getting 2 harddrives in one computer

[billypnats]

Hi, I'm getting a new harddrive tomorrow, the one I have now is pretty old but since there are some very important things in it I'd like to keep it for as long as possible. THe new one and the old one operates at the same speed (I think) but made by different manufacturers.

 

I read about RAID drivers but I never really knew what they were for, some people on other forums say you only need it if you have more than one HDD that didn't concern me until now, so could you please advise me on the things that I need to after I put in the new harddrive?

 

happy holidays

 

cheers

[Vagrant0]

Unless the new harddrive is the same exact model as the one you currently have, RAID probably isn't a good idea. If your concern is more on having storage space, and not in trying to get more performance, RAID definitely isn't a good idea.

 

Before buying a new harddrive, you should probably make sure your computer has space for one. Many retail pre-built computers, like DELL, come with cases that have no space for additional hard drives, so checking is always a good idea. You should also look to see what sort of connection it supports, older computers may use an IDE connection for the harddrive, newer ones may use a SATA connection. A wikipedia search should provide you with some images so you can know which is which. In addition to space inside your computer case, you will also need an available connection to your motherboard. IDE connections can be a bit tricky with setting up the slave/master jumper settings, and should only be used as a slave or master to another harddrive (if your CD or media drive uses IDE, you can't use the other connection along that ribbon for a harddrive). The physical size of the drive is also important since some retail computers use harddrives which have a smaller size (so the case doesn't need to be as large).

 

Ultimately, it's strongly suggested to do the research before making any purchases. If all you're looking for is more space for storage, you may want to look into external harddrives, or external enclosures. While they may not be something you will want to always have running, they can be very useful when you need to backup data or transfer large files between more than one computer. The one I bought made the process of switching from one computer to another, even when changing OS and using entirely new harddrives much less of a hassle than it could have been.

[billypnats]

well I looked in on the motherboard, and its SATA II, I do have enough space for the drives and my goal is to just expand space, but exactly how much performance are we talking about? Cus I just play games and do work on my computer.

 

On a side note, apparently my SATA drive is running in IDE mode, is this going to set me back? I tried to set it to RAID and AHCI (which I know nothing about) and I kept on getting blue screen, I ended up changing it back.

 

Thanks for the fast reply btw, cheers

 

Oh yea btw, buying an external is not really an option for me

[bben46]

Many store bought computers are set up with a single HD, and a single DVD drive. And they are named HD = C: drive. DVD = D: drive. That leaves drive letters E: through Z: (And possibly B:) for your new drive. Windows will automatically assign the next available drive letter to a newly found drive. If you have used any USB memory sticks, they may have preempted a drive letter for each one. So E: may not be available right away.

 

Go ahead and accept the default it gives you. You can make changes to drive letter assignments later. Changing the DVD drive letter is usually not a good idea, as any program that was installed using that dvd drive with that drive letter expects to find it there (Oblivion, & FO3)

 

I recommend making the new drive E: - unless you have multiple DVD or CD drives that are taking that letter. First, if something else has claimed E: (or whatever letter you prefer) change the drive letter of that one to something further down the list (My USB drives start with J:) After moving that one, you will be able to rename the new hard drive to E: (or whatever you want)

 

On some systems, the one HD is partitioned into several smaller sections, and each section has it's own drive letter - so the one HD could take C:, D: and E: etc - leaving the DVD at F: It is not a good idea to change any of those partition drive letters. so put you new HD at G: (The next available drive letter) The reason is that you want all of your Non removable drives at the beginning of the list, and any removable drives USB, e-sata, firewire etc further down the list. Leaving gaps in the list is OK, you could name your new HD as Z: if you wanted. As long as you don't move it again, Windows will be able to find the data that is on it.

[billypnats]

I dont understand >.<

So do I just do plug and play? I know how to setup the HDDs physically, but its the software part that I'm concerned about.

I'm really concerned about my current SATA HDD running in IDE mode, does that mean I'm going to have to setup master and slave drives with all the jumpers and stuff? CUs I have no clue how to do any of that stuff, I dont even know what a jumper is. But from what I heard SATA drives don't have to do that, but since my drive is running in IDE mode, I have no clue what to do.

[WoogieMonster]

I dont understand >.<

So do I just do plug and play? I know how to setup the HDDs physically, but its the software part that I'm concerned about.

 

Whenever I added a new drive to my rig, I just installed it and powered up. I format the drive to get rid of any free backup software that usually is on them (Western Digital does this). Other than that, Windows XP gives them a letter automatically and does not seem to have any issues with the new drives. Currently my rig has 4 internal hard drives and 2 external drives.

 

Out of curiosity, may I ask why an external drive is not an option?

[CorrodedSoul]

I dont understand >.<

So do I just do plug and play? I know how to setup the HDDs physically, but its the software part that I'm concerned about.

I'm really concerned about my current SATA HDD running in IDE mode, does that mean I'm going to have to setup master and slave drives with all the jumpers and stuff? CUs I have no clue how to do any of that stuff, I dont even know what a jumper is. But from what I heard SATA drives don't have to do that, but since my drive is running in IDE mode, I have no clue what to do.

 

Pal, if its sata, its sata, that means one drive per cable, normally a mobo has 4 sata connectors, thus 4 sata drives, the sata drives does not have ANY option to set master/slave, so, don't worry about that, and if you say your config options are these

• IDE
  
• AHCI
  
• RAID
  

and only those, then IDE is the default sata working mode for your mobo

now to clarify AHCI is somewhat similar to USB, technically it's called HOTPLUG but you need a hotplug cappable PSU and... it has not much use in a normal enviroment.

 

Lastly, to answer your question, yes, you pretty much plug and play.

 

PD: if it's a brand new HD, don't forget to format it XD

[TheTerminator2004]

To install a new HD, all you need to do is plug it in, turn on your PC, and it should appear in Windows as drive E: (or whatever letter happens to be free). You need to format it, which is easy enough, then youre done. Don't worry about the IDE/AHCI/RAID thing, just leave it as it is.

[billypnats]

YAY!!! Thanks! I just needed a simple answer for a simple mind >.<

 

Happy holidays y'all, eat moar :D