Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (
More info?)
In article <crgg5q$4rn$1@brutus.eur.nl>, zodiac@hotmail.com says...
> Hi,
>
> I always install my OS on the primary master drive. I wonder if it's
> possible to install an OS on a slave drive. Does this depend on the OS?
> Moreover, is there any article that explains the possible configurations and
> limitations? I used google but I couldn't find anything useful.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
>
>
Yes you can do that, though from a personal point of view I wouldn't
install an O/S to that drive whilst it was running as a slave drive.
Most BIOSes allow you to choose which drive to boot from these days (it
is normally a simple case of finding the appropriate key on the keyboard
to press, F8 being common), which negates the need for any kind of boot
manager being included when a 2nd O/S is added to a completely separate
HD.
What I would do personally is remove the cable from the current master
and make the slave that you want to install onto the new master. Then
go ahead and install the O/S. Once completed connect up as it used to
be with master/slave HDs and then select which IDE device to boot from
when the computer starts.
I have a system that has that very setup and it works just great. I
have 3 O/S's (1 on the master and 2 on the slave) and I can use this
method to boot to whichever O/S I choose. Admittedly with 2 on the
slave, this has meant a boot manager pops up asking me for which O/S to
boot from when selecting the slave drive, but if I only had the 1 O/S on
the slave I wouldn't get this.
One other proviso. I do have my drives jumpered on the same ribbon
cable to use cable select. Not sure if this is absolutely necessary,
but will go and test it now to let you know.
--
Pete Ives
Remove All_stRESS before sending me an email
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