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Hi,
I just bought a Maxtor 200gb internal hard drive to install on my PC. I want to make it the master. I already have a Western digital hard drive which came with the computer and I want to make it the slave but it has Windows XP installed on it since it was the original hard drive. But it also has a lot of programs and files that I don't want to delete. So, if I make it the slave and install the new Maxtor as the Master and then install the operating system (Windows XP) on the Maxtor too, will the computer go crazy with two internal hard drives that both have Windows operating system installed on them?
Thanks for your help.
Angelinahttp://rants.8m.com
http://heiscoming.freeservers.com
Why not just make the new HD slave then move all your personal files (documents, pictures, music, etc) to it. It's the easiest way in the absence of your having any problem with the original HD.
i_XpUser
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Most new drives arrive with a utility that allows you to transfer (i.e. copy) a previous drive to the new one; afterwhich you run an XP fixmbr routine to enable the new one to boot up? If no such util came with your drive... you can visit the web-site for the drive and download it?
If you decide to install the new drive as Master to the old drive (set as Slave), and install XP afresh, then you can have a dual-boot XP on each drive... Apps/utils etc. on the old drive/installation will boot OK when you opt to boot to that version; but invariably you will need to re-install them afresh for the new installation.
"Occasionally" one will find a util etc. that will work from the old version within the newer.. but not very often...
When you initially install XP to the new Master drive, you will boot only to XP on the new drive; the previous installation on the now slaved drive will not be there... No worry...
To complete the dual-boot (and thus access to the original version) you can run the XP bootcfg util (from the recovery console); this will find the previous/original installation and add it to the boot.ini/menu on the new/Master drive - thus completing the dual-boot.
It might be easier/safer initially if you install the new drive as Master only (no Slave); install XP as per norm; then reset the drive as Master with Slave, and attach the Slave (original) drive. Then run the bootcfg util.
This latter approach removes the possibility of installing it to the current drive...; although during setup you can easily ensure it points the new installation to the new/Master drive.
bootcfg - how to use it:
http://www.jsifaq.com/SF/Tips/Tip.a...
There are other ways you can add the original version to the boot.ini on the new drive; but the bootcfg may be easier if you're not happy with editing boot.ini files?
Esssentially you boot up to the new version; access the Slaved drive; locate the boot.ini and entry for the XP installation there. Copy that (single) line from that boot.ini to the boot.ini on the new drive. Then change the rdisk(0) entry for that line... to rea rdisk(1). Save changes and exit. If you go this route... be "very" careful to edit/change the rdisk(0) entry to rdisk(1) for the line you copy over from the original installation (on the Slaved drive) and not the entries for the installation on the new drive...Regardless of how you achieve it, both versions will boot as c: etc... No worry here; both will work fine.
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XpUser's suggestion is the logical (and easier) option; especially as the new drive will probably be much the same performance etc. as the original drive?
But if you want to go the route I outlined above... (you do say you intially that you want the new drive as Master...?) the main benefit of it is that it gives you a dual-boot system. This besides perserving your current installation intact..., also allows you the benefit a standby installation in the event that one of the two goes awry?
Personally I'd be inclined to go XpUser's option; easier/simpler overall?
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Hi trvlr -
Belated Happy Thanksgiving :-) I guess the OP bought this new maxtor on Black Friday sale :-)
BTW I have bought a lot of new boxed HDs and I have never at one time seen it comne with a migration utility other than (in case of Maxtor) diagnostic program bundled with Google goodies. Am I missing something (regionally speaking)?
i_XpUser
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Hi XpUser... belated greetings 2 U 2...
I haven't eva had that util either; but then I usually buy white boxed - drive only - thus no usefoool things like brackets, utils etc. But a lot of pholks out there (and here...) do seem to regularly advise that full boxed kits duz come with it?
Which having said... I do recall buying Maxtor full kit at least once in fairly recent past, and getting some usefoool util items with it...
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Maxtor has maxblast and WD has a cd that is packaged with the drive. I believe both have a cloning program for replacing the master drive.
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Hi per :-) Unfortunately Maxblast isn't migration software. Description of Maxblast posted at Maxtor site:
MaxBlast 4 is a one-step, ATA/IDE hard drive installation utility. MaxBlast 4 makes hard drive installations and upgrades hassle-free for novices and professionals alike by automatically identifying, partitioning, and formatting any Maxtor ATA or SATA hard drive, making it data-ready in minutes. MaxBlast 4 replaces all previous versions of MaxBlast and MaxBlast Plus.
I don't recall WD coming with clone utilities.
i_XpUser
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From the WD Data lifeguard disk.
Drive-To-Drive Data Copy
The Drive-To-Drive Data Copy utility will copy files from one drive partition to another or from one folder to another. Drive-To-Drive Data Copy will allow you to select a source and destination partition or folder for copying and will then copy all files from the source partition or folder into the destination partition or folder. Existing files in the destination will be overwritten if there are files on the source with the same name.When copying from partition to partition, if the destination partition is a primary partition, Drive-To-Drive Data Copy will make the partition bootable. This allows you to migrate your operating system to a new drive even if the drive was not partitioned using Data Lifeguard Tools.
When Drive-To-Drive Data Copy is complete, it will display the results of the copy operation.
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Continued text from the Maxtor site.
Creates a bootable MaxBlast 4 installation diskette.
Compatible with Windows 98SE, Me, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.
Breaks the 528 MB, 2.1 GB, 4.2 GB, 8.4 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB and 137 GB capacity barriers.
Supports both FAT32 and NTFS drive partitions.
Easy to use, Graphical Interface (GUI) with mouse and printer support.
Supports up to four ATA devices in the same system*.
The copy feature lets you make an exact duplicate of your existing hard drive.
Fast ATA and Serial ATA compatible.
The installation tutorial option allows you to view the installation process before physically installing your Maxtor ATA hard drive.
Note: There must be at least one Maxtor ATA Disk Drive installed in the system for MaxBlast 4 to run.
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Thank you for all the information.
I'll check out that Maxtor web site PER. I'm picking up the HD on Tuesday at Staples. Yeah, it was a black friday special. Only 19.99 after rebate for a 200GB.
I agree, it would be a whole lot easier making it the slave, XpUser. But the reason I want to make the new Maxtor HD the Master is cause the HD that came with the PC (Emachines T3958) has been acting up. Nothing major but I wanted to be on the safe side. And also, the original WD always seamed slow so. I bought the PC new and it's 2.93 GHZ, with an added 512 ram (1024 total) which I bought thinking it would help but it didn't. I keep it clean and defragmented and tried all swap file configurations and setting to make it run on "bare bones" with not too many effects but to no avail. The Western Digital is a 2mb cache and the Maxtor is an 8mb cache. Not sure what that means but it says in the advertisement, it makes for fast transfer. I'm gonna save the instructions for the dual boot TRVLR and thank you for taking the time. You answered a lot of questions I had. Very detailed information. Yes, dual boot seems the way to go.
All the best,
Angelinahttp://rants.8m.com
http://heiscoming.freeservers.com
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P.S. One more thing...what if I just use the new Maxtor Hard drive with a new install of Windows XP, and choose not to use the "dual boot" set up, would there be any conflict since the old hard drive will still have Windows XP installed on it or will the old operating system be ignored at boot up time? I want to gradually install the programs on the old hard drive over to the new HD and move the files over to it also, So if I can access the old hard drive without any conflict, it would be more convenient.
Thankshttp://rants.8m.com
http://heiscoming.freeservers.com
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If you install the new drive as Master with old as Slave, and then install XP afresh on the new Master... then, for the reasons already indicated, you will boot only to the XP installation on the new Master drive. The Slave will be accessible from that installation - but will not appear in the boot-menu options, and thus will not be not bootable.
Unless you do sumat strange, are careless, or the gremlins interfere... the olde drive (Slaved) will be OK in this arrangement.
At any time the original drive can be reset as Master (with or without the new one set as Slave) and boot as now.
You cannot simply copy installed programmes already installed on the olde/Slaved drive from that drive to the new Master drive/installation. They must be installed afresh to the XP version on the new drive.
If you don't have them in an installable form... then you might be wise to consider the cloning/drive-copying util that was discussed earlier - the util(s) that come some new drives to allow you to copy an old drive to completely to a new one etc.
Drive specs can be a factor in overall performance of a given system, but so can what is running in the background; and both these factors also dependant on the installed RAM level. With 1Gig RAM installed XP "orta" to run reaonably well; and with a faster HD most certainly.
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Good to know. Yeah, the new Maxtor comes with MaxBlast that allows you to copy the old HD with the click of a button :)
Thanks for your help.
All the best,
Angelinahttp://rants.8m.com
http://heiscoming.freeservers.com
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Glad to hear everything work out for you! I would never have guessed that Maxtor Maxblast4 include the HD copying utility. Thank you per for correcting me. It's never too late to learn something :-)
i_XpUser
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You may not have done a reinstall for a while XpUser. They just added that feature a couple years ago I believe.
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I just got the Maxtor Hard drive the other day in the mail. I thought I'd post this as a follow up and it may be a help to someone too. I used Maxblast 4 software (which came with it,) and it duplicated my old hard drive over to the new Maxtor making it the new boot hard drive. (you have to select that option when formatting with Maxblast whether you want it to be a boot device or a storage device ). Anyhow, I was very surprised, Microsoft being as secure as they are, that you can copy the Windows XP operating system over to another hard drive using this Maxblast software, but, what they do is disable the original hard drives operating system so it is "unbootable". And just like you said trvlr, t is not in the BIOS as a boot up device but that's ok by me. I'm gonna use the old HD as storage and backup now. A few of the programs had to be straightened out like Avast anti virus. Had to enter the registration key again. I'm still checking the programs out on the new HD but so far so good. I was very happy with the results of this.
Anyhow, thank you all for the time you took and for the very helpful information.
Angie
http://rants.8m.comhttp://heiscoming.freeservers.com
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P.S. One more thing, I thought I'd check to see if I disconnected the New Maxtor and made the old Western Digital the Master instead, if it will boot up and IT DID! I thought that when Maxblast4 did the the transfer (migration) it disabled the old operating system but it didn't. Only that it won't boot up when in slave position. Yay!!! So now I have a back up hard drive with an intact operating system in case of an emergency.
http://rants.8m.comhttp://heiscoming.freeservers.com
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Yes... the only reason the Slaved (older) version won't boot via the new version boot-loader is that there is no reference to it (an entry) in the boot.ini...
If you were to copy the requisite entry from the boot.ini on the Slaved drive to the boot.ini on the new/Master drive...; and then change the rdisk(0) value - for that line only and in that location on the new/Master drive - to read rdisk(1)..., it would then be available to boot via the the boot-menu on the new/Master drive. Doing this will not alter anything on that older/Slaved drive installation; it will still boot OK as now when reset to Master posn.
Often useful to have an earlier version (fully bootable) to hand in case a newer installation goes pear-shaped...
And you could equally make it possible to boot the new/Master installation via the boot.ini/booot-menu on the older/Slaved installation (were the older to be rest as Master to the newer - then Slaved drive...).
You would have to copy the requisite line from the newer version boot.ini to the boot.ini on the old drive; and then change the rdisk(0) value to read rdisk(1) - again on the entry copied to the boot.ini on the old installation... Afterwhich the old version would allow the new to boot - when the old is again Maste , and newer is now Slave).
And then there is the XP bootcfg util which when run (from recovery console) will look for any members of the NT family it knows about (NT/W2K/XP) and add them (with your approval) to the current boot.ini/boot-menu.
Perhaps not essential info at this stage of events; but useful for future considerations?
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I am definately making a copy of your instructions if/when I choose to do this. You have a way of explaining things so simply that I actually feel confident that I can do it. Yeah, my husband actually came up with the idea of keeping the Western Digital HD as a backup boot hard drive in case any problems with the new Maxtor or any internet mischief. We unplugged the Western Digital from the power source and the ribbon to keep it safe. Too lazy to remove it from the case right now but might do that also to protect it from shocks.
Again,Thank you TRVLR. This forum is lucky to have you here.All the best to you,
Angie
http://rants.8m.comhttp://heiscoming.freeservers.com
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Thank you...
Your other half is obviously "on the ball" re the situation too. And leaving it in the case, but totally disconnected, is a neat way to keep it safe/secure and to know where to find it if needs-be....
trvlr
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