Question about Installing 2nd Hardrive

[CFC]

I currently have Windows 7 installed on my PC. I am thinking about fitting a 2nd hardrive and installing Windows 10 on the new hardrive once its released. When you have 2 hardrives on one machine, what happens when u boot up, do u get a choice of what hardrive to use or is one of the hardrives the master drive.

[happynthailand]

Yes,the hard drives will show up when booting up,just pick the one you want to boot from

windows 7 will be the main boot

[fvw53]

if possible verify if the HD intended to install Win 7 and which should have letter C is "Primary" and the other HD with letter D is "logical"

I forgot to check this after installing a second HD and the Win 7 ended up on D which is not practical

[innerspace]

Depends how you install.... if typical dual boot then you have windows on one and just install windows on other then you get a choice from windows when booting on which to start.

Other option, unplug the existing drive and install windows on the new drive when its the only on connected.

That way you plugin first drive and then choose which to boot in bios options, often f8 for boot drive choice.

Advantage of former option is can configure the boot options and delays inside windows.

Advantage of latter is both drives are fully independant - wipe the first drive and second is fine, do same with first option and 2nd drive wont boot.

[CFC]

Depends how you install.... if typical dual boot then you have windows on one and just install windows on other then you get a choice from windows when booting on which to start.

Other option, unplug the existing drive and install windows on the new drive when its the only on connected.

That way you plugin first drive and then choose which to boot in bios options, often f8 for boot drive choice.

Advantage of former option is can configure the boot options and delays inside windows.

Advantage of latter is both drives are fully independant - wipe the first drive and second is fine, do same with first option and 2nd drive wont boot.

Thanks for the replies. It would be good to have the drives completely independent.

[Para]

Thanks for the replies. It would be good to have the drives completely independent.

Why not use the second drive as an external and install to that?

[CFC]

Ok so I am going to install the 2nd hard drive. My machine has Nvidia Quadro NVS295 Dual Graphic Cards. Which need a special driver so I can use both monitors. I have contacted Nvidia customer support and asked them will I be able to use 1 monitor until the Nvidia driver is installled.

Which will be after Windows 7 is installed on the new hard drive. Nvidia customer support didnt know. Has anyone esle installed a new Operating System when they have had a graphics card that needed special driver. If so did one of the monitors work.

[innerspace]

Almost always yes. Maybe not full resolution but windows 7 standard drivers have powered every nvidia card I have put in without drivers installed, even dual screen. Proper driver just opens full features.

[CFC]

Innerspace Thanks for the Info.

[CFC]

Okay so i installed the 2nd hard drive. I disconnected the original drive which had Windows 10 and installed Windows 7 on the new drive. I plan on using the Windows 10 drive most of the time so set the PC up so when it boots up it uses the Windows 10 drive. If I want to use Windows 7 drive I have to press F12 at boot up stage and select the windows 7 drive. If I wanted to use both drives at the same time, obviously they would have had to have the same operating system. Would I have had to set up the new drive when the old drive was still connected. Forgot to mention that the Nvidia card worked on 1 screen until the Nvidia drivers were installed.

Edited August 27, 2015 by CFC