Need to access some data on my old XP intact HDD

Hi,

Windows 7 64 bit successfully installed on a new 1TB HDD and I am totally happy with it now.

I kept my previous 500MB HDD with XP OS intact should I have had any problems with W7.

My question is this: I do not intend to use my previous XP HDD now as an alternative boot HDD but would like to access some files from it which I forgot to back up elsewhere.

How should I connect it such that I can just access my files without it booting XP or maybe it wont try to boot XP anyway?

Don't want to let XP boot and maybe upset things.

Thanks.

Maguscreed said:

and I haven't seen a slave/master jumper since IDE brady.

I'm old now

Don't think there are any jumpers.

Do have an external USB case so could put it in that and access the files I want that way.

In fact, when 100% sure that I do not need to access any other files from it, I was going to wipe it and install in the external case for offsite backup purposes.

How is the best way to wipe it such that I can just use it for backups.

I used to use 'Format' with XP in previous times?

Might want to keep the drive unplugged until you boot the machine up, incase for whatever reason the Bios is set for USB boots over local drive (highly unlikely though).

After you get the permissions setup to where you have access, just copy the important stuff over to your local drive.

Once you are 10000000% sure you have all your important things, simply right click on the external through disk management or windows explorer and select Format. Call the drive what you want, select NTFS and off you go.

As long as Win7 remains set to boot first in BIOS setup, you can plug in the XP HD to access data.

You may need to share files to copy them over to Win7.

Looks like the USB external HDD is out of the frame as it is IDE, the 500GB XP drive is SATA so is not going to fit.

If I have Windows 7 running and then connect the XP drive will it be seen or does it have to be connected before 7 is booted?