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Multiple HDD's with SSD's

Tags:
  • SSD
  • Storage
  • Hard Drives
  • Windows 8
  • Windows 7
Last response: in Storage
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May 29, 2014 12:42:10 PM

So, I already have an 1.5 TB HDD that has Windows 8 and I decided I was going to take another HDD I had laying around with Windows 7 this hard drive is 250GB. I wanted to know if I could buy 2 SSD's and use one SSD for Windows 8, and use the other one for Windows 7. I don't want to RAID 0 them, mostly because if one of them fails I don't want to lose all of my data. Also if I'm able to do this can I use the Windows key that I'm using right now, can I use the keys to install windows on each of the SSD's. Also I don't have a CD Drive on my computer the OS was pre-installed on each of the HDD's, so is there a way that I can install the OS onto the SSD's if I were to do this. An alternative if this isn't possible is me actually RAID 0 the 250GB and 1.5TB hard drive's, I've always heard that if you do this and one of the drives fail you lose all of your data but how common is this. And then there is the problem of installing Windows 8 on the RAID 0, how would I go about doing that. Thank you to whoever answers!

More about : multiple hdd ssd

a b G Storage
May 29, 2014 1:31:49 PM

You can use 2 SSD's and run a dual boot setup with windows 8 and 7. using RAID 0 with a 1.5TB and 250GB hard drive is a bad idea, as you will lose 1.25TB of storage space setting up the array (250GB HDD + 250GB from 1.5TB) for a 500GB volume. You are right if 1 drive fails or the array gets borked in any way it may be unrecoverable. Your best bet would be to install the 2 SSD's as blank drives. Install Windows 7 first on the primary SSD, and then install Windows 8 on the 2nd SSD.. Windows 8 should detect the existing Windows 7 OS on 1st SSD and add to boot menu after Win 8 is installed. Then transfer your data or just install the 1.5TB HDD as a 3rd drive in system.
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May 29, 2014 2:11:19 PM

fricklesmn said:
You can use 2 SSD's and run a dual boot setup with windows 8 and 7. using RAID 0 with a 1.5TB and 250GB hard drive is a bad idea, as you will lose 1.25TB of storage space setting up the array (250GB HDD + 250GB from 1.5TB) for a 500GB volume. You are right if 1 drive fails or the array gets borked in any way it may be unrecoverable. Your best bet would be to install the 2 SSD's as blank drives. Install Windows 7 first on the primary SSD, and then install Windows 8 on the 2nd SSD.. Windows 8 should detect the existing Windows 7 OS on 1st SSD and add to boot menu after Win 8 is installed. Then transfer your data or just install the 1.5TB HDD as a 3rd drive in system.

Thank you for the reply. Do you know how I would be able to install the operating systems on to the SSD's considering that the OS's were already installed on them when I got them so I don't have a disc or anything for them. And I shouldn't use the 250 GB hard drive and just the 1.5TB for the storage of files, games, etc..

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June 5, 2014 4:16:12 PM

Use the magic jellybean keyfinder to recover and save your product keys. Both win7 and 8 can be installed from a bootable hdd. OEM copies of windows may not work if they are installed on a different machine.
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