Dual-boot with two separate SSD's, but sharing one HDD for storage

[bay2sierra]

Hi Guys,

I'd like to get your opinions on this:

For my new rig, I plan to install Windows 7 on one SSD, and Ubuntu Linux on another (separate) SSD. Each SSD will be put in a removable HDD bay. Whenever I need to switch OS, I can power down my PC, swap the bay, and boot it up into the other OS. Hot-swapping is not necessary. This part should be straightforward.

Now, to make things complicated, I also plan to use a large HDD to share between the two OS's as data storage. The HDD will be partitioned into two parts, one for each OS. Each OS should only read from and write to its own partition on the HDD. I am having questions/concerns for this:

1. Is partitioning the HDD for two separate OS's, without actually installing the OS's on it, possible?
2. If 1 is possible, and the PC is booted in Windows 7 from SSD, will Win7 try to claim the Linux partition on the HDD? And vice versa?

If two OS's sharing one HDD is impossible or too difficult to setup, I can add another HDD, and pairing one HDD with an SDD for each OS. HDD is inexpensive anyway. Swapping both the SSD and HDD is a hassle, but is much better than Windows wiping out all my Linux data (or vice versa).

Thoughts and suggestions?

Thanks !

 

[popatim]

1: yes
2: windows cant read the native linux partition. It will show up in disk management and maybe ask if it can initialize it. Just say no. LoL

Please remember that any important data needs to be backed up (ie - a second copy stored on another device)
Thank you.

 

[bay2sierra]

1: yes
2: windows cant read the native linux partition. It will show up in disk management and maybe ask if it can initialize it. Just say no. LoL

Please remember that any important data needs to be backed up (ie - a second copy stored on another device)
Thank you.

Thanks. I am less concerned of HDD's failing than myself hitting the wrong button and wiping out the other partition. Looks like a separate HDD is safer ...