Need Help With Setting/fixing Up HP dc8300 USDT Computer

[Hiskid1973]

I got a nice deal on this i5 windows 10 computer to replace my dc7900. I took the 500gb drive out of the 7900 with W7. I got a cd drive hd holder and put the w7 in the cd space. I tried to do an easybsd and ended up messing up the booting of both drives. I was able to fix the boots and both drives work. I like the setup/operation of W7 and was in the process of making the 10 look like 7. The W10 computer came from a pc recycler and was a W 8 upgraded to 10. I would like to try to use both drives in the computer if possible, is this possible ? Thanks GBY

Addition: When the computer boots it shows me a screen that has win 10 to choose to boot. I'd really like to use the W7 for now as it has all my info. What do. I need to do before I put it in the hard drive holder and install it in the new computer. I downloaded a w10 iso from M$ for free and made a disk to repair my W 10 boot. I imagine I could easily find the activation code for the w8-10 upgrade on the w10 drive and re install to if that would make it easier.

 

[Megahertz07]

It isn't clear what you want to do. Do you want to have Win 10 or Win 7 or both? In same disk or separate disks?
Do you have the Win 7 installation disk?

 

[Hiskid1973]

Ok, to simplify things. I tried to get two drives with 10 and seven to dual boot. I'm new at this and used easy bcd. I ended up messing up the boot sectors on both drives. I used repairs disks. When I boot I just see a choice for W 10. I would like to dual boot but want to keep the 7 disk as it has my info on it and place it in the main drive slot. I'd rather reinstall W10 that is in the cd drive hard drive holder. My question is: Do I need to fix the boot loader that has W10 showing as a choice before I put in the drive with W7 in the main hard drive slot or will it fix the boot loader just by booting up the W7 ? Then then can format the drive in thhe cd drive hd holder and set up the dual boot from there.

 

[Megahertz07]

As you have two disks, one with win 10 and another with win 7, my suggestion is to keep this way.
- Fist of all, back up your data from the Win 7 disk to your win 10 disk.
- Make a disk image from the Win 7 disk and save it to your win 10 disk.
- Detach your Win 10 disk (disconnect the power cable).
- On BIOS settings, disable fast boot and Secure boot (win 7 insn't compatible)
- Try to boot from win 7 disk.
Report

 

[Hiskid1973]

As you have two disks, one with win 10 and another with win 7, my suggestion is to keep this way.
- Fist of all, back up your data from the Win 7 disk to your win 10 disk.
- Make a disk image from the Win 7 disk and save it to your win 10 disk.
- Detach your Win 10 disk (disconnect the power cable).
- On BIOS settings, disable fast boot and Secure boot (win 7 isn't compatible).
- Try to boot from win 7 disk.
Report

Ok, just to clarify. Should I put the W7 C: hd in the hard drive sled or have it in the cd rom hd holder like it was before ? The windows 10 is asked for on boot. The hd sled is sata A correct ?

 

[Megahertz07]

If the cd rom hd holder use a SATA connector, it doesn't matter. Under Win 10 does it shows as an internal disk on Explorer?
After you have done the backup and the Win 7 disk image (Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free) is important that you disconnect the Win 10 disk for safety reasons.

 

[Hiskid1973]

If the cd rom hd holder use a SATA connector, it doesn't matter. Under Win 10 does it shows as an internal disk on Explorer?
After you have done the backup and the Win 7 disk image (Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free) is important that you disconnect the Win 10 disk for safety reasons.

Sorry, I forgot to as I for to ask, do I need to set any boot order in the bios or fix/replace the mbr ? Thanks

 

[Megahertz07]

MBR is a disk track that points to the boot loader. BIOS doesn't change any disk properties. It only says in witch disk to look for the MBR.

 

[Hiskid1973]

Ok, here is the report. Made a new drive on the the w10 hd and put the w7 image in a folder there. When I removed the w10 drive and booted there was some file check run but it acted like before. It works up to the where the w7 logo starts then freezes and reboots. I them removed the W7 disk, put it the original computer, it booted, ran through a long file check and loaded fully. I guess the best thing to do is get the W7 working as the c drive on the new computer. Somehow make the W10 drive to be seen as a drive, and reinstall w10 since I don't have anything fully finished with transferring files.