2nd HD Installed, How to access???

I installed my old 60GB Seagate 5400 Sata II from my PS3 since it was laying around. Device manger shows it but when I open My Computer there is no icon. Do I need to create a shortcut or something like that? Thanks in advance!!!

 

right click my computer

select manage

from there, click on disk mgmt

then you will see the 2nd hard drive.

from there, right click it and you haev to create a new partition - make it the entire size of the drive. just note that this will delete everything on that drive.

then format it and assign it a drive letter - all done from disk mgmt.

hth.

ps --

i did this the other day when i installed another 320gb hard drive into my dv7t :-D

 

Do I do a MBR(Master Boot Record) or GPT(GUID Partition Table)? I'm sitting here looking at the screen.

 

For normal using like copying files and things u dnt need MBR.Just format it and it will appear in My computer.

 

MBR or GPT are my only options. It wants me to "intialize disk" before Logical Disk Manager can access it".

 

gpt - dont do mbr.

then walk right through the onscreen prompts. when you are at the window to label the partition, select 'perform a quick format' and after like 10 seconds, you'll be set.

i believe i initialized first - like you're doing - then i created a partition.

 

I did mbr. I then went to simple volume etc... Is this bad?

 

i dont think so but i am not sure. mbr is if you want to boot off that drive. i dont think anything bad happens. so you're set.

 

Can I change it? Windows help said that it is possible but doesn't explain how to! Thanks Microsoft!!!!!

 

LOL. you can maybe delete the partition and try it again. im not sure. but i believe you are fine as is.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/GPT_FAQ.mspx

peep #18... remotely related to your setup but, again, nothing to worry about.

 

Well I was just doing this to learn how to do everything right. I'm purchasing a 320GB Seagate or WD and will make that one a GPT. Thanks for all the help!!!

P.S. I have a 5400rpm 320gb right now. If I buy 7200 rpm 320gb hd can i switch them over and make the slower drive my back up?

 

yeah you can but you're going to need some sort of imaging software that will take an image of your 320gb 5400rpm hard drive and bring that image onto a 320gb 7200rpm hard drive. but to be safe i would make a backup of the 1st drive tho, maybe onto a different drive...

just remember that it's not a simple file copy - like copying the contents of one drive to another. anway, once you're there, im sure one of us will help you get it working.

having more than half a terabyte of storage on a laptop makes my gaze in awe at this thing ;-D

 

Hell yeah!!! I also have a usb external 160gb WD hard drive I can use to make the transfer. I have the vista ultimate 64bit recovery cd's. Can I use those DVDs to do a full recovery on the new drive?

 

Yes you can, but be sure to remove your 1st harddrive

 

So take out the original hard drive and put in the ???formatted(MBR partition)??? 7200rpm drive and turn the computer on and insert the disk? Is it really that easy?

 

Sure is that easy.

 

Yeah its that easy lol.
The reason why I suggested you take out the 1st drive is because the Recovery DVDs rewrite/reimage the 1st drive (meaning it will erase all your data all your saved files and etc)
Your harddrive will be restored to the state in which it came from the factory

 

If this works. I'm buying beers for everybody in here!!!! AMEN!!!! I can go from Home Premium 64 Bit to Ultimate 64 Bit by putting in a new hard drive and sarting the computer with the recorvery dvds!!!! Sick!!! Will I have to install the drive first and make the partition MBR/formatted? Or just stick in the new drive and go? I just want to make sure that I do this correctly.

 

well - when you put in the new drive (and make sure that only the new drive is in the system) then you can go through installation by using the recovery disks.

once your OS is up and running, you can install the 2nd hard disk. that's it. when you are using the recovery disks to install the OS on the new drive, i dont think you have to go through the format/ create new partition steps. the recovery dvd's should take care of that.

but like everyone and myself have been saying - just make sure you have backups of your important data, etc.

 

Yup just stick the drive and go, the DVD will take care of that.

But hey, you dont even have to change new hard drives everytime you want to switch OSes....

After installing Vista Ultimate in your 2nd hard drive, take it out and put it the 1st hard drive.
Then you can modify the bootrecord (I dont know the name for it in Vista, but there are guides around. I can help you on that if you need me (or us) to..) to include both harddrives and their Vistas as part of boot process.

That way, you can dual-boot Vista Home OEM and Vista Ultimate OEM without switching hard drives.



But for now just get the 2nd hard drive working with Vista and go back to 1st hard drive (with 2nd hard drive removed)

 

BACK UP is my middle name right now! Already have back ups made.

Thanks man! I'm taking baby steps at the moment.

 

Thats the way to do it! Its good that you are trying to understand everything before actually trying it.