New Hard Drive Install

[Peoples-Agent]

Hi folks,

I've just picked up a second larger hard drive, Western Digital 320GB SATA II w/ 16MB Cache WD3200KS I think it's called.

I was wondering what you would say was the smoothest way to get up and running under the following scenario.

My current drive is split into two, one OS partition and another for back up.
I reeeally need to preserve the data on the back up partition but I want to run the new hard drive as the main one, then this as a back up / storage drive.

Would it be best to install the new HD, format and install Windows, hook up the second drive and just format it's OS partition?

Ideally I want to make this drive as one partiton, so I assume i'll have to copy the data over to the new one first before formatting it completely.

Can you change partitions of second drives in XP Pro? ....i.e to make the split drive into just the one as such?

Been ages since i've done anything like this and can't remember how I use to do it .. lol

[Superfly]

Hi folks,

Would it be best to install the new HD, format and install Windows, hook up the second drive and just format it's OS partition?

thats what I would do.

[Capt. Picard]

I know of a program, Partition Magic, that can create partitions and delete them on the fly. Never worked with it though and I don't know if there is a demo to be downloaded. You can search for it if you wish.

[grey_1]

I know of a program, Partition Magic, that can create partitions and delete them on the fly. Never worked with it though and I don't know if there is a demo to be downloaded. You can search for it if you wish.

The last demo I tried (bout 2 yrs ago) let you set everything up, but stopped short of doing the task. Afriend of mine is doing same as you PA, I told him don't screw around, back up ALL important data to a disk beforehand.