Question about Building and BIOS

[TkTk]

Hey all, I'll be building my PC later in the week after all the parts have arrived, and just have a few queries.

So, when booting for the first time, it is obviously important to set the BIOS to primarily read off of DVD as a boot drive, so that W7 can be installed.

BUT, after installing the OS, do you need to go back to the BIOS and alter things so that SSD/HDD (I'll be using SSD as a boot drive) takes priority over DVD? Are there any other reasons why I'd need to go back to the BIOS anyway in terms of tweaking? Some people have even said as I'm installing both SSD and HDD, I should only boot up installing W7 OS with the SSD in place, and then install the HDD later (sounds risky).

Advice?


Thanks a bunch in advance buds, TkTk

 

[l0v3rboi]

When installing Windows, boot from DVD (that is if you have a disk for it). Attach ONLY your SSD. This will ensure that the pc is installing the OS at your SSD and not your HDD.

After installing Windows, attach your HDD. My advice is to put all the parts together and leave one HDD wire unplugged (either power or data is fine). Then, after installing OS, plug the wire in.

Go to BIOS. Makesure you boot out of SSD (not really essential though as if it can't boot on priority # 1, it would just boot from priority # 2.

Happy Building

 

[TkTk]

When installing Windows, boot from DVD (that is if you have a disk for it). Attach ONLY your SSD. This will ensure that the pc is installing the OS at your SSD and not your HDD.

After installing Windows, attach your HDD. My advice is to put all the parts together and leave one HDD wire unplugged (either power or data is fine). Then, after installing OS, plug the wire in.

Go to BIOS. Makesure you boot out of SSD (not really essential though as if it can't boot on priority # 1, it would just boot from priority # 2.

Happy Building

Ah that sounds nice and straight forward, cheers man

Just another small question then... Out of interest, will I need to be changing the details of any other components during the first BIOS session? Or will I just be checking that they're recognized? (ie RAM/GPU etc)

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Windows will go to the DVD automatically if it doesn't detect an OS on the HD.

Here's how I install windows ..... I want a 2nd install incase SSD goes south or SSD Windows install gets fudged.

1. Put all components in system. Connect HD Data cable to SATA 1, DVD to SATA 2
2. Create 120 GB partition on HD and install Windows.
3. Run Windows Update till it won't do anymore, reboot
4. Use Disk manager to create D:\ partition on rest of drive or whatever ya wanna do ..... for this example I will use:

D:\Games
E:\Programs
F:\Data
G:\Backups

5. Change ya DVD drive letter to Z:\
6. Change D:\ thru G:\ to something else and then back to their original letters. This step is necessary to "hard wire" the letter assignments.....that is say D:\ to Y:\ and then back to D:\ .... if ya skip this windows will re-arrange when it sees another drive.
7. Shut down and disconnect the HD data cable, connect the SSD data cable to SATA 0
8. Install Windows
9. Repeat step 3
10. Open Disk Manager and repeat steps 5 and 6
11. Shut down and reconnect HD data cable to SATA 1
12. Now you have two fully functional Windows installations.....one on ya HD and one on ya SSD. You can select which ne to boot from in the BIOS.
13. Make an image of ya SSD windows installation to G:\Backups .... if Windows gets fudged, you can restore the image to the SSD by using alternate boot. If SSD dies, you can still access all ya data and rstore everything when warranty replacement arrives.

NOTE: Most programs and many games will require that you reinstall them over themselves to set registry entries on both Windows installs. If ya install everything on SSD boot, just reinstall to exact same spot under alternate HD boot

 

[TkTk]

Windows will go to the DVD automatically if it doesn't detect an OS on the HD.

Here's how I install windows ..... I want a 2nd install incase SSD goes south or SSD Windows install gets fudged.

1. Put all components in system. Connect HD Data cable to SATA 1, DVD to SATA 2
2. Create 120 GB partition on HD and install Windows.
3. Run Windows Update till it won't do anymore, reboot
4. Use Disk manager to create D:\ partition on rest of drive or whatever ya wanna do ..... for this example I will use:

D:\Games
E:\Programs
F:\Data
G:\Backups

5. Change ya DVD drive letter to Z:\
6. Change D:\ thru G:\ to something else and then back to their original letters. This step is necessary to "hard wire" the letter assignments.....that is say D:\ to Y:\ and then back to D:\ .... if ya skip this windows will re-arrange when it sees another drive.
7. Shut down and disconnect the HD data cable, connect the SSD data cable to SATA 0
8. Install Windows
9. Repeat step 3
10. Open Disk Manager and repeat steps 5 and 6
11. Shut down and reconnect HD data cable to SATA 1
12. Now you have two fully functional Windows installations.....one on ya HD and one on ya SSD. You can select which ne to boot from in the BIOS.
13. Make an image of ya SSD windows installation to G:\Backups .... if Windows gets fudged, you can restore the image to the SSD by using alternate boot. If SSD dies, you can still access all ya data and rstore everything when warranty replacement arrives.

NOTE: Most programs and many games will require that you reinstall them over themselves to set registry entries on both Windows installs. If ya install everything on SSD boot, just reinstall to exact same spot under alternate HD boot

Firstly, I only have a W7 OEM, is that going to be problematic?

Secondly, a lot of that didn't quite make sense to me. Thanks for your long message, but you've overcomplicated things in terms of the set-up. Is it not simply a matter of installing on the SSD, and creating some kind of image on the HDD which I can boot from?