I could probably figure this out in a couple of days but thought I’d ask the board.
I have a drive from another computer I want to plug into my DAW. This drive has XP I want to start using. What is the best way to set up the new hard drive for use? Would I just plug it in and choose it on start up or does Vista have tools for utilizing other drives with op sys’s on them?
doink
Why Are Truckers Like Dogs? They p on tires, chase cars, live in a box, and once in a while get to bury the bone. Why do they care about extra drives?
Hey, I suppose you could have two different operating systems on two different drives. But weired.
Its a good practice but not with two os IMO
I started to remove it but this might give you a clue. It pertained to running two operating systems with one hard drive using partitions. So I guess you could much easier with two hard drives. Here is what he said anyway.
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
You have an alternative option rather than splitting your hard disk drive up, since this will erase all of your data permanently.
Right now, you could download Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 and install a second operating system so that they both run at the same time on the same computer. Read further down for more information. This is a much less-intrusive way to do this rather than to erase your system completely.
One way to install two operating systems would be to partition your computer in to two seperate partitions. Again, this will cause complete loss of all your data, programs, settings, emails, and everything on your computer.
If you only have one hard drive that you are using to do this, then you are going to have to re-partition your Hard Disk Drive (HDD) in to multiple partitions based on how many different operating systems you want to have access to at boot up.
Install Windows XP on one partition. You always install the older Operating System (OS) first. Get it up and running properly.
Then when you are at the Windows XP desktop, simply insert the Windows Vista DVD and run setup.
When Vista is installing, it will ask you where to install it to. Just select another partition to install it to. Setup will complete without intervention on your part, basically. It will automatically create the dual-boot menu options for when you first start.
If you want to both Operating Systems (OS) running at the same time together, follow the remaing instructions here.
You can install Microsoft Virtual PC from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/product… or http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloa… or search for Microsoft Virtual PC 2007.
Install Virtual PC and create as many different OS’s that you want, with specific configurations possible for each one. Now you can have a bunch of OS’s running all at the same time, all on one computer.
Figuring out how to use Virtual PC is a little challenging at first, but it can be done.
Hope this helps.
1 year ago
I have no interest in running them at the same time. Just want to choose between Vista and XP on the same machine on two different drives. I will read all the info though Levi Truck Bucker.
That’s what I was gonna say -
You saying you just want to attach the the XP-1 disk to the VISTA system?
You want to keep what’s on there? The OS? The data?
Doesn’t seem like it should be a problem. VISTA should read/write the XP-1 disk.
Nope - I want to turn on my computer and choose which disk I want to work with before either one starts - Vista disk drive or XP. I would think this would just be in the setup before the computer reads either drive. Just one box with two distinct disks each with it’s own op sys. It would be easiest done by simply plugging the drive I want to work on in and using it I guess. I would have thought that someone would have wanted this before I have.
seems like you would need a 3rd os to use to make that choice. 
How about a dos command? Where is bubba or deadmun when you need um?
I’ll just leave my case open and plug the one I want to use in. Or make a handy dandy Frankenstein throw switch.
Yeh - this has been discussed here before. There is a thread with links on how to do the Franky switch.
lol looks like the two guys who have been running my life.
WAit! Isn’t that guy saying no no no, dubious? 
If that's Pkw and Levi? Whos the poor slob on the table?
Is that dubious? wow and he nick'named himself deadmun, I'm not goin there. lol
Hey, hear that Huge sucking sound? Thats the trucking industry.
Hey Poppa. You helped me out enough, I guess it’s time to attempt to return the favour!
If you have a fairly new PC, you should be able to hit F8 or F12 as the PC’s starting up, to get into a boot menu, where you can choose which hard drive you want to boot from. Just choose whichever one you want, and the OS that is installed on that particular drive will (or at least should!) start up.
If you feel I can help more, feel free to PM me.
Later!
I thought there was an easy way dazzi_g - It will save me some time that way. I dont have to pin it as a slave you think? Should stay as a master drive? That was one of my concerns.
thanx!
Quote: (Poppa Willis @ Mar. 09 2009, 10:23 AM)
I thought there was an easy way dazzi_g - It will save me some time that way. I dont have to pin it as a slave you think? Should stay as a master drive? That was one of my concerns.
thanx!
That shouldn't matter Poppa.
Make life easy on yourself and use THIS UTILITY. It's 10 bucks. There may be a freebie out there if you Google around. In XP you can do it by editing the BOOT.ini file. The problem is, that is a serious pain in the butt. I dunno about Vista so I'd recommend a utility like the link above.
Just make sure the XP drive is "seen" by the system and then use that utility to make Vista see 'em both and give you a boot menu at startup time.
It's easy in XP with two separate bootable partitions on the same drive. I haven't tried using two separate drives myself though. The setup should be similar I would think.
D
Hey Poppa
If they’re both SATA, I don’t think (but I’m willing to be corrected) that you need to worry about jumper settings. In your PC’s BIOS you’ll be able to set the drive you want it to boot from by default, so that if you don’t press F8 or F12, it’ll go straight to your default drive and OS.
If the drives are IDE, one will still need to be the master and one the slave if they are both on the same IDE cable. If you have the new XP drive on a separate IDE channel from the main hard drive (which is the best configuration, performance-wise), then depending on whther or not you also have a CD or DVD drive on that channel, you’ll still need to make the XP drive master or slave.
It’s a lot less complicated than I made it sound there I think!
Regards, Daz
Ah yes, VistaBootPro! I should have thought of that too. I’ve used it myself. It used to be freeware up until very recently, as I last used it just before Xmas, and it was free then. I was surprised to see they’ve started charging for it.