Windows 7 Installing windows7 on 2nd harddrive

[Maryocon]

I have 2 hard drives in my computer. My C drive has xp on it. I want to do a clean install with windows 7 on the 2nd harddrive and make it my primary drive. I believe I will have to reformat the drive, it is a fat32. I want to keep xp in the machine and boot from it when I need too or be able to dual boot. That way I don't have to worry about doing a clean install and I can save my 4 years of programs and files. My questions are 1) can I get and use a upgrade windows 7 disk. 2) do I have to change some of the hard drive cables and change jumper settings or can I just get a program like OSL 2000 boot manager and boot from either 7 or xp without making any hardward chages except reformating the disk and installing windows 7 in what is now my D drive.

 

[Mitchell_A]

1) No you can't use the upgrade option
2) You should just be able to convert the disk to NTFS and Install Windows 7, Windows should automatically add it to the boot manager, if it doesn't don't worry, your files are still on the other HDD.

 

[Saltgrass]

You can use an upgrade DVD, but you will have to do a custom install when moving from XP. The EULA does address using the qualifying OS after you use an upgrade version, so you might want to check that for you own information.

If you install Win 7 on your second hard drive with the XP drive still in, it will set up a dual boot situation and place the Win 7 boot files on the XP drive.

If you change the cables to make the Win 7 drive Disk 0, then you will still have to change the boot order in the bios to make the Win 7 drive first priority. If you do this, Win 7 will put the boot files on its own partition and will not set up a dual boot for you, but is it easy to do that later.

In case you are wondering, in my experience, the SATA number determines which drive is drive 0, but the bios disk priortiy determines which OS is booted to. I used to dual boot using the bios setting to set the Win 7 or XP drive first in the priority.

 

[Maryocon]

Thanks for getting back to me. What if I disconnect the drive with xp on it, move the cables or switch them (if I can figure that one out.) reformat the hard drive that I am now using as D, change the bios and then install Windows 7. After that gets installed reconnect the former C drive with xp on it. Do you think that would work. I can always figure out later how to boot in C. The main thing for me is getting the computer up and running without losing any programs and files.
















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[Saltgrass]

If you disconnect the XP drive, you can always set up a dual boot with it. The only question is, if you are using an upgrade DVD, will it activate if the prior OS is not available.

If activation is not a problem, you can always add the XP drive and use it like a data drive. If you want to boot to it, that can also be handled without much trouble.

 

[Mitchell_A]

In the event that activation doesn't work with the upgrade copy, you just have to install Windows again once you have once. Confusing, yes.

 

[Maryocon]

I agree that is a problem... maybe what I can do is phone MS. I do know that they can activate an upgrade ...at least I have had that done in the past. The trick will be getting hold of Microsoft. Maybe I will buy an upgrade disk ... phone microsoft then see what I can do from there. I hope I don't have to return the disk.

 

[Mitchell_A]

Good luck with that, Microsoft likely won't provide activation support for an upgrade copy on a clean install, but you should definitely phone them and see
Cheers,