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Got second SSD

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Hi guys,

You were very helpful last time which I appreciate a lot - helped me get my custom build up and running.

I got a second SSD.

*RANT*

(which the screw holes did not match the case nor the computer screw slots, even though it is a 2.5 inch SSD and were bought together on Amazon on bundle) So I've got it attached with only one screw for now. It has generally been very frustrating due to the layout of the insides...for instance the SATA cables which connect to the motherboard from the SSD, there is a clip that needs to be pressed to pull it out of mobo but it was right up beside the GPU and needed a bit of plastic to be wedged in to give pressure to the clip. Blows my mind how computers are incredibly sophisticated but incredibly un-ergonomic on the inside.

*RANT*


I installed w7 64bit on my first SSD.

What I want to do is just use the second for running games and music programmes and not run windows from, but do I still need to install windows on it for it to be used? I guess I had to as on startup it kept coming up with "Select Boot Device" and even after selecting older SSD it kept coming up with the same notice. But after installing w7 on new SSD, I was able to boot up on either...and here I am.

I have a new drive has appeared "system reserved (E:)  and w7 installed on both SSD.


My question is - do I need OS installed on both? Can one not be master and the other slave?

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Hello,

Quick answers - A non system SSD does not need & should not have Windows installed on it.
SATA drives, HHDs or SSDs are not connected as Master/Slaves. Each has it's own data cable.

Could you take a screenshot of your Disk Management dialog, especially the lower graphical area with both drives connected, and upload it so we can see exactly how you have them partitioned, and formatted.

There are no master or slave for SATA drives. The BIOS determines which drive you boot from. You should have indicated that you wanted to boot from your original SSD. The space that you used to install Windows 7 on the second drive is wasted. You do not have to have the OS installed on the second SSD.
wirescomingoutmyass said:
Hi guys,

You were very helpful last time which I appreciate a lot - helped me get my custom build up and running.

I got a second SSD.

*RANT*

(which the screw holes did not match the case nor the computer screw slots, even though it is a 2.5 inch SSD and were bought together on Amazon on bundle) So I've got it attached with only one screw for now. It has generally been very frustrating due to the layout of the insides...for instance the SATA cables which connect to the motherboard from the SSD, there is a clip that needs to be pressed to pull it out of mobo but it was right up beside the GPU and needed a bit of plastic to be wedged in to give pressure to the clip. Blows my mind how computers are incredibly sophisticated but incredibly un-ergonomic on the inside.

*RANT*


I installed w7 64bit on my first SSD.

What I want to do is just use the second for running games and music programmes and not run windows from, but do I still need to install windows on it for it to be used? I guess I had to as on startup it kept coming up with "Select Boot Device" and even after selecting older SSD it kept coming up with the same notice. But after installing w7 on new SSD, I was able to boot up on either...and here I am.

I have a new drive has appeared "system reserved (E:)  and w7 installed on both SSD.


My question is - do I need OS installed on both? Can one not be master and the other slave?

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Hello again,

The screenshot helps tremendously!

I'm assuming the Disk 0, 111.79GB is the "new" disk you want for the OS?
They are not presently set up exactly the same, and presently it is booting from Disk 1, which is not what you want.

Disconnect Disk 1, the 55.9GB SSD, and connect the SATA cable from the 111.79GB SSD, Disk 0 to the SATA_0 port on the MB. Reboot with only Disk 0 connected. The drive letters should change. There should be no drive letter assigned to the Reserved Partition, and the 111.69GB NTFS should list C:
The reserved partition should say Healthy(Sysem, Active, Primary Partition). The C: Volume should say Healthy(Boot, Page file, Crash Dump, Primary Partition).

If this is not the case, you should do a new clean custom install of Win-7 on the 112.79GB SSD to get it right. Only have that SSD attached.

If it is the case and Windows sets up the 111.79GB SSD corectly, in the BIOS make sure the HHD boot order is set up (both SSD's connected) that the 111.79GB SSD is in the first boot order. Then you can carefully delete the partitions on the smaller 55GB SSD to unalocated space (this deletes all data on the disk) and create a single partition, formatted with NTFS for data. Or you could use your SSD utility and Secure Erase the smaller drive back to "like new" condidion.



John_VanKirk said:
Hello again,

The screenshot helps tremendously!

I'm assuming the Disk 0, 111.79GB is the "new" disk you want for the OS?
They are not presently set up exactly the same, and presently it is booting from Disk 1, which is not what you want.

Disconnect Disk 1, the 55.9GB SSD, and connect the SATA cable from the 111.79GB SSD, Disk 0 to the SATA_0 port on the MB. Reboot with only Disk 0 connected. The drive letters should change. There should be no drive letter assigned to the Reserved Partition, and the 111.69GB NTFS should list C:
The reserved partition should say Healthy(Sysem, Active, Primary Partition). The C: Volume should say Healthy(Boot, Page file, Crash Dump, Primary Partition).

If this is not the case, you should do a new clean custom install of Win-7 on the 112.79GB SSD to get it right. Only have that SSD attached.

If it is the case and Windows sets up the 111.79GB SSD corectly, in the BIOS make sure the HHD boot order is set up (both SSD's connected) that the 111.79GB SSD is in the first boot order. Then you can carefully delete the partitions on the smaller 55GB SSD to unalocated space (this deletes all data on the disk) and create a single partition, formatted with NTFS for data. Or you could use your SSD utility and Secure Erase the smaller drive back to "like new" condidion.


Thanks a lot. Tremendous.

I was actually thinking of using disk 1 (older 55.8GB SSD) for the OS, because I already have windows and programs installed on it and using the newer one for games/music/applications which are bound to add up in size.

I was hoping to keep everything about disk1 the same and return the bigger SSD to "like new" condition after installing w7 on it stupidly.

Surely I don't need to involve a windows install again and just Secure Erase the bigger drive, and make sure that boot option 1 is set to smaller SSD in boot menu/BIOS?

If you want to use the small SSD for the OS, then place it on SATA_0, put it first in the HDD boot order, and disconnect the larger one. Then see if the Page File is added to the C:D rive.

Should then read Healthy(Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition)

If that is OK, then Secure Erase the New SSD back to original condition, initialize it, partition it, and format it with NTFS.

Should be all set then
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