2 hard drives, 2 separate OS disc?

magneezo · Aug 13, 2016

Just need to know
If I have my activated Win 7 Pro OS
on drive 1 can that same disc be installed on drive 2? Or do I have to buy another OS for that drive?
This is my first attempt at dual drives, first being the main SSD boot and second being a 1Tb Hdd for storage. Any advice appreciated

dexxterlab97 · Aug 13, 2016

Check this
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/117570-13-dual-boot-gaming

USAFRet · Aug 13, 2016

magneezo :

What leads you to believe that you need an OS on the second drive?

Shaun o · Aug 13, 2016

One licence for one machine.

As long as both of the hard drives stay in the same system.

If the Os is installed on another hard drive and connected to another system as a working boot drive, and a operating system for it, you will not be able to run windows 7 on the two computers at the same time.

If you have just bought the SSD drive with the intention of installing windows on that drive.
But the existing windows OS installation is on the 1Tb hard drive also.

Disconnect the 1Tb drive.
Connect the new SSD drive to the first Sata port of the motherboard.
And install and setup windows 7 OS on the SSD drive.

Once done.

Connect the 1 TB drive back to your system.
Copy all of your Important pictures, music, or work. from the 1Tb drive over to the corresponding folders of the SSD drive with windows installed on it, Pictures, files, music.

Then format the 1 TB drive if there is nothing more you wish to keep.

Or create a backup Image file, when running windows os from the 1 TB drive first of all using windows Backup and restore of windows 7 Create a backup image.

Leave it on the 1Tb drive.
Disconnect it from the system, Install windows OS on the ssd drive.

When done connect the 1TB drive back to the system.

Load windows, or boot it from the ssd drive.
The open up system backup and restore.

Select the backup file you made and stored on the 1TB drive.
Let the backup run, when the system restarts from the SSD drive it will contain all of the contents of what the 1Tb had in installed programs, and personal files and user accounts ect.

Then just simply format the 1Tb drive.

magneezo · Aug 13, 2016

Thanks Shaun o that's extremely helpful

USAFRet · Aug 13, 2016

Interesting that a valid question as to 'why' gets a downvote.

Oh well. Good luck.

magneezo · Aug 13, 2016

USAFRet :

I'm all ears and eyes. If you can explain how to use my HDD without an OS then make me a believer

USAFRet · Aug 13, 2016

magneezo :

A system with multiple drives only needs the OS on one of them. The other drives are simply other drive letters.
Seriously.

This is my current system. 5 drives, 1 OS on the 500GB 850 EVO.

And this in Windows Explorer:

OS is on the C drive, 500GB SSD. The others are just other drive letters. In this case, G, J, L, O.
Or whatever drive letter you want to give them.

magneezo · Aug 13, 2016

USAFRet :

I Honestly had No idea.
That sounds like a very simple solution.
I'm going to try it. I was Always under the assumption that a drive had to have an OS on it.
I apologize for not taking it seriously at first
Thank You

USAFRet · Aug 13, 2016

magneezo :

Seriously, just plug it in.
If it is a brand new drive out of the box, it may need initializing and formatting.
Other than that...just plug it in.

Multiple drives have been a thing in the Windows world forever. Going back to IDE Master/Slave. Or earlier, with A & B floppy drives.
I can't remember the last desktop I had with only one drive.

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2 hard drives, 2 separate OS disc?

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