[Solved] Can I use two hdds to dual boot a PC?

[joddle]

I have some Dell 755s which I have recently updated to W7 32 bit. All are working fine apart from I find some of my most needed software won't run under W7 so I am considering making two machines dual boot for XP and W7 so I can still use the old software fir the time being.

 

On one of the machines I have fitted a new HDD to install W7 buit I still have the old drive with XP intact. As I have room for two HDDs in the machine can I simply use these two drives and create a dual boot machine - and if so how?

[KenB]

Hi

 

If the versions of XP and Win 7 have BOTH been installed with the respective hard drives in the same machine then this is possible.

But maybe not the way you would like. ( explain later )

I have done this using a separate partition on the hard drive but not using two different hard drives ....so it will be a learning curve for both of us.

 

If XP or Win 7 were not installed in this system then they will not boot up anyway.

 

Is Win 7 installed yet ?

 

If not - do not install it yet .... further advice needed.

I am thinking that the way you will have to do this is to select the drive to boot from from the BIOS

At the moment I cannot see a way to have a choice pop up in the same manner that you could if you dual booted using partitions.

[DSTM]

I agree, Ken. Best to have both OS partitioned on one hard Drive.

Then you have an option on Boot.

Save a lot of headaches.

[joddle]

Many thanks to the above two people - the situation is that W7 is now installed and activated on a brand new disk in the machine - but that disk is pretty large so can easily be partitioned for two operating systems. Its just that the old HDD wass in use in that machine until earlier today so is already is set up for XP on the machine with all the drivers etc. Its how to effect a dual boot that I'm new to and so will require some hand holding for that part.

[Starbuck]

A few years ago i set up a triple boot with:

Win 2000 + Win XP on one HDD

Win Vista on second HDD.

 

Never had a problem with selecting the OS from the boot menu.

It was set up using the same procedure as a multi boot on one disc.

 

These may help:

How to Dual Boot With Two Hard Drives

 

Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

Option 1, step 3.

 

Obviously a lot easier to install the oldest OS first.

[DSTM]

Hi again. For the dual boot option to work the earlier OS has to be installed first on the partitioned hard drive otherwise there won't be a boot option showing.

Don't worry this is easily overcome by using a program called "EasyBCD"

Ask any questions, we are happy to help you.

 

EDIT. Sorry Starbuck we posted at the same time.

[KenB]

Thanks DSTM :)

 

OK - the way I see it.....

 

You now have 2 hard drives - each with a different Operating System on.

 

Presumably when you switch the machine on it will automatically boot up from one of the hard drives .... lets say XP.

If you don't get an option to select the Win7 Operating System.......

 

With 2 hard drives you have to select the drive to boot from in the BIOS.

To access the BIOS it should be F2 key.

Switch on and constantly tap the F2 key about once per second

 

Once in the BIOS you are looking for the Boot Order / Boot Sequence or similar ( the BIOS is different on different systems )

You should see both hard drives - it may mention the drive by make

The drive that is first in the Boot Order will be the one that it boots off.

 

It may be that the DVD CDROM is first in the boot order.

This is normal - you can leave this and the hard drive to boot from will be next.

 

This is why I said earlier "But maybe not the way you would like"

Does this work for you ?

 

===============

EDIT:

 

Thanks Starbuck - you posted 5 mins before I did ....

 

I had seen those tutorials and I didn't think they were clear.

It assumes that the BIOS will "see" the two Operating Systems ...... I couldn't see how it would do this.

( always willing to learn :) )

With a Dual Boot system using a partition the Boot.ini file is altered to provide the choice.

This obviously is not an option with a separate hard drive ......hence my conclusion re. opting from the BIOS Boot Order.

 

Lets see what happens when joddle tries to boot up with the 2 drives connected.

[Starbuck]

EDIT. Sorry Starbuck we posted at the same time.

No problem :)

was coming back to edit my post!!

 

Just wanted to add that it's easy to dual boot from 2 HDDs if the Os are being added fresh.

If the OS already exists on the HDDs and then they are added to the machine...... not sure on that one.

[DSTM]

If the OS's that already exist on the HDD's have the same motherboard then Windows will boot from it.

Different Motherboards Windows will not boot.

[Plastic Nev]

I seem to remember that in the case of two drives with an operating system on each, some BIOS systems actually ask you which to boot from on start up, Joddle just might be lucky and get that come up on screen at start up. Providing the motherboard if SATA, or the big wide data cable if IDE, will accept two hard drives, it is not likely to do any harm trying it out.

 

Nev.

[joddle]

The bios was not able to determine two bootable disks - worth trying though so thanks.

[KenB]

The other alternative is to put Win 7 on a partition on the XP hard drive.

You could Dual Boot using this method.

( assuming you have enough space )

 

You should STILL be able to use the Boot Order in the BIOS to select the Operating System Manually.

Did you check this out ?

[joddle]

Wow so much help - many thanks.

 

To clarify - I do in fact have two HDDs - each one was the primary drive on the same machine but one was loaded with XP (ie the older drivce) and the new one loaded with W7 - so each can exist on its own and will run if loaded into the same place in the drive bay of the PC concerned.

 

I have been looking at options and it seems perhaps I should consider setting up a virtual machine rather than dual boot but have never doen this before so would be a first time thing.

 

ALso looking at the programme mentiones before (EasyBCD) and thought perhaps it may be able to produce a loader which would identify each hard disk if I choose to keep the two disks intact! Any views on that?

[joddle]

To add to the above post - I have now trues putting the XP disk on the second sata port and if I use setup to boot from that disk it boots to XP just fine. Its a bit of a bind having to do that so an option to load one or the other disks from an option on screen would be a whole lot better.

[joddle]

Well I have now answered my own question - using two drives and using easyBCD I now have a machine which gives an option to boot to W7 or XP and both options work fine. But thanks to all you guys for sharing your thoughts which gave me confidnce to give it a go.

[KenB]

That is good news.

 

Could you explain ( briefly ) what you did as this could help others. :)

[joddle]

That is good news. - Could you explain ( briefly ) what you did as this could help others. :)

 

Sure -

 

1 -- First I had my hard disk from the machine with which I have been running XP from for several years. I left everything on the HDD so its completely up to date when running XP.

 

2 ---I then took the HDD out of the machine and installed a new higher capacity disk in its place.

 

3-- I then installed Widows 7 onto the new disk then activated it and waited for the system to update itself.

 

4 -- I then installed the old drive back into the machine but connected to the SATA 2 connector leaving the W7 disk alone on SATA 0.

 

5 -- I then ran EasyBCD and set it to regard W7 as the default (on drive C) and auto look for another drive with XP.

 

6 -- It found the old drive (which is now drive E) and then created a new header with options to load either of the operating systems

 

7 -- FInally, as I will want W7 most of the time I set it to auto start in W7 after 5 seconds.

 

That's it really - it was so easy I wondered if it would really work - but it did.... and still does.

[KenB]

Thanks for the update joddle - no doubt others will find this useful :)