Hot Swap Bays Question

I have a question about using the hot swap bays on my HAF X case. I have windows 7 pro installed on this computer right now. I have not used windows 8 at all. I need to at least learn to new windows 8 OS and would like to do it with the same system without setting up a dual boot system. Right now the hot swap bays are not being used for anything. Does anyone see a problem with connecting the sata cable from the hot swap bay to sata 1 on the motherboard and having two separate operating systems on two separate drives , but only one in the system at a time. In other words if I was working on my windows 7 os and wanted to play around with the windows 8 os , I would just shut off the computer remove the drive with windows 7 from the hot swap bay and replace it with the drive the has windows 8 on it and reboot. I know this is not what they call a hot swap but basically just a swap. I am just looking for a easy way to use the same system for two different os's without having to set up a dual boot or having to open the case a change out the drives that way.

Sounds like it would work, sure. You can just leave them in the system and change boot order.

I've been doing the same thing since win 8 was released.

Thank You All, I thought it should work. I will try the boot order change. Just a couple more steps but it might avoid the risk of damage to the drives if both are left in the system. Would the drive letter for the second drive have to be different when I format the windows 8 drive? If is was different would that cause a problem with installing programs that normally would default to the c drive to install.

They should both be c: as they are being installed independently of each other.

Yes. But if you*want* them to be different inside every OS on a multi boot. (This has nothing to do with what you are doing, but: )

If anyone is wondering how to have Windows 8 installed under a displayed drive letter other than C, it took me a while but I figured it out:

Unlike previous versions of Windows, you may *not* select a custom drive letter for Windows 8. It always sets drive letter C: to the partition where it is installed, regardless of where you install it from.

I took that as a challenge and this is how I worked around it:
To select a drive letter for Windows 8, other than C:
1. From previous version of Windows installed on another partition, set the drive letter of the empty partition where you want to install Windows 8, for example drive letter W.
2. Stay inside the previous version of Windows and from there first install onto drive letter W either Windows Vista or Windows 7.

Now reboot into drive letter W: and from there start Windows 8 installation which will then preserve all existing drive letters including its own drive letter W and will rename existing Windows folder to Windows.old and install to \Windows folder on the same drive letter as the current Windows installation.

[If you upgraded] To free up a considerable amount of disk space, including removing Windows.old folder: Hover mouse over top right corner > Search icon > click on Settings > type this in the search box:
clean > Click on Free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files > Select the system drive > OK > Click on Clean up system files button > Select the system drive > OK > CHECK: Previous Windows installation(s) and scroll down and CHECK: Temporary Windows installation files > OK > Delete Files

I do not think that this work.
windows sees the hot swap bays the same as external drives and will not install to them.

I guess if I understand this right. With windows 7 installed on the ssd I have in the system right now ( Formatted to c drive ), I will remove that disk and install my empty ssd into the system ( format to c drive ) and install windows 8 to that drive. Once I have Windows 8 installed completely. I will remove that disk from the system and place it in the hot swap bay. Put the Windows 7 ssd back in the system and connect it to sata 1 on the motherboard. I would then connect the hot swap bay with the Windows 8 installed to sata 2 on the motherboard. Then I will only have to change the boot order to which OS I want to use. I assume you will be able to boot from the hot swap bay.
Thanks
jshake