Storage Upgrading PC but want to keep existing SATA HD as a second drive in the new setup

Hi guys,

I'm attempting my first upgrade, hopefully tomorrow, so need a bit of advice! I'm getting a new hard-drive, which I'll put a fresh Windows 7-64bit installation on, but I would like to know if it's going to be possible to have my old hard-drive as a second drive? I want to avoid having to transfer all my files across if possible!

Is this going to be a problem? They're both SATA drives, and my Windows 7 copy is on the old drive. I know I probably won't be able to run programs from the old drive, but can I at least transfer files from one to the other?

Many thanks,
Daniel

PS - Have tried searching the internet, but most of the guides have seen are from Windows 98 days and IDE-drives!

 

I did something similar. I added an SSD with Windows 7 to my PC that was running an XP HDD. Installs just fine, and I can access the second drive with no problem. The bootmanager asks what version of Windows to load, so you should be fine.

 

^I don't think he wants to dual-boot, but even if he doesn't that'll most likely happen unless he gets rid of the old OS in advance.

 

Your old drive will work as normal as a secondary drive. You will be able to access all the info on it as normal. And some programs or games may even run from it. Some will require a reinstall. Try them out and see what works and what doesn't (all drivers will need a fresh install). If the ONLY change is a new hard disc then you should be able to use the old disc in a dual boot setup. Meaning you will be able to boot to either.

 

Cool,

Well it's not my intention to dual-boot first off, as I've got Windows 7 upgrade on the old, and I'll have a fresh install on the new. Once I've got everything transferred from old to new, I wonder if it'll be worth my while at a later date to make the old drive an XP system....?

No, I'm changing Motherboard and Processor, memory and PSU. Will that make a difference?

Thanks for the replies so far!

 

Well you're going to anyways if you don't get rid of your old OS.

It would only matter if your old license was OEM Win7, in which case it would no longer activate.

 

Thanks DragunovHun,

Nope, it's a full version Windows 7, not OEM.

Is there any disadvantage in having a dual-boot system then? Two separate Windows set-ups using two separate drives? Assuming I do nothing at all with the old drive, and then when I set-up the new rig I choose the new hard-drive to install a fresh windows 7 on, and keep choosing to only boot that one, I'll still be able to get all my stuff from the old drive, and copy/paste off the old drive on to the new?

Cheers!

 

The only drawback should be that you'll be asked to choose which OS you want to start every. single. time.

 

It should default to the newest install. But failing that you will have to likely enter the bios and tell it which HD to boot from first.

 

It should highlight that selection by default but it will still ask you. And boot device priority does not change that in the case of Win7's bootloader if i recall correctly.

 

I can't remember the tool I used, but mine has a 0 second timer on the boot manager. In order words, no time at all. So Windows 7 auto loads. If I need to access my XP install, I just bump the time back up for 30 seconds.