[dryfly]

I have a 4-year old HP Desk top and recently installed a new 320GB SATA drive in conjunction with my old 40GB IDE, which functions as my C: drive. The new one is listed as the F: drive. As such the computer boots from and stored all saved data in the old drive which is running out of room.
I'd like to set up the new drive as the primary (C:) drive, then reformat he old one and use it for just backing up data. Eventually I'll get a large remote drive for backup but for now I'd like to go this way.

Can you help me do this? If not, can I just remove the old drive from the 40-pin cable and run with just the new drive? Would it default to becoming the C: drive or is there something more involved?

I'm in unfamiliar territory and sure could use your help.

Thanks in advance.

//Denis

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this is what i would do. copy your stuff from the 320 to your 40 (if they fit). make sure your 320 is in sata port 0. (be sure to have sata drivers for your motherboard handy, and learn how to install them) unplug the 40. begin installing windows onto the 320, create a partition (or multiple if you like), the first (or only) partition will become C: install windows there. get your system set up. now plug in your 40, and it should become D:, or E: or so on depending on your components. you could then copy your personal files to the 320, and later you can wipe out the 40 and use it for backups or what you like.

[Thebinaryman]

this is what i would do. copy your stuff from the 320 to your 40 (if they fit). make sure your 320 is in sata port 0. (be sure to have sata drivers for your motherboard handy, and learn how to install them) unplug the 40. begin installing windows onto the 320, create a partition (or multiple if you like), the first (or only) partition will become C: install windows there. get your system set up. now plug in your 40, and it should become D:, or E: or so on depending on your components. you could then copy your personal files to the 320, and later you can wipe out the 40 and use it for backups or what you like.

[dryfly]

Thanks for the reply Binery Man,
I cloned the 40g to the 320 g when I installed it a couple of days ago. Where the 40 is still the drive where everything is being saved It is more current than the 320. Should I reformat it and start over with your approach?

I'm unfamiliar with the SATA drivers for the MB. Are the SATA drivers for the MB on the original setup disks that came with the PC, or do you mean the drivers that came with the new (Seagate) drive?

[Thebinaryman]

when i refer it sata drivers. i mean the drivers for the "sata controller" on the motherboard. these drivers are necessary for windows to recognize the controller and see your hard drives. these are usually supplied on a floppy diskette, so you can insert them at install time when windows setup prompts "F6 for scsi controllers". you could probably get away with cloning these drives if they were both IDE. but because this new one is different i believe windows won't finish booting up with the new one because it lacks that driver. sometimes the motherboard manufacturer will have a windows installer for it's sata drives as well. with which you might be able to install on to your 40gb, clone it to the 320, and then boot with solely the 320. but i would only do that if you have nothing to loose and have some spare time. the best thing to do in my opinion is to do a fresh install on the 320. its a good time to clean out your junk too.

[Seltox]

If it's booting from the drive you don't want it to, you should be able to just go into the BIOS and changed your boot order? Set it to boot from the SATA drive before the IDE drive. I don't know if this will make it your "primary" drive or not though.