Help a noob out with 2 hard drive problems plz..

[Ry]

Hello,

I just received a free Maxtor 40 GB HD from my cousin that he doesn't want anymore because is actually kinda faulty and he want a WD with bigger storage. But since it's still under warranty i think he got a replacement or repaired. When he received it back there's still a static bag sealing it and is never opened. He's not sure either...

Anyway without installing the 40GB HD my current partition is setup like this...

This is with my own Western Digital 80GB HD..
C: Windows XP - 9GB
D: Games - 15GB
E: Data - 50.4 GB

What i want to do is install a fresh copy of Windows XP on the Maxtor 40 GB. Then delete the Windows XP (9GB) on the WD 80GB HD. Then if i can somehow merge the free 9GB to my other partitions without problems?

So my question would be what's the most efficient and fastest way of accomplishing this without many hassles/problems?

1) Should i take out my own 80GB HD and put the 40GB first to test if it installs Windows XP fine? Then remove the 40GB and put back the 80GB and go about deleting my Windows XP (9 GB)?

2) Or should i just delete my Windows XP (9GB) and hopefully it won't affect my other D: and E: partition because i don't have Linux. Then plug the 40GB as primary (master) IDE and 80GB as secondary (slave) IDE and just go about installing Windows XP on the 40 GB? Or other methods?

I guess i'm making this harder and confusing than it seems, but i want the best method to do this and have each drive/partition using correct drive letters and not causing damage to other partition.

Thank you!

 

[Ry]

Also i would like to know if i create an "image" of the new Windows XP on the 40GB drive will it take longer because of the bigger size compare to my Windows XP (9GB)?

Or will it just compress the space usage used by the drive and the final image file will not have be a big size?

ty

 

[beta_mouse]

I recommend taking out the 80GB drive out and installing the 40GB drive only, as master like it would be after everything is done. Boot with an XP cd and install windows on it, then add the 80GB drive as slave. Now set your bios to boot from your 40GB drive first. Windows will now recognize the 80GB drive. Install partition magic and then delete/consolidate partitions on the old drive.

You definitely don't want to delete the windows partition on your old drive first, because in case you can't install windows on the new drive, you can always boot into windows again with your old one. And the size of the image will only depend on what you have on the drive, not on how large it is.

 

[Ry]

I recommend taking out the 80GB drive out and installing the 40GB drive only, as master like it would be after everything is done. Boot with an XP cd and install windows on it, then add the 80GB drive as slave. Now set your bios to boot from your 40GB drive first. Windows will now recognize the 80GB drive. Install partition magic and then delete/consolidate partitions on the old drive.

You definitely don't want to delete the windows partition on your old drive first, because in case you can't install windows on the new drive, you can always boot into windows again with your old one. And the size of the image will only depend on what you have on the drive, not on how large it is.

I understand clearly what you said and you answered all my questions.

Thank you! I like your method.. too bad i couldn't thought of it lol.


A few more questions:

1) I'm overclocked to 3200+ (2200 Mhz) should i revert back to my default speed of 2500+ (1.83 Mhz) before installing Windows XP? I have this overclock setup for about 6 months or more, but dont know if there are any issues installing XP at overclocked speeds.

2) For the boot device will i have to change any of it? Now i have it at...

1st boot device - HDD-0
2nd boot device - CD-ROM
3rd boot device - Floppy

If there's a new HD will i need to set the "2nd boot device" to HDD-1?

3) Since the 40GB partition is so large and if i wanted to create a partition on it. Will the drive and partition letters be arranged accordingly throughout the 40GB and 80GB?

I guess i have to reinstall all my games in the games partition anyway no matter what so they are recognized in the registry?

Thanks.

 

[beta_mouse]

1) I'm overclocked to 3200+ (2200 Mhz) should i revert back to my default speed of 2500+ (1.83 Mhz) before installing Windows XP?

You don't need to if it's been running stable.

2) For the boot device will i have to change any of it? Now i have it at...

1st boot device - HDD-0
2nd boot device - CD-ROM
3rd boot device - Floppy

After you plug in the 40 GB as master, set your boot priority to CD -> HDD-0 to boot from the Windows CD. After installing windows set it back to HDD-0 -> CD.

3) Since the 40GB partition is so large and if i wanted to create a partition on it. Will the drive and partition letters be arranged accordingly throughout the 40GB and 80GB?

If you want to partition your 40GB drive do it before connecting the 80GB as slave. You'll get C, D, ... partitions on the 40GB in order. After you connect the old drive you can assign new drive letters to those partitions.

 

[Ry]

wow i think i got it now!

thx for all the help beta_mouse