Clean install Win7 in new HDD, w/XP on old HDD?

gigem891 said:

Hello,

New to forum, looking forward to a new, fun, educational environment!

I have similar question as earlier poster, and request similar assistance offered:

"You needn't change the boot order in BIOS every time, just set your preferred HD to boot first (after DVD drive) then if you want to boot the other HD, use the key given on bootup screen for Boot Menu to trigger the other HD instead.

If you will post back your make computer, we'll look up what key it is that you press at bootup.

Otherwise use EasyBCD to create a Windows-managed Dual Boot but it is harder to extricate later."

I like the idea of manual dual boot option, and would be concerned about the "harder to extricate later" part. I mainly just want to be able to access old files on old HDD.

I'm currently running home built PC:

Win XP SP2
MS-7125 ( K8N Neo4 Platinum)
BIOS Version/Date Phoenix Technologies, LTD 6.00 PG, 5/22/2006
SMBIOS Version 2.3
AMD Opteron 170
2 GB DDR 400 memory
640 GB HDD

I'm building new system, having been with XP since 2003, and holding off on Vista all this time. Don't get me wrong, I've no complaints about XP, but I'm bustin' at the seems for Windows 7, after seeing it on my 67 year-old Mom's new laptop. It was like a bite of fresh fruit on a desert island. I'm so excited!

New system hardware:

Win 7 Professional OEM
MSI 785GM-E65
AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition Heka 2.8 GHz
w/Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7 Rev.2 heatsink fan
2x2 GB G.Skill DDR3 1333 memory
WD Caviar Blue 320 GB HDD

Thank you!

If your new mobo BIOS supports multiple boot drives, its the way to go. No messy boot.ini files, just 2 seperate drives each with their own boot files, OS, and all other files.

All you gotta do to switch OS's is reboot, enter BIOS, change boot drive, then continue with boot. My BIOS doesnt let me change preferred HDD from the boot menu seen at startup... I have to enter BIOS to change preferred boot HDD.

2 questions for you...

1. Are you planning on moving the HDD from your old system to the new system and expecting it to boot? It most likely will not until you reinstall XP on that drive on top of itself to get that HDD to find all the new mobo, chipset, HW drivers.
2. Do you really think after using Win7 that you will ever want to go 10 years backward in OS technology? :)

Thank you. I was planning on backup/copy of desired data files from old XP OS HDD, then wiping with clean Win 7 install, but how to get desirable old data files into accessible location, perhaps their own partition, back on old HDD after clean Win 7 install is the problem.

Call me an "experienced newbie", now I want partitioning with Win 7 in it's own partition, with data files and auto-saves on another partition for better system functionality/efficiency. So, I purchased a new 320 GB internal HDD for Win 7 install, with preferable use of 640 GB HDD as storage of movies and other bloat stuff (I'm a Recovering Bloataholic).

I also have a 1 TB WD external HDD, recently purchased for wise, complete backup of old XP system, so with all of this, I'm unsure about the "easiest" way to configure what I want, which is: a faster, cleaner, more efficient Win 7 system, but access to old XP data files, and the XP OS if necessary, but unknown at this time. I've got some useful paid and freeware apps which might not work with Win 7, so I don't want to cut off my nose to spite my face, as it were.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.....Thank You!

(No, I don't want to regularly use the decade-old XP OS. I'm ready to turn away! But I need access to files within it's "grasp?")

It's a configuration issue, I'm just not sure how to utilize the tools and hardware I have.

Welcome gigem891,

You new system sounds very solid. I would get it up & running with win7 first by it's self. We can add the XP HD later & possibly a dual boot win7 & XP system. Let's get the new win7 system running smoothly without any problems. With the 1TB external HD, that gives us several different ways to make use of it.

Or you could even network the two computers, and have both until you really decide what you want to do with the XP.

There are many members here to help you, so give us info & questions


" Doc "

Or just use Windows 7 EZ transfer and move all your data over to Win7 and kiss XP goodbye forever! Honestly, its so much better you may want to install it on your "OLD" system!

gigem891 said:

Sounds good, Doc. You're absolutely right. I'll update after build/install. Thank you very much.

Best of Luck, I will watch this thread for your update comments.

I have about 45 win7 builds in the past year, for myself, family members, and friends. And even a couple of Old Dinosaurs, that do rather well on win7