excluding a drive from loading

[diname]

Hello there, first message here, as you can guess!

I hope you can help me on this: I have two hard disks with a single OS on both of them (Windows 7 ultimate x64 on one and Windows 7 Home x64 on the other).

What I need to know is if it's possible to prevent a HD from "loading" if I start from the other HD/OS.
IE, if I make my PC load the Ultimate OS/HD, I want the other HD (the Home Edition one) to remain inactive, in the same way it would be if I unplug it. I think it's impossible, but hope never die...

I ask this because the Home Edition HD is an old, noisy one I use for some specific operations only, and I don't want to hear it everytime I turn my PC on.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Tabris DarkPeace]

You can remove the drive letter of all drives you don't want visible within each OS installed, in Windows, using Disk Management and just right clicking each volume.

 

[Paperdoc]

There's a difference between telling an OS not to use a HDD, and having a particular HDD not even start to rotate. OP's concern seems to be NOT having the drive he is not using make a noise by rotating. But sometimes he / she does want it to run. I don't know of any way to have the OS or the BIOS control whether the HDD rotates.

 

[lonewolf7]

Yes unplug the HDD from PC, and put it in an external case/caddy. So you will be able to use it only when you need it.