Installing a new HDD, making old HDD a slave

[rizo]

Hi folks,

I've got a PC with an older WD HDD that I suspect is close to failing (making odd noises, etc). This old HDD is the only disk in this computer, and it's running 32-bit Win 7.

I've bought a new WD HDD off of New Egg. I'd like to install 64-bit Win 7 onto it, and make it the new master disk, and retain the old HDD as a backup until it fails.

How should I go about this? My inclination is to backup, wipe & remove the old drive, install the new one and flash it with win 7, then install the old drive as a slave.

Am I going about this the right way? It's been a few years since I've done something like this and I don't want to make an unforced error.

Thanks in advance.

 

[oczdude8]

if you are using SATA drives, you don't have to worry about the slave/master nonsense. Just plugin the new one, install windows (also at this step delete windows off the older drive), and you will boot into windows from the new drive and have the old drive accessible to you for storage.

 

[USAFRet]

Here is a prep concept that a lot of people miss:

Create a new folder tree on the old drive - MyStuff. Below that, create MyDocs, MyMusic, MyVideos, etc.
Copy/paste anything in the original Documents/Music/Video folders out to those new folders. Only stuff you want to keep, anyway.
What this does is move those files out from under the NTFS assigned permissions that exist on the current Documents/Music/etc folders.
Trying to access those original folders would result in "Access denied" and then you have to go into the Properties and take over ownership of those folders. Usually it works no problem, but if you can do away with that extra hassle..why not prevent it from happening in the first place.

Now when that is out of the way...
1. Power down
2. Disconnect the old drive
3. Connect the new drive
4. Install Windows on the new drive
5. Ensure everything works
6. Connect the old drive
7. Copy all those files you copied over in the prep phase to your new Documents/Music/etc.
8. Have fun.

 

[rizo]

Guys, do I need to mess with the BIOS at all? I'm starting to think my hardware knowledge is woefully out of date.

 

[USAFRet]

Guys, do I need to mess with the BIOS at all? I'm starting to think my hardware knowledge is woefully out of date.

You just need to verify the boot order. Preinstall...DVD, then new hard drive.
After install, either.

 

[Pdidit]

Guys, do I need to mess with the BIOS at all? I'm starting to think my hardware knowledge is woefully out of date.

You just need to verify the boot order. Preinstall...DVD, then new hard drive.
After install, either.

 

[Pdidit]

If he wanted to do this in a new computer (I.e. a different motherboard ) would it be the same process? I want to get a new computer and use win7 but don't want to spend the endless hours re installing all the programs.
I several ideas that might work
1 buy 7 on a cd and install it on the old hdd while still in the old pc ( if it can do that without crashing too many blue screens while on internet and slow Internet are the reason for the new pc)
2 try to buy the new pc with NO hdd , put in my old one , then install 7 from the cd
3. Start with a pc with 7 factory installed and slave the old hdd and run programs from it. Or copy /ghost? The old apps to the new hdd
Is any of this possible?

 

[USAFRet]

If he wanted to do this in a new computer (I.e. a different motherboard ) would it be the same process? I want to get a new computer and use win7 but don't want to spend the endless hours re installing all the programs.
I several ideas that might work
1 buy 7 on a cd and install it on the old hdd while still in the old pc ( if it can do that without crashing too many blue screens while on internet and slow Internet are the reason for the new pc)
2 try to buy the new pc with NO hdd , put in my old one , then install 7 from the cd
3. Start with a pc with 7 factory installed and slave the old hdd and run programs from it. Or copy /ghost? The old apps to the new hdd
Is any of this possible?

Option 1: That may or may not work. No way to tell until you try it. I wouldn't do it.
Option 2: Reusing the old hard drive with a fresh install. Assuming the hard drive works, sure.
Option 3: No. Just reinstall them on the new machine.

You can spend "hours" reinstalling your applications now, or you can spend "hours/days" later, fixing stuff because you didn't want to do it right the first time.

 

[Pdidit]

If he wanted to do this in a new computer (I.e. a different motherboard ) would it be the same process? I want to get a new computer and use win7 but don't want to spend the endless hours re installing all the programs.
I several ideas that might work
1 buy 7 on a cd and install it on the old hdd while still in the old pc ( if it can do that without crashing too many blue screens while on internet and slow Internet are the reason for the new pc)
2 try to buy the new pc with NO hdd , put in my old one , then install 7 from the cd
3. Start with a pc with 7 factory installed and slave the old hdd and run programs from it. Or copy /ghost? The old apps to the new hdd
Is any of this possible?

Option 1: That may or may not work. No way to tell until you try it. I wouldn't do it.
Option 2: Reusing the old hard drive with a fresh install. Assuming the hard drive works, sure.
Option 3: No. Just reinstall them on the new machine.

You can spend "hours" reinstalling your applications now, or you can spend "hours/days" later, fixing stuff because you didn't want to do it right the first time.

 

[Pdidit]

Thanks! The hdd is fairly new 2years? . Finding a computer that has never had a hdd might be the next problem.
This problem of having to reinstall all apps seems like such a universal problem yet there is still an easy solution. Re installing dozens of old apps that We have had for years and might not have discs for is a huge time sink. It keeps me from wanting to update hardware. This might be one of the biggest advantages of cloud apps.

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks! The hdd is fairly new 2years? . Finding a computer that has never had a hdd might be the next problem.
This problem of having to reinstall all apps seems like such a universal problem yet there is still an easy solution. Re installing dozens of old apps that We have had for years and might not have discs for is a huge time sink. It keeps me from wanting to update hardware. This might be one of the biggest advantages of cloud apps.

There are some solutions for reinstalling the applications. www.ninite.com, for one. Select which ones you want, download the small installer, and run it.
It goes to each application download, and installs it unattended.
Come back in an hour, and it is done.
It only works on the apps it has on the list, but it can save a LOT of time. I use it on every new build.

 

[USAFRet]

Finding a computer that has never had a hdd might be the next problem.

Building one yourself completely gets around that problem. Among other advantages...

 

[Paperdoc]

OP, you and USAFRet have said something important that will help avoid a problem. If you are doing a new Install of Win 7 on a HDD, do NOT have any other HDD installed in the machine at that time. There is a procedure in the Win 7 Install routines that is intended to protect you from future disasters, but it causes some problems in certain cases. The procedure will look for any second HDD in the system. If it finds one, it will install on it a semi-hidden copy of key OS files before completing the main Install on the main HDD. The intent is that, if there's a disaster in future, it will try to recover clean copies of OS files from the other drive and restore the main drive, so you can boot cleanly. Seems like a great idea. The "problem" is that, on EVERY boot it checks for those backups on the second drive, and it will NOT boot unless they are found. If you ever remove that second drive, you're in trouble. (Well, there is a way to recover from that, too.) On the other hand, it there is only ONE HDD in the machine at Install time, the backup files will be placed on that HDD and it all works, anyway. HOWEVER, this is not as secure as having the OS backup on a separate drove, so you have partially defeated the protection scheme.

Make you own choice about how you want to do this.