe.  By the way, this is the computer I'm going to use unraid on, but I need a few months before I convert it to a NAS with unraid.  I'll have 4.2 TB in it.  That should be good for some DVD and music (and maybe Bluray) rips.

By the way, the Zino appears to be playing Blurays, so I'll bring it over next time I stop by. 

[srb]

You don't need to disconnect any drives. Just reassign the drive letters, make the new drive "C:" and install Windows 7 on that drive. Steve's advice is exactly right.

I'm not so sure now.
 
I have not upgraded to Windows 7 yet, but my understanding at this point is that the the Windows 7 upgrade, unlike previous upgrades, will not allow you to merely insert the XP OS CD-ROM for upgrade verification.
 
I think the new Windows 7 install has to "see" the running XP installation on your existing hard drive.  Although you can swap drive letters around, I'm not sure you can change your existing boot drive (C:) drive to another drive letter.
 
I think that inserting the Windows 7 DVD while XP is booted and running, and after choosing Custom Install, will allow you to select another drive as the install drive, and that will become the C: drive for the Windows 7 installation.
 
Then after Windows 7 is installed, you can change around the drive letters for your other drives.
 
Steve

[turkey]

I'm not so sure now.
 
I have not upgraded to Windows 7 yet, but my understanding at this point is that the the Windows 7 upgrade, unlike previous upgrades, will not allow you to merely insert the XP OS CD-ROM for upgrade verification.

That would stink. It would mean that the upgrade you paid for would become a coaster if you had a HD die without having a backup (and being able to do a bare-metal restore of that backup).

[ctviggen]

That does stink, but there are ways around it. 

[WGH]

There is no difference between a Windows 7 Upgrade disk and the more expensive Full Version, you can legally install both versions on a clean hard drive without a previous version of Windows installed.

This is fully documented on Microsoft's website but it is easier to read about the ins and outs on Windows Secrets:
http://windowssecrets.com/2009/11/12/02-Clean-install-Windows-7-from-the-upgrade-disc

Wayne

[turkey]

There is no difference between a Windows 7 Upgrade disk and the more expensive Full Version, you can legally install both versions on a clean hard drive without a previous version of Windows installed.

This is fully documented on Microsoft's website but it is easier to read about the ins and outs on Windows Secrets:
http://windowssecrets.com/2009/11/12/02-Clean-install-Windows-7-from-the-upgrade-disc

Wayne

This isn't really on-topic, but does anyone know whether or not the Windows 7 upgrade version can be installed in a VM?

I own a full retail version of XP Pro, so I'm entitled to upgrade to Win 7 on whatever hardware I'd like. I've been thinking of just consolidating my computers and running Linux on the bare hardware and then Win 7 in a VM using VMWare Player for the few Windows apps I need.

I know that Microsoft has been really funny about what they'll let you run in a VM and what they won't.

[ctviggen]

Well, disaster.  I added two new 1.5 GB hard drives, then rebooted and the drive with windows XP on it could not be seen (although I had the Win 7 disk in the DVD and the installation started).  I took everything back apart and realized that I had broken the power connector to the drive with windows XP on it.  Luckily, I have a computer that supports  hard drives, so I switched to a different bay (but with a 4-pin power connector; this drive has both SATA and 4 pin power; the new drives do not).

And then the motherboard would not POST.  It gave me an error code indicating VGA could not be found.  Doh!  I broke the darn video card somehow.  I had to buy a video card online and won't have this computer until later.