Pulling Factory WinXP MCE 2005 HD and Replacing It With New Harddrive

Question

Here is what I want to do. Please tell me if there is a problem.

I recently bought a new 250GB SATA2 HD with Right Angle SATA Cable to install in my new XPS410. I do not want a Raid setup, just two separate drives with the original operating system on one and Windows Vista Home Premium on the other.

Can I pull the original Harddrive out, install the new unformatted Hardrive in its place, disable Raid Autodetect in the Bios, format the new drive, install Vista, then add the original harddrive, and have two operatinig systems on two separate drives in a Non-RAID configuration like this?

Kim Phillips

gdwrnch3 · Answer

Yes you can. Just add your second hard drive, do a quick format on it with disk manager in XP, then put your Vista disk in, reboot, in to boot menu, boot from cd rom, and when vista asks where to install, select your second drive. You will wind up with a dual boot system.

Nanoq · Answer

Then all I have to do is re-install the WinXP MCE2005 Hard drive? Kim

Uncle Ripper · Answer

You don't need to take the original HD out.  Just put the new one in and format it. Then put Vista cd in and boot from cd then install on second HD.

Nanoq · Answer

Thanks Kim

Uncle Ripper · Answer

BTW:  After you install the second drive you have to go into the BIOS and turn on the sata port for the drive (the one you plugged into).  The ports are numbered on the mother board but hard to see, use a flashlight.

Storage, Drives & Media

Pulling Factory WinXP MCE 2005 HD and Replacing It With New Harddrive

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