[bethnalgreen]

Windows XP Pro SP1.

I'm going to add a second hard disk to my PC, which I've done a few times before. However, this time, I want the new disk to be the bootable one, and the existing disk to become the secondary.

I know how to fit it etc, and set up drive letters/partitions, and I can quite easily copy all files from the existing drive to the new. But do I have to format the new disk first as a bootable disk so that it has a bootstrap program on it ? If so, how ?

Thanks.

JJ

 

[Elvandil]

There is no special formatting for bootability. The OS just needs to be installed on it.

If you connect your new disk as primary, for example, and leave your other disk as is except connected as secondary, and then install XP on the primary, you will simply have a dual-boot option at startup.

However, if you want your new disk to be "C:", you will need to install it without the other disk connected. Otherwise, it will be designated by a new, unused letter.

After installation, connect your second drive and change its drive letter. You will not have a dual boot system in this case since the setup of the OS on the new disk will not have detected the second OS during installation.

 

[bethnalgreen]

Thanks for the response. Can I proceed as follows:

1) Install new disk as slave, D: drive.

2) Copy everything from existing disk C: to D:

3) Shutdown, set old disk to slave, and new disk to master

4) Reboot from new disk (now C

5) Delete everything from old disk

Will that work ?

Thanks.

JJ