Hard Drive Questions

install OS on SSD &

just connect the 500 gb drive with sata ports,
nowadays most of mother boards have 4 sata ports..

you will able to access both of drives without any issues.. ..

really just that easy, at the moment my 500GB drive is running XP.. do I need to install windows 7 on the old HDD, or will just putting it on the SSD and plugging the HDD in be enough?

Well, in order to do this right, you have to do like this.
1. Take out the 500 gb hdd, and put in the ssd.
2. Install windows and all the programes you need on SSD.
3. You have to make the 500 gb drive a primary slave. (The ssd is a primary master, the dvd drive is secondary master). To do so you must take out the jumper from the vertical pins. (the pins are on the hdd next to the sata and power connectors.)
4. Turn off the computer and put in the 500 gb drive, and turn it back on.
5. Let's say you have on the SSD two partitions (C and D) and the 500 gb has 3 partitions (C,D and E). But now, because the 500 gb is a slave it will show you the next letter assigment (G,H, I for example). Now you must format the former C drive on the 500 gb where the windows was, and use it for storage.

I'm not exactly sure if i made myself clear, but if what i said above doesn't work, come back with a response and i will try a different aproach.

just install Win 7 on ssd & then hook up 500Gb drive,,
don't forget to format the C: drive of 500 Gb HDD in which you installed XP ,,
move the data to other drives before formatting..

(when you start up the PC first time after hooking 500 Gb hdd, pc may stuck after bios, bcz of both HDD & ssd have active boot partitions... use " select boot device function key (may be f8 or f12 or some thing & select ssd for booting.. )

or other method to do this..

get hirens boot cd
http://www.hirensbootcd.net/
(disconnect ssd from your PC & boot it with Hirens boot cd & 500 GB HDD alone.. no SSD )
use LIVE Xp to move your files from c dive of 500 GB drive to other partitions & format your C: drive ...

now you can connect both the HDD & SSD , it will boot up with win 7 on SSD with any prob..

@Victor89 - you do not have master/slave configurations, or jumper settings for these drives, on SATA drives. Generally you set the boot order/boot device in your BIOS.

sorry, i forgot his hdd was sata. Well then he only has to change the boot order in bios and it should work.

why not ghost the O/S onto the SSD? he did not mention if the 500 was partitioned but if it was (another good argument for partitioning) that would solve LOADS of issues.