Windows 7 Will Clean Install of Win 7 Upgrade Affect Slave Drive?

darkpowrjd

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Oct 22, 2009
This is an important question to bring up, I think (sorry if it's been brought up before), but, as I've said previously, I've been having issues doing the in-place upgrade for Win 7. It's BSOD'd on me four times now (fourth time I even uninstalled everything it said for me to) every time it gets to that last step.

So I have an idea that I think others have had in the past when they have too much to save onto any flash drive or physical media and don't have an external HD lying around: use their internal slave drive so a clean install doesn't wipe them out.

Thing is, that's where many people are squeamish about doing things that way, because not many know for sure if the clean install process will touch the slave drive, and what effect will it have on it if it does (I have a 1TB slave that is just screaming to be used, and so I've done this, and by the way, if I clean install, I'm doing the 64-bit version, which will probably require booting from the disc drive).

But anyway, if anyone could give this answer so people are aware, it would be helpful (I googled to see, and there are posts asking about XP installs (with people answering that it shouldn't), but 7 might be different).
 
I'm quite squeamish about this as well. Hoping to see some posts about this.

Joe
 
If you question is will a Win 7 install erase or format a slave drive, the answer is no. It only effects the partition you select for the Windows install.

I would unplugg any drives or devices I did not need for the basic install.

If you can't get it to work, you need to supply much more information about your system, and where you got the software, and how you are setting it up.
 
This might help you, Ihave a 500Gig drive that's about half full and I was concerned about it for the same reasons. This may be overkill, but it's guaranteed to be 100% safe.

I had 2 WD Raptors as my windows drives in XP, C: for windows, programs etc and D: for the page file and 'working' data. My 500Gig drive (E:) I use for long term mass storage - vids, mp3, photos and so on.

In XP I copied the 40Gigs off my drive D: to a new directory on E: called, er, "Drive D". I then unplugged the SATA cables from Drive C: (after switching off, obviously) and E:, and installed Win 7 directly from the CD on to the now empty 2nd raptor, my old drive D:, although Win 7 called it C: ofcourse, as it was the only drive in the system.

I then put everything back (i.e. reconnected) and I can now boot into XP or Win 7 simply by using the boot option in the BIOS on the first screeen (usually accessed by pressing ESC.) In both cases the Windows drive comes up as C: and the other Raptor as D:, drive E: is still drive E:.

Now in either XP or Win 7 I can access the other Raptor and all the files (makes carying your XP data forward a piece of cake) and the 500Gig drive too and nothing's been lost.

I haven't used easy transfer, nor any external storage and when I've installed all my Win 7 programs I'll just clean off the original XP disc, put the contents of E:Drive D on to it and I'm
back where I started except on Win 7.
 
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