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    Installing OS with 2 HD's, but why is it booting from non windows HD?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by tornbacchus, Mar 29, 2009.

  1. tornbacchus

    tornbacchus GO leafs.. Wait, Nevermid

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    ok well i have an old computer i need to set back to factory defaults. it came with 1 HD and i added in another.

    the main OS is on the bigger HD, and i added in a smaller on (about 160gb)

    now since the OS is on the bigger drive, just to be safe i unplugged the smaller HD from inside the computer. for some reason I cant boot up when i unplug the HD with no windows files or OS on it. just to make sure, i plugged that one in and unplugged the other one. the OS got to the windows loading screen then just crashed because there are no windows files.

    so im just wondering why the computer needs to boot up with one HD with no drivers or windows components, then switch over to the real HD with windows components.

    also, the boot selection menu only shows the non windows HD to pick from, so i dont actually have a choice of which HD to boot up with

    thanks
     
    tornbacchus, Mar 29, 2009
    #1
  2. merlin_72032

    merlin_72032 Notebook Evangelist

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    You have to look at your hard drive jumper. I assume that you have PATA hard drive.
     
    merlin_72032, Mar 29, 2009
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  3. Shyster1

    Shyster1 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Sounds like you've got a messed up system, inasmuch as it sounds like you somehow managed to get your basic bootloader stuck on one drive, and the rest of the OS itself on the other drive.

    When you look at the drives in the disk management applet, which drive shows up as containing the "active" or "system" partition?

    Also, just so we know what we're dealing with, what's the make and model of the computer in question?
     
    Shyster1, Mar 29, 2009
    #3