I have 2 Hard drives, How do I use both?

Question

I have 2 hard drives and 1 machine.
I want to have 1 HD for gaming and the other for Storage.
Is this possible? The other HD is from my old computer.

How do i install my old HD in my computer so that i can use them both? Do I connect the wires connected to my default HD with the old one? Would it try to load 2 HD's at the same time and cause problems?

Thanks!

Answer 1

It's possible, but the hard drives have to be compatible with your computer. If they're both older drives, and the computer's pretty old, then it'll probably work, since they'd be IDE drives. In that case, there oughta be a cable inside the computer that currently goes to your hard drive, and then a free cable that comes out of that cable going to your hard drive. There should also be some four-prong plugs about 3/4" wide...those are for power. Plug the free cable into the other hard drive and plug a power thing into the hard drive...should work pretty easily.

There's several possible problems that could crop up. The most likely problem is that the computer needs to know which drive is the primary ("master") and the secondary ("slave") drive, and on older drives, it's a manual, physical setting on the drive itself, and it wouldn't be cost or time-effective to bother messing around to figure out the right setting to make it work.

The easiest way around it is to get one of those cheap USB adapter kits...but then, those probably cost twice as much as your old hard drive is worth.

Answer 2

You need to read some articles on the net about installing second hard drives.

First, it's a very good idea to have two hard drives on your system, but not for what you are talking about. There's no advantage to devoting a single hard drive simply for games. It won't make the games more stable, it won't make them run faster.

Simply put, this is only where the games are stored on your computer, not where they are played from.

What you should do is have a smaller drive for your OS (operating system) and your program files. Since this is the drive that your computer will boot from, this is called the boot drive. Then after this you want to take the larger drive to keep all your stuff on, including games.

I'm not going to write a book here, and as well, all of this stuff have been written about in articles on the internet.

However...

If your computer is more than a year old, or so, you will have on your motherboard, what are called IDE channels. There will be four of them, but you will only see two places on the board to plug the ribbon cables or rounded cables.

You can tell if your hard drives are IDE drives if your cable has a plug in the end, and at the middle of the cable. Each cable can have two drives plugged into it, then it plugs into your mother board.

You have to look at a diagram of your motherboard to find out, but you will see to identical ports, maybe two inches long and maybe a half-inch wide. Maybe they are even color coded, as they may be blue and white or red and white. Either way one will be your primary channel, and the other will be your secondary channel.

What you need to know here is that the primary channel will hold your "C" and "D" drives, and the secondary channel will hold your "E" and "F" drives.

Now getting back to your hard drives. The drive that contains your operating system you want to set as your master drive. In the back of the drive there is a small set of three jumpers with a plastic cap.

There will be codes printied on the drive so you don't screw up. You set the plactic cap on the pins in such a way that you have it set as the master. Once that is done, you slide the drive back into the case in such a way that you can plug the drive into the end of the cable.

Then naturally, this second drive, you set the jumper to slave, and you place that in the case so you can plug that into the middle of the cable.

Then STOP!

Boot the computer up to make sure everything works okay.

At this point, the systemt should boot up fine, and when you go to "MY COMPUTER," you will see a "C" drive and you will also see a "D" drive. And these will be the two hard drives you just installed.

Now after this, shut the system back down, and you repeat the process using the cable for the secondary channel to add any CD drives or DVD drives that you have to install.

The jumper process is identical for both channels. You do the same exact thing for the optical drives as you did for the two hard drives.

Here's an article with pictures explaining what I just went over:

http://compreviews.about.com/od/tutorials/ss/DIYSecHD.htm

And also, I answered another question regarding why it's good to have two hard drives in a system. It would be a good idea for you to read my answer to that question, and I'll paste the link here:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApjPjGnFbaXiIJF_qBVcIDfsy6IX?qid=20070120125927AAizFBF&show=7#profile-info-2po4My1xaa

It's not difficult to do, even if you've never done it before, and it will be a good experience for you. You'll find that the guts of a computer really ain't that complicated!

Good Luck!

Answer 3

.
When you install 2 hds in one machine it will see the second HD as storage.

Your hard-drive1 (C: Drive) in your pc you want to use with the Operating System, Programs, and all system files. Trying to "move" these may cause problems, you don't want to deal with.

If you only want the second hard drive to act as additional storage, that's easy.
(as long as you do not desire to have a "different" operating system on it,) t
hen you will
Format the second hard drive so that it is clean of everything. No operating system, no programs or other BEFORE installation.

Inside your pc, you will notice that the hard drive ribbon has TWO plug-ins. It is made that way to accomodate a second hard drive. There should be an empty place,
without an external opening
to plant the second hard drive, screw down tightly
and then clip on the ribbon carefully, and the power supply.
You will see additional tiny plug-ins, (same size as for a floppy drive) ignore them. They are just there for extra whatevers, you'll never use.

When you boot your computer it should automatically "see" the additional hard drive, and install it.

YOU can see it too. Go to RIGHT click START >
left click EXPLORE >
scroll down the Explore tree and you will see the newer Hard drive as D: Drive.
Your CD Drive will now look like E: Drive
and other drive like CD burner, DVD, or other will be redesignated drive letter in consecutive order.

If it does NOT "see" the new drive...then go back and reverse the system ribbon plug-ins for the C: Drive and the D: Drive. They go on the SAME ribbon.

(The other ribbons are for the other CD or DVD drives.
and one other is for the Floppy Drive, if you have a floppy)

Restart your computer.
Now go back to the Explore Tree
and you can begin moving files.
You will RIGHT click a folder you want to move > drag > and drop it on the new D: Drive.

Remember, leave all the Operating System files, and programs and System files on the C: Drive alone.
Just move your stuff.

Now, one more thing:
For gaming you will want more RAM baby.
You can turn a lot of that free hard drive space (ROM)
into virtual RAM on demand by increasing the
virtual memory file to a nice fat 2 gigs, that will speed up your gaming nicely.

Here's how:
VIRTUAL MEMORY CHANGE

1. Start> RIGHT click MyComputer > Properties >
2. tab for Advanced > frame for Performance > click button Settings
3. window Performance Options >
tab Advanced > Frame for Virtual memory > click button Change >
4. window Virtual Memory > Frame Paging File >
Before changing the paging file size note the Registry size frame amount, and subtract the amount you've set aside for Maximum registry size, from the free Drive space amount.
You can set your paging file up to the difference.
Example:
Minimum 800 < no less for XP
Maximum 2800
5. click OK
6. Restart your pc

h2h

Answer 4

Your computer will boot from the hard drive that is set as "Master" on the primary IDE interface. On each hard drive, there will be a set of jumper pins on the back. You need to set these to either Master or Slave. Your PC probably has two IDE connectors on its motherboard, one primary and one secondary. Each of these connectors can support two IDE devices, one "master" and one "slave". You probably also have a CD-ROM or DVD on the IDE bus. Just make sure that your extra HDD is set to a unique setting.

If your CD/DVD is set to primary/slave, then put the extra HDD on secondary/master.

If your CD/DVD is on secondary/master, then put the extra HDD on primary/slave.

Don't disconnect the wires from the HDD in your new computer. It contains the operating system and all the correct settings. Put the old HDD somewhere else, or you'll have major problems.

The primary and secondary IDE connectors on the motherboard should be labeled as either IDE0/IDE1 or IDE1/IDE2. Additionally, your current HDD should be attatched to the primary (lower numbered) connector.

Answer 5

Most desktops have connectors for four drives. One will be the DVD. Look for the jumper settings on the old drive and set it to slave. Then just mount it in an empty spot and plug it into available hard drive and power connectors.
You can also get a USB hard drive adapter and plug the old drive into that.

Answer 6

set one for salve and the other for master.
then turn on the computer.