Installing Windows on a disk already in use.

[slipd]

Hey guys,

Would it be safe to install a fresh build of Windows (XP Pro) on a hard drive that already has loads of stuff on it, but that isn’t full?

I’m upgrading my mates PC atm, and I want to swap his drives around – he has a 300 GB with about 100 GB of mp3, photo’s, movies etc that I haven’t got the space to hold for him it I were to format it and start from a fresh. So is it possible to just install Windows around it, I can’t see why a new directory C:\WINDOWS would hurt his other stuff, but because I’ve never done this way before, I thought I’d check first

All his stuff is organised in folders etc.

Traditionally, I’ve always installed Windows on a formatted drive…

Cheers

SW.

 

[slipd]

As long as you choose to leave the file system intact it should be fine.

You may want to make that drive the master when you install, else you end up with your Windows installation being on say D:\ and you can't change it.

Thanks.

Yeah, when I'm installing, it'll be the only HD present.

Can I ask, have you ever tried this kind of thing before then?

Cheers,

SW.

 

[slipd]

Yeah, I would have thought partitioning a already formatted drive was more dangerous

Windows won't be overwriting anything will it?

Aww, I don't know what to do now!

I think I’ll sleep on it

SW.

 

[slipd]

bledd. and marc2003 - can I quote you both if everything goes wrong

I've had a word with him and he's not 'that' worried anyway, he'd prefer not to loose anything, but it's not the end of the world.

I think I'll give it a go then

SW.