Windows 7: How do I install Win 7 on two hard drives?

I have a HP Pavilion dv9800. It came with Vista and one 250 GB HDD. I added a second internal 250 GB SATA HDD. I got the second drive formatted and so it showed as a second drive where the HHDs are displayed. I didn't have any Vista OS software on it (to my knowledge, as far as I could see) but I could use the drive for extra storage, etc.



I went to add Windows 7 with an install disk. I would like to simply replace Vista with Windows 7 and have the second HDD usable as extra space, so it would serve the same function as it has with Vista. However, when I used the install disk it asked me which drive I wished to install Windows 7 on. I installed it on on the second HDD only, so now I'm running Vista on the C: drive (and it's on D: Recovery too) and Windows 7 on the drive added second.

So, my question is, can I replace Vista on C: (and D) and then use the other added HDD for storage, etc? In other words, I want only Windows 7 OS on this machine, but want to be able to use both drives, with a similar configuration as I had with Vista.

Sorry if I'm missing some simple fix to this. Any advice, links, instructions, comments, etc will be most appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help.

hello and welcome
if i don't mistake with your case you can dual boot os Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP and if you wanna use just 1 OS in your desktop. and you want the setting vista direct on your Windows 7, i though you can use Simple Windows Easy Transfer,Trasfer to a finger drive, hd etc. Then send it to the new account.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...-easy-transfer

Any or problems or questions, I will try my best to help.

hope can help..!!

In principle you can do that. But unless you had installed Windows7 with the Vista disk disconnected, you have the Windows 7 MBR on your Vista drive, If you delete Vista, your Windows 7 will not boot any more. You first have to get an MBR on your Windows 7 drive.

Can you please post back a screenshot of your full Windows 7 Disk Management drive map with listings. Use the Snipping Tool in the Start menu, attach file using paper clip in reply box.

My understanding is that you have Vista on DISK0 labeled C, and Windows 7 on DISK1 labeled D, but that you want to remove Vista and only have Windows 7.

Are you opposed to moving Windows 7 into the first DISK0 slot, by switching the cables? If so, you will only need mark Windows 7 active, then recover the MBR into Windows 7 by running Startup Repair 3 times with reboots from the Windows 7 DVD Repair console, then delete and format Vista.

If you clarify this for sure and provide the Disk management screenshot, we can advise you the steps with certainty.

This is a common problem when upgrading windows or installing two operating systems. Windows will always default to a single MBR which is stored on the original drive that windows was installed on. Easy to fix by disconnecting (temporarily) your vista drive, boot from your windows 7 cd and repair the only windows version it will detect (Windows 7). This will create a new MBR on that disk and make it independant of the Vista disk.