Fresh OS install by hooking up a second SSD?

[Mister Lemons]

I've got a rather simple question that I can't quite word well enough to get an answer off of google.

At the moment, I have a singular solid state drive (sandisk ultra II, 240gb) with my OS (Windows 7 ultimate) and all my my data currently filling the role as the only storage device in my system.

In my BIOS I see there is a setting to switch where I want my system to boot from (Obviously, my current SSD). I've been wanting to clean install windows 7 for a long while now and I'm curious if I can cheat at this a bit.

I DO have a second SSD handy, so my question is can I install windows 7 on the spare SSD, have my computer boot from that, and simply hook up my current SSD as primary storage?

To clarify, I'm asking if I can have a SSD that will store ONLY the operating system, and simply hook up my current one (with current OS and all data still installed, no modification to data) and use it as storage by hooking it up to an alternate SATA port?

 

[USAFRet]

What size/make/model is the new SSD?

Why not just hook that one up as a secondary drive, and leave the OS and everything on the current Sandisk?

 

[Mister Lemons]

What size/make/model is the new SSD?

Why not just hook that one up as a secondary drive, and leave the OS and everything on the current Sandisk?

It's a 64gb corsair (something like that, it's in a box around here but I'm not gonna hunt it down if I still have no use for it.).

As for the 'why', my current OS is acting a bit funny. A short list of problems below.

-Boot takes twice as long as it used to. Sometimes I can't do anything until several minutes after boot.

-Can't connect to 5ghz wifi with PCI wireless cards (2.4ghz works fine), but a USB adapter allows dual band. I used to be able to connect to any network without issue. I didn't change anything, it just... stopped working properly.

-Some programs are, without reason, slow to load on occasion but not always. Today I tried to open the device manager immediately after startup, it took 2 minutes to open. I have ample ram and processing power. It's not my hardware, I've checked all of it... twice. I've scanned for virus' using every program available to me and have found nothing. I've checked (but not tampered with) the registry. I've even optimized the BIOS for my hardware, making sure all of runs at its specifications, but not overclocking. There is simply nothing left but the OS, and that I HAVE played with before.


Anyway, It is my belief that either myself or something I have downloaded/executed has tampered with my OS in a way that has hampered its abilities.

 

[USAFRet]

In light of that...you do NOT want to use that 64GB drive for your OS.
Too small.

And if the current OS install is acting up, you really need to reinstall anyway.
Just reinstall on the existing drive.
Don't use that 64GB as the OS drive.

In addition, if you were to install the OS on that 64GB, you'd have to reinstall all your applications again anyway. You can't use them in their current state on the 240GB drive.

 

[USAFRet]

Bottom line - fix the OS on that 240GB.

 

[D JAY Cva]

You can take out your current SSD and plug in your Spare SSD to the system and proceed with the fresh OS installation .

Why remove the current SSD : to not accidentally delete off the partition or data while performing fresh OS installation .

Change your bios installation so it will boot from the new SSD , connect the SSD back into machine as secondary drive .

Format and reuse as storage drive ..

 

[Mister Lemons]

You can take out your current SSD and plug in your Spare SSD to the system and proceed with the fresh OS installation .

connect the SSD back into machine as secondary drive .

Format and reuse as storage drive ..

That's the way I was hoping I could do it but it's sounding like it won't work. USAFRet is right, all my applications and executable would bee to be in tune with the OS anyway. It's gonna be hell, but it's gotta happen.