Hard Drive Makes Boot Hang

What I suggest when dealing with multiple drives (and only one boot drive) is to unplug ALL HDDs except the one you want Windows on when you install Windows. This serves 2 purposes, it allows you to ensure Windows will be on C and it ensures you don't delete data you want to keep.

The only time Win7 will not assume C during install is if you run the installer from another OS. For this reason you should always boot the Win7 installer, and install with all other HD's unplugged.

There is no way to change an OS drive letter safely once it assumes the letter.

If you are unhappy with performance, I would back up all my data externally, to another HD, or to another computer on your network. Then clean reinstall with all other HD's unplugged following the tips given here to get a perfect reinstall: re-install windows 7

Hi everyone, I am now happy to report that after much swearing, 3 windows installs and numerous formatting of discs and hours worth of swapping files, I now have drive letters how I want them...thanks to the info above as I discovered windows didnt bother installing the boot record (or whatever it does) to the hard drive I wanted it to as it already had a record from the other drive...hence I couldnt format the drive as the boot rec stored there.

I am however back to square 1 as the 1 drive that was causing the fuss in the first place is still causing a fuss, other 3 drives (1 with windows installed + 2 storage) are working fine, just this 1 drive being a pain

Hi again SeanHellen
Do you have any other hard drives in your pc?
Because if you have more than 1 OS they can sometimes interfere and make you boot hang.
Thanks
Ashley

Hi there Ash30000 - lets see if you can solve this one too

I have 3 Storage Hdd's (1 of which is being a pain) and the one with windows installed on it.

I have unplugged the 2 good storage hdd's and left the windows and bad drive but still it hangs when all the dots make the windows sign at "starting windows" screen

I have tried master, slave and cable select jumper setting on the drive but none work.

Bios is recognising there is something there and is fine, windows just doesnt like it

There are 2 jumper positions I havent tried yet as I dont want anything bad to happen...although I cant see how it would, but knowing my luck - these are "master with non-ata compatible slave" and "Alternate capacity. Limits drive to 32GB"

Hi SeanHellen :)
Have you tried disk Defragment? or can you not boot into windows at all?
Let me know
Thanks
Ashley

Ash30000 - Hi - I can't boot to windows at all, it just stays at the windows starting screen...I give up first and restart the pc...waited about 30 mins once and it didnt move so I htought that was a fair amount of time for it to sort itself out

thefabe - i dont think anyone I know of has an enclosure, and like you say it would be another expense

I have even tried connecting it when windows has loaded (plug the power in before i start the pc obviously, then just attach the sata cable later) just on the off-chance windows would pick it up, but no joy