Formatting

Sinque · 4 Jan 2007 at 21:22

I was waiting until I received my new harddrive, thanks to OcUK

, before I formatted my computer finally. I'm wanting to format without losing all my main files, such as pictures and music etc. I don't mind about installed games and programs. I was wondering if it's possibly to just fill my current HardDrive up with all my information, format my new hard drive and install Windows. Then possibly copy all my files over and delete the old windows install folder? Or would it stop me from removing it?

Any ideas or suggestions on this as it's my first time with two hard drives

Cheers, Sinque.

1337z0r · 4 Jan 2007 at 21:42

If your saying you want to copy windows over to that hard drive i dont think it will work. Copying any other files will work fine.

Sinque · 4 Jan 2007 at 21:43

No I mean re-install Windows. Like totally new windows but keep my music and picture files etc. I'd need to re-install drivers etc again.

Edit: Hmm, i've just thought. Couldn't I just format the HD with the old windows on? :rolleyes:

BillytheImpaler · 4 Jan 2007 at 21:43

1337z0r said:
If your saying you want to copy windows over to that hard drive i dont think it will work. Copying any other files will work fine.

Nah, I htink he means to install on the new HD then install the old one and copy files over from it. That would work.

Sinque · 4 Jan 2007 at 21:44

BillytheImpaler said:
Nah, I htink he means to install on the new HD then install the old one and copy files over from it. That would work.

So nothing would conflict as there are two windows present? Would I be asked to choose which to use?

BillytheImpaler · 4 Jan 2007 at 21:48

Sinque said:
So nothing would conflict as there are two windows present? Would I be asked to choose which to use?

It would boot the one in the MBR, the new installation. It wouldn't care at all about the old installation.

Sinque · 4 Jan 2007 at 21:55

BillytheImpaler said:
It would boot the one in the MBR, the new installation. It wouldn't care at all about the old installation.

And the latest installation would auto go into the MBR?

Just making deadly sure as I hate having troublesome installs

BillytheImpaler · 4 Jan 2007 at 21:57

Yep. I've done this several times in the past and I've never had any trouble.

Remove old hard drive
install new one
Install OS(es)
Reinstall old hard drive
use as you desire

Sinque · 4 Jan 2007 at 22:08

BillytheImpaler said:
Yep. I've done this several times in the past and I've never had any trouble.

Remove old hard drive

install new one

Install OS(es)

Reinstall old hard drive

use as you desire

Ah rightio, didn't think of taking the drive out.

I've already disked all my drivers etc so all is good. Cheer mate

Sinque · 5 Jan 2007 at 01:32

Just formatted my new drive and it has copied the install files accros on to it. But strangly, when I boot up, it says Error Loading Operating System. Maybe it's not looking for it on the harddrive? Any ideas :confused:

crashuk · 5 Jan 2007 at 02:21

Sinque said:
Just formatted my new drive and it has copied the install files accros on to it. But strangly, when I boot up, it says Error Loading Operating System. Maybe it's not looking for it on the harddrive? Any ideas

disable *** old hhd boot up new one if it loads up your find, then enable the old hhd (now you have 2 hdd) then boot machine if it still loads the old one it dont matter just transfer your files once thats done disable old hdd and re boot.

OR you can use FAST.

crashuk · 5 Jan 2007 at 02:27

Sinque said:
Just formatted my new drive and it has copied the install files accros on to it. But strangly, when I boot up, it says Error Loading Operating System. Maybe it's not looking for it on the harddrive? Any ideas

take out the old hdd re install windows on your new hdd boot up make sure it loads or
format the drive enable the new drive boot up using old drive use partition manager to create 2 or 3 partitions name A , b ,c your partitions then copy over to a partition b or c, turn off your pc disable old hdd then turn on your pc install windows on partion a, then run large drive enabler once youve installed and boot windows

ANDARIAL · 5 Jan 2007 at 10:47

is your new drive on ide0 or 1
or sata 0/1 etc?
you need to put your boot drive on the first port or tell the bios to boot from whichever port your new hdd is on

if you are using ide have you set the jumpers/cable correctly?i.e. put our new drive on the end of the cable and moved the jumper on the new hdd to master.and the jumper on the second/old drive to slave and put that on the second/middle plug on the ide cable

Sinque · 5 Jan 2007 at 15:07

This is my new drive:

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB ST3320620AS SATA-II 16MB Cache

I read something about SATA but i'm still confused as to what to do. Thank god i've got my old HD with windows still

Edit: I didn't get any disks or floppies with the drive to install it during formatting, any ideas? :confused:

I think this should be in the HardDrive section now, the topic has totally changed

Sinque · 5 Jan 2007 at 16:19

Bump

Just spent ages trying to find SATA/RAID drivers to stick on a floppy and use during windows setup. There arn't any drivers for my board on the main asus website? What am I meant to do?

ANDARIAL · 5 Jan 2007 at 16:37

which mobo?

Sinque · 5 Jan 2007 at 16:47

Asus K8N4-E

I'm shocked how difficult this is just to simply run an OS on my drive...

ANDARIAL · 5 Jan 2007 at 17:20

you are right cant see any sata drivers on any site i searched.what is the controller?silicon image etc.?maybe have a look on their site ?
maybe post this again on the mobo forum and ask some one to copy the floppy or relevant file from their mobo cd and e-mail it to you?

Sinque · 5 Jan 2007 at 17:43

ANDARIAL said:
you are right cant see any sata drivers on any site i searched.what is the controller?silicon image etc.?maybe have a look on their site ?
maybe post this again on the mobo forum and ask some one to copy the floppy or relevant file from their mobo cd and e-mail it to you?

I really don't know, i've searched through the manual in PDF format and it refers to nothing about the SATA Controller. I managed to find a driver not long ago and it's called '1006.BIN' and I can't remember what it does.

Also just realised I don't have a floppy drive and can't do anything without one... Can be easily sorted though. Is it not possible to use a USB pen or CD instead?

Entai · 5 Jan 2007 at 17:47

But you only have one hard drive so you do not need sata drivers.

Drivers to enable yur computer to acces a single sata hard drive are built into the bios, of the motherboard if it has connectors to allow use of sata drives.

Sata drivers on a floppy for use when installing an OS are only when you want to set up a raid system, for which you need a minimum of two identical hard drives.

The procedure I would follow would be this, (basically the same as has been said before with a bit more detail added)

1 take out old hard drive with windows etc on it from your computer case.
2 fit new sata hard drive to computer case using sata data and power cables or possibly a molex to sata power converter, making sure that the bios is set up correctly, and that the bios recognises the new hard drive on the first page when computer boots up.
3 install windows on new sata hard drive including all component drivers and microsoft updates and activate windows etc so that you get a full working system on the sata hard drive.
4 fit old hard drive into spare drive bay within computer case and connect to motherboard using ide cable, and molex power.
5 boot up and copy any data you want from the old drive to the new drive.

Formatting

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