Tom's Hardware > Forum > Storage > Hard Disks > Setting up a Serial-ATA HDD to expand HDD space on the Local Disk

Setting up a Serial-ATA HDD to expand HDD space on the Local Disk

Forum Storage : Hard Disks - Setting up a Serial-ATA HDD to expand HDD space on the Local Disk

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Pyrodemonfox   10-04-2009 at 03:19:53 AM

I'm Trying to install my new S-ATA HDD and I just can't figure out how to make it expand the Local Disk, Is it possible to do?

the HDD is a WD Caviar Black 1tb HDD and it is installed correctly and noticed by the PC.

I am running XP PRo sp3 on a Nvidia 780i EVGA mobo

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505090   10-04-2009 at 05:02:38 AM


You can create a raid array which will appear as one drive to the os, but I would highly recommend identical drives for that.

Or you can do what I do my OS and programs go on one drive and my docs are all stored on the other.

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------------------------------ E8400 : GA-EP35-DS3L : mushkin 4GB DDR2 800 : HD 2600PRO : 450W ATX12V : Windows 7
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Pyrodemonfox   10-04-2009 at 05:07:41 AM

505090 wrote :

You can create a raid array which will appear as one drive to the os, but I would highly recommend identical drives for that.

Or you can do what I do my OS and programs go on one drive and my docs are all stored on the other.



Well I understand that I will not do a RAID because of the size Difference.

How do I go about Changing the volume for the Installation of programs?

and Would It be a good Idea to Mirror the Drives and Make the Bigger HDD the Primary or is that too much of a Hassle?

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505090   10-04-2009 at 06:09:32 AM

you choose the volume when you install the program, it's one of the prompts you go through during every install. Win defaults to C:\Program files\ but you can type in what ever you wish

mirroring the drive is a form of raid.

simplest thing to do is leave the os and programs alone and move your docs to the new drive. Separating the programs from the storage makes reinstalls much simpler and quicker.

ideally you want the os and programs on the fastest drive but it up to you if the speed difference is worth the time to move stuff around

------------------------------ E8400 : GA-EP35-DS3L : mushkin 4GB DDR2 800 : HD 2600PRO : 450W ATX12V : Windows 7
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Pyrodemonfox   10-04-2009 at 10:25:23 AM

well speed is not a problem cause they Have the same speeds.

When I install on the new HDD the program doesn't load and gives me an error saying it can't find the Files

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roonj   10-04-2009 at 11:26:54 AM

This is going to sound silly but did you format the drive, even though your system apparently see's the drive and appears to try and write to it. Also you used the language expand ? the Local disk. They are 2 different drives, the one with operating system on it is C drive. If there are no additional partitions on it (orig C) the new drive should be D drive. While it possible to change drive letters the new drive will never be an expansion of / or recognized as the C drive as currently configured.

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505090   10-04-2009 at 08:49:11 PM

ok the default setup would be C:\ (your original drive) and D:\ (your new drive) E:\ (cd\dvd drive)

have set things up any other way? is the new drive formatted? can you copy files to the new drive? what are you trying to install?

Message quoted 1 times
------------------------------ E8400 : GA-EP35-DS3L : mushkin 4GB DDR2 800 : HD 2600PRO : 450W ATX12V : Windows 7
 Reply to 505090
Pyrodemonfox   10-05-2009 at 01:11:01 PM

505090 wrote :

ok the default setup would be C:\ (your original drive) and D:\ (your new drive) E:\ (cd\dvd drive)

have set things up any other way? is the new drive formatted? can you copy files to the new drive? what are you trying to install?


I have my CD/DVD drive as D:\
and the new Drive as E:\
and yes it is formatted
I have Steam its installed already on the C:\ drive and I'm trying to install a new game, But it will not let me intall because the Program wants to install on C:\ and there is no way to change the Install path

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