How do I install Win 7 on two hard drives?


  1. Islamabad
    Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
       New #1

    How do I install Win 7 on two hard drives?


    I have a HP Pavilion dv9800. It came with Vista and one 250 GB HDD. I added a second internal 250 GB SATA HDD. I got the second drive formatted and so it showed as a second drive where the HHDs are displayed. I didn't have any Vista OS software on it (to my knowledge, as far as I could see) but I could use the drive for extra storage, etc.

    I went to add Windows 7 with an install disk. I would like to simply replace Vista with Windows 7 and have the second HDD usable as extra space, so it would serve the same function as it has with Vista. However, when I used the install disk it asked me which drive I wished to install Windows 7 on. I installed it on on the second HDD only, so now I'm running Vista on the C: drive (and it's on D: Recovery too) and Windows 7 on the drive added second.

    So, my question is, can I replace Vista on C: (and D) and then use the other added HDD for storage, etc? In other words, I want only Windows 7 OS on this machine, but want to be able to use both drives, with a similar configuration as I had with Vista.

    Sorry if I'm missing some simple fix to this. Any advice, links, instructions, comments, etc will be most appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  3. ryo
    Posts : 1,953
    windows 7
       New #2

    hello and welcome
    if i don't mistake with your case you can dual boot os Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP and if you wanna use just 1 OS in your desktop. and you want the setting vista direct on your win7, i though you can use Simple Windows Easy Transfer,Trasfer to a finger drive, hd etc. Then send it to the new account.
    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...-easy-transfer

    Any or problems or questions, I will try my best to help.

    hope can help..!!
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  4. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       New #3

    In principle you can do that. But unless you had installed Windows7 with the Vista disk disconnected, you have the Win7 MBR on your Vista drive, If you delete Vista, your Win7 will not boot any more. You first have to get an MBR on your Win7 drive.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  6. gregrocker
    Posts : 50,642
       New #4

    Can you please post back a screenshot of your full Win7 Disk Management drive map with listings. Use the Snipping Tool in the Start menu, attach file using paper clip in reply box.

    My understanding is that you have Vista on DISK0 labeled C, and Win7 on DISK1 labeled D, but that you want to remove Vista and only have Win7.

    Are you opposed to moving Win7 into the first DISK0 slot, by switching the cables? If so, you will only need mark Win7 active, then recover the MBR into Win7 by running Startup Repair 3 times with reboots from the Win7 DVD Repair console, then delete and format Vista.

    If you clarify this for sure and provide the Disk management screenshot, we can advise you the steps with certainty.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  7. MoCo Man
    Posts : 1
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
       New #5

    This is a common problem when upgrading windows or installing two operating systems. Windows will always default to a single MBR which is stored on the original drive that windows was installed on. Easy to fix by disconnecting (temporarily) your vista drive, boot from your windows 7 cd and repair the only windows version it will detect (Windows 7). This will create a new MBR on that disk and make it independant of the Vista disk.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

 

  Related Discussions
I have a new computer plus a couple of other computers and I have some external hard drives and flash drives. what is the best way to check these devices to make sure they are clean, will just connecting them and viewing them or running AV and other security checks propose a risk to the computer...
I set up a new computer. Windows 7 Pro 64x Everything was fine but then I connected a flash drive to it and I get: Location Not Available H:\ is not accessible. Access is denied If I go into the properties to the “security” tab, it says “you do not have permission to view or edit this...
Hi All, Really hope someone can help and I don't have some dead HW. I'm currently running Memtest and will update this thread with results, dumps etc after the test finished and I can access the PC's HDD's - just wanted to get the thread started. So this morning I go to wake up my PC and find...
Hi, I have a new computer that runs Windows7 64 bit. I have an older computer hard drive that has XP. I needed something from the old hard drive and hooked it up with the cables from the Win7 hard drive and it booted up and ran. I've since gone back to using the Win7 hard drive. How do I...
Trying to clean install w7/32 booting from dvd and USB stick, in both cases same result, no HDD recognized.(DVD works fine on defferent computer) BIOS detects two HDD (WD800JB and WS250JB) and two ROM drives. Everything is working properly in XP/SP3 Passed extended test of primary HDD with...
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

 © Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 15:07.
Find Us