Solved 2 Hard Drives, 2 Operating system, Separate boot

[LittleMan]

Hello,

I have searched all over the internet, but I still haven't figure this out.
I'm having a laptop, with Windows 7 Pro 32bits installed, and I would like to install a second hard disk in the place of the DVD-RW (I will buy an extension slot, it exists). The second hard drive already have Windows7 Pro 64bits, with everything installed for the computer, but at the moment I am changing them each time I need to boot the other and is very annoying.

I would need to know, how could I set the hard disks that, when I will chose from BIOS to Boot from Hard Disk HDD0, to boot from it with no issues, and to have the other hard disk (HDD1 maybe), deactivated, and not available in Windows.
And when I need HDD1, to set from BIOS to boot from it, and also, to have in the second windows, the HDD0 unavailable.

Also, it is not possible to change anything on HDD0, neither its location. I can do whatever I want with the HDD1.


I need this complicated thing because I use one of the hard disks for work, one for home, and I would like to don't mix things up. And it is very difficult to get around with to laptops.
Both HDDs have 2 partitons.

Thank you in advance!

 

[LittleMan]

No answer?
Is it impossible to make it work somehow?

 

[whs]

It is in fact very easy. You only have to change the boot sequence in the BIOS. On an HP you get into the boot sequence by tapping ESC after power on. On a lot of other makes it is F12.

But let me ask you a question. Does this laptop have an eSata port ?? That would be an easier way and you would not lose the optical drive.

 

[LittleMan]

Ok, maybe I haven't made my self clear: one of the Hard Disks (the one that doesn't boot), must be hidden somehow. They should not see each other, each one in it's windows. The Windows on HDD0 must not see there exists a HDD1 in the computer (at least to do not see the partitions), and vice-versa.

And I'm not really interested in keeping the DVD into the laptop, i use it very rarely...and after all, I can change it in 2 seconds, and it's easier to have the DVD after me, instead of an external hard disk. It's slimmer.

 

[whs]

Regardless what you do, if both disks are in the box, the running OS will see the other disk. If you do not want that, you have to continue like you are doing now - only 1 disk at the time.

 

[LittleMan]

ok. Thanks for the enlighting.
I will continue doing this, that's it.

 

[gregrocker]

I believe you can remove the other OS's drive letter in Disk Management and it will not be seen by the booted OS. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/82994-drive-letter-add-change-remove-windows-7-a.html

Nobody said anything about keeping the DVD in the drive. To boot via BIOS you set the preferred OS first to boot, then boot the other using the one-time BIOS Boot Menu key given on first boot screen:
Asus - F8
HP/Compaq - Esc
Sony - F2
Acer - F12
Gateway - F10
eMachnes - F10
Toshiba - F12
Dell - F12
IBM/Lenovo - the blue Thinkvantage button

 

[whs]

I believe you can remove the other OS's drive letter in Disk Management and it will not be seen by the booted OS.

Greg, and in e.g. Disk Management ?? I am not even sure what the OP means "not see" and why.

 

[gregrocker]

Wolfgang, I'm pretty sure if you remove the other OS's letter in DIsk Mgmt that it will not be seen by the booted OS. This seems to be a prerequisite for him to Dual Boot.

He also apparently needs to know how to choose one OS at boot via one-time BIOS Boot Menu key so he doesn't have to manually change BIOS Boot Order, or plug/unplug.

 

[whs]

Greg, in disk management you see every partition - with or without letter. Right? Then it is easy to give this partition a letter - et voila.

I think it would help if the OP told us the reason why is so adamant to hide the other drive.

 

[gregrocker]

Greg, in disk management you see every partition - with or without letter. Right? Then it is easy to give this partition a letter - et voila.

I think it would help if the OP told us the reason why is so adamant to hide the other drive.

Yes, I was referring to how to remove the partition from the booted OS's Explorer seeing it's files which is what OP's have wanted in the past. I'm pretty sure this is how to do it but I'm also running on fumes after reimaging a laptop to a desktop overnight.

Remember that this is to hide the other OS's drive letter in Disk Management. You cannot remove or change the booted OS's drive letter or it will ruin it.

 

[whs]

OK, Explorer is another story. I was not sure to what level he wanted to go with the secrecy.

 

[gregrocker]

Probably to keep the boss out of his personal life.

 

[whs]

That's a good reason.

 

[LittleMan]

Idea is that I travel a lot, and I have a working laptop that I should always keep after me. For simplifying things, I have just taken the HDD of my home laptop, reinstall the windows with the job laptop drivers, and use it like this.
The Windows installed from work have some sort of tracing software, and registers everything that is inserted (USB, CDs, Other HDDs, etc) and than reports via internet. I have no idea if it has also a type of autorun that launches the same software when I'm inserting the HDD in another computer, as slave hard disk. This is why I need the HDDs to function independently, and not to be seen by each other.

To my question at the IT guy: and if I use a Live Boot CD with Linux, or anything, to use the computer without booting and using the work HDD, and use an external HDD, the answer was fast: I wouldn't try!

So, this is why I asked, how can I set from bios/dos the HDDs to be hidden of each other under windows. If it's possible.
I can enter and change each time the boot sequence. Is easier than using a screwdriver each day and night.


If both win partitions ar set as Primary and Active, would I have a chance to don't see the other operating system partition?

 

[traderpats]

EDIT: Never mind, didn't read "laptop" in OP.

 

[whs]

I think your IT guy gave you a wrong answer. If the Office OS is not active (because you use a live CD or because you use your private OS), I do not see how anything can be sent upstream. There is just no program there to do it.

 

[iTRiP]

...

 

[gregrocker]

Dual booting by swapping the cables is so far out there I've never even heard of it here after helping with thousands of Dual Boots..

We occasionally have Users enter BIOS setup to manually change the HD booted first, but then we remind them that nearly every computer and mobo make have a one-time BIOS Boot Menu key that can be used to override the boot order.

They are right up above in this thread, but I'll post them again for you:
Asus - F8
HP/Compaq - Esc
Sony - F2
Acer - F12
Gateway - F10
eMachnes - F10
Toshiba - F12
Dell - F12
IBM/Lenovo - the blue Thinkvantage button

I have heard of no issues between the OS's when they are on separate HD's booted via the BIOS.

 

[jwalk]

Alternatively, Windows (AFAIK) only recognizes the FAT and NTFS filesystems. I have a second HDD in my computer with Linux Mint on it, formatted EXT4, and my Windows 7 install doesn't see the drive at all. When running the Linux install, though, all the installed hardware is visible, but I can choose whether it's mounted at boot or not.

Windows is able to interact with EXT* filesystems (among others), but only after installing third-party software such as explore2fs. How you would go about installing Windows, converting the filesystem to EXT*, and then installing the needed emulator and getting it to run at the correct time in the boot sequence would be entirely up to you.

As far as keeping either drive hidden from the BIOS boot menu, that would be quite impossible unless you can install a switch in-line to deactivate the device (power switch?) you didn't want to use at the time. It's that, or physically swap the devices whenever you want to switch. Or learn to code and write your own BIOS. Or stop using your work computer for activities that you know your employer would not approve of.