how do you configure 2 harddrives in a computer?

Answer 1

if you have two hard drives then u can connect them as u like, the computer wil detect them any way. two types of connection exists, old computers have IDE bus with flat cable and new computers come with SATA bus with round cable, first find out what ur computer has, on an IDE bus u can connect 2 device, best way is to make one hard drive primary master on the first IDE bus (every computer has two IDE bus), put the second hard drive as secondry master on 2nd IDE bus, u wil need two IDE cable for this configuration, put ur other device like CD drive on any cable as slave device.
device can be made master or slave using configuring pins at the back of each device, or from the bios.

Both hard disk can be hooked up on a single IDE cable, one as master other as slave but it makes them slow, as both cannot transfer data at the same time over the IDE cable, so putting them on two diffrent IDE cables makes them faster, both can tranfer data at the same time. (you wil need the second IDE cable any way if u have any other device like CD drive which u want to connect)

assuming that u had your operating system on the first hard drive, your computer wil detect the second hard drive when you boot into your operating system, if it is new hard disk u wil have to format it befor u can start using it, use control panel/administrative tools/computer management/disk management to format new hard drive or make partitions on it.
hope it helps
thx

Answer 2

Your "C:\" drive is your main drive, it is where the operating system lives. Therefore, it is the "Master", and that is how you should set the jumper on it. The second HDD will be the "Slave" drive, and that is the way that the jumper on that drive should be set. The 2 drives are hooked in tandem on the same IDE ribbon cable. To format the second HDD, right tic on "My Computer" and select "Manage". In the next window, tic on "Disc Management". Then in the right pane look for a new drive letter, like "G" and right tic on it. Select "Format". After the process is complete, the new second hard drive is ready to use.

Answer 3

Make sure they are formatted. Or reformat it into 2 harddrives folders. Use your cd that came with your harddrive.

Answer 4

in the BIOS or CMOS, or setup before windows starts

normally it's automatic, but in old computers, you have to help it out a bit