Help with Hard Drive Configuration

billybob89 · 8 Dec 2010 at 16:21

Currently my Western Digital Clavier Blue has my Vista 32 installed on it. However my Vista 32 is playing up and I want to reinstall it on a brand new hard drive and start from scratch.

My plan was to buy a Western Digital Clavier Black and install it into the computer (I have one of those Isotope systems) and take out the WD Blue (with the OS still installed on it). On the WD black install a clean Vista and start from scratch.

For my WD Blue I want to get a hard drive enclosure and access the data on it, with the OS still installed on it.

So my setup would be:
WD Black - Primary HD (boot) (internal)
WD Blue - Secondary (Access data only)(external)

The problem I have is, can I still access the data on my WD Blue with this setup? IF I uninstall the OS from the WD Blue I would lose all the data correct? So can I still access the data and transfer it from one to another from the WD Blue with the OS still on there, as an external hard drive?

Thanks

billybob89 · 9 Dec 2010 at 13:33

Any help or advice?

Thanks.

thepeganator · 9 Dec 2010 at 13:37

Install on the black drive with the blue drive out of the system, when this is done plug in the blue drive as a secondary drive, and just delete windows and program files etc from it using explorer. Easiest way.
If if you want to do it properly, transfer what you want to save onto the black drive after installing Windows, then format the blue drive, then transfer it back to the blue drive.

I would avoid using an external drive too much, performance will suffer, plug it in properly.

SniperDude · 9 Dec 2010 at 13:42

this is what I would do personally

unplug the blue (saves messing )

install windows on the black.

plug in the blue and save all the data you want to keep to a folder on the black music pictures films yada yada yada

format the blue wiping it clean of everything then transfer all the stuff you you just saved back from the black to the clean blue

"you can NOT save installed programs they must be reinstalled on the new drive"

EDIT would deffo go with thepeganator and plug the drive in properly

billybob89 · 9 Dec 2010 at 20:29

Cheers for the advice. Only problem I have is mounting two HDD's in my case. Its an Isotope system (X-Shaped). And there is only mounting for one HDD.

However I do have esata ports would that be better, just to use those than to buy specialised mounting?

thepeganator · 9 Dec 2010 at 20:34

billybob89 said:
Cheers for the advice. Only problem I have is mounting two HDD's in my case. Its an Isotope system (X-Shaped). And there is only mounting for one HDD.

However I do have esata ports would that be better, just to use those than to buy specialised mounting?

Nowhere to mount it loosely?

billybob89 · 9 Dec 2010 at 20:41

Most Probably it can, but the current hard drive kind of hangs in the bottom using mounts. I'm not sure if having it loose would affect the system due touching the metal isotope case.

I thought esata is kind of on par with sata speeds anyway?