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Have two hard drives I want to move to a new PC.

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Anonymous
Windows 7 Expert

In my current setup, I have two hard drives; one 250GB and a 1Tb hard drive. My 250GB has my operating system, and my 1TB has the backup files. In my new PC, I want to put the updated Windows 7 on the 1TB hard drive. However I think I would run into complications if both of my hard drives have Windows 7. I have an external 1.5TB hard drive if I need it for files.

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You need a Windows for each machine and a different key serial for each.

Don't try to have two hard drives with windows in the same machine.

Install windows into the new PC on a fresh virgin hard drive or format one before you install.

Any other drives can be used (And are used) for storage of videos, music etc.
Storage Expert

if you have windows installed into 2 separate drives you will have a menu everytime you boot asking which version you want to run.

That said, if you just plug the one that currently has the OS into a new computer windows wil NOT boot. This is because the install is specific to the hardware, and the change in the hardware will confuse it.

If you want to install windows on the big drive, backup everything you need onto the external disk, and format / install windows onto the 1tb drive and reinstall all the programs you need.

You can probably set in your bios to tell the machine to boot from drive A or drive B first. If the machine checks the first drive on your list and it boots from that drive, then it doesn't matter what is on the other drive. You can pick the one that you want, switch back and forth, whatever.
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Storage Expert

On the off chance that there's absolutely no need for your older copy of W7:

install the 1GB, re-do the OS on it, install the smaller drive, copy the files to the 1GB, re-format the smaller drive, and put the files back as necessary.
Anonymous
Windows 7 Expert

I just noticed that I worded my question wrong. I have Windows 7 on my current PC with my 1TB as a backup. With my new PC I want to make the 250GB the backup and the 1TB the main hard drive. I want Windows 7 only on the 1TB hard drive.
Anonymous
Windows 7 Expert

itzdanielp said:
So, you want win7 on 1TB and Linux/XP on 250GB?

No, I want the 250GB to have no Operating System on it.

Best solution

Storage Expert

Sorry. I got your question confused with another one for a second. My apologies.


Ok, here is how this is going to work.

1. backup everything you need on both drives, as it will be erased.
2. Put windows 7 DVD into drive, and make necessary adjustments to boot from disk
3. once the installer boots up, start going through the installation process.
4. Once it gets to the point that it gives you a list of drives, you are going to format all drives. - this will erase the OS off of the 250 drive and leave it blank, the same with the 1TB drive.
5. Continue installation, choosing the 1TB drive for installation.

Once windows finishes installing, it will boot off of the 1TB drive, and if you go to my computer you should see the 250GB HD as a second disk.

You can then use the 250GB drive as a backup, and continue using the TB drive as your standard drive.
Anonymous
Windows 7 Expert

itzdanielp said:
Sorry. I got your question confused with another one for a second. My apologies.


Ok, here is how this is going to work.

1. backup everything you need on both drives, as it will be erased.
2. Put windows 7 DVD into drive, and make necessary adjustments to boot from disk
3. once the installer boots up, start going through the installation process.
4. Once it gets to the point that it gives you a list of drives, you are going to format all drives. - this will erase the OS off of the 250 drive and leave it blank, the same with the 1TB drive.
5. Continue installation, choosing the 1TB drive for installation.

Once windows finishes installing, it will boot off of the 1TB drive, and if you go to my computer you should see the 250GB HD as a second disk.

You can then use the 250GB drive as a backup, and continue using the TB drive as your standard drive.

No worries man, it's understandable. Ok, so do you recommend I do all of this after I build the new computer or now?
Storage Expert

The new install of Win 7 needs to be done on the new computer. If you install it, and then put the HD in the new computer it will not boot due to different chipsets and hardware. If you want to format both drives and backup beforehand that is fine, that way when you put everything together you only have to install, instead of format and then install. But that is up to you.
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