Just cannot do a clean re-install

Hi gregrocker, and allof you guys for helping with the new hard drive.

Quick question:

I am a bit resistant to put the hard drive back into windows 7 because that is how all my problems started.

this afternoon I put it back into my Vista 32 machine and backed up all data.

Now I would like to format it in a way that it does not become any kind of bootable partition or anything. So it does not conflict with the bootable hard drive , SSD, that has windows installed.

I just want to make it a slave, and not a master, if that term still exists.

I am looking at windows vista Computer Management >Storage > disk management

My drive is here.

It is listed as follows:

Volume : OneT (T:)
Layout: Simple
Type: Basic
File System: NTFS
Status: Healthy ( Primary Partition)

Any ideas on how to just get it ready to be a simple storage disk for windows 7?

Many many thanks again!

Hi guys,

thanks of the offer to help with the new barracuda seagate 1T hard drive.

I am resistant to put it back into the recently installed windows 7 machine because that is how all my problems started.

I put it back into the Vista ultimate 32 machine and I am looking at the Computer Management > Storage > Disk management right now. I backed up all data into an external hard drive I have.

The disk is listed as :

Volume : OneT (T: )
Layout: Simple
Type: Basic
File System: NTFS
Status : Healthy (Primary Partition)

Is there a way to format it, so it is just an additional storage drive and does not have any conflicts when later installed in windows 7? (I backed up all data already). I don't need to boot from this drive. Don't plan to install windows on it.

Once again, many many thanks for the help guys!

Sorry Bare Foot Kid, I thought that my question had not been posted before.

Right after I do the clean all, I shoud just exit right? Meaning : I should NOT create partition primary ?

Is that correct or should I do any other command before exiting diskpart?

Many many thanks for your help!!!

I am ok using diskpart, I just really don't know if "create partition primary" is a command that is at intended to create a partition for disk that is going to have windows installed or any disk that is not going to have windows installed.

I wonder if there is any other command that is needed after the "clean all" to set the appropriate partition for a storage only non-booting disk.

Sorry for my lack of appropriate terms. I did do some research but I still do not feel very save about what I learned.

Many thanks for your patience and help , of course.

You can run the Diskpart Clean command (Clean All is overkill and will take half a day on 1tb)in the Vista machine from either the Vista elevated Command Line or booting the Win7 DVD.

Just make sure you choose the correct disk, judging by size and position. And unplug your external so the backed up data can't be touched.

Thanks for the help guys, I will try it as soon as I can find some time.
I did get windows 7 to install and to update online and all that.

As I mentioned , I have to additional hard drives that I had been using in Vista 32, in another machine, that I want to bring into the new windows 7 machine.

One of them is the 1Tb that I saw had additional partitions that looked like a bootable disk.

I was assuming that the other 500gb seagate barracuda 7200.11 was not creating any conflict. Guess what?

Yesterday night I tried to bring only that one into the windows 7 machine and windows froze again after loading the desktop.

I took the hard drive out , deleted the drive from the bios boot order , and.... Windows is still freezing after loading the desktop!!!

Now I have to do everything over again: reset bios, or remove additional items if any from the boot order, clean all the SSD , reinstall windows, updates for internet.

I just thought that it should be easier to take a hard drive from one windows machine and put it into another. I mean we are in 2010, windows has been around for a long time. Anyway, sorry to vent. It is quite disappointing to have a $ 3500 machine that I cut no corners to picked the best components and it just doesn't run. And I have you guys to help me!!! On top of that, my schedule is completely messed up, I am severely behind on all my assignments.