[gregahoffman]

so now that all seems to be working well, what do I need to do to use my second HDD as a storage device? I assume I should reformat the drive to delete everything on it?

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Correct 

 

Courtesy of Microsoft;

 

Preparing to use a new hard disk

 

If you've installed your new hard disk correctly, your computer should recognize it. When you turn on your computer, the basic input/output system (BIOS) should automatically detect the new hard disk.

If you plan to use the new hard disk as the primary partition that contains Windows, then you'll have to install Windows on the disk before you can use your computer. You'll need a Windows 7 installation disc to do this. For more information, search Help and Support for "Installing and reinstalling Windows."

If you plan to use the new hard disk as a secondary disk (one that does not contain Windows), you should be able to see the new hard disk drive the next time you start your computer and log on to Windows. After Windows starts, click the Start button , click Computer, and then look for your new drive. The letter assigned to the drive will depend on your computer’s configuration. If you don't see the new hard disk drive, try looking for it in Computer Management.

1. Open Computer Management by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Security, clicking Administrative Tools, and then double-clicking Computer Management.‌  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

2. In the left pane, under Storage, click Disk Management, and then look for the new drive.

You'll probably have to format the hard disk before you can use it. For instructions, see Formatting disks and drives: frequently asked questions. Follow these same instructions to format an old hard disk that contains data you want to erase.

[phillpower2]

Correct 

 

Courtesy of Microsoft;

 

Preparing to use a new hard disk

 

If you've installed your new hard disk correctly, your computer should recognize it. When you turn on your computer, the basic input/output system (BIOS) should automatically detect the new hard disk.

If you plan to use the new hard disk as the primary partition that contains Windows, then you'll have to install Windows on the disk before you can use your computer. You'll need a Windows 7 installation disc to do this. For more information, search Help and Support for "Installing and reinstalling Windows."

If you plan to use the new hard disk as a secondary disk (one that does not contain Windows), you should be able to see the new hard disk drive the next time you start your computer and log on to Windows. After Windows starts, click the Start button , click Computer, and then look for your new drive. The letter assigned to the drive will depend on your computer’s configuration. If you don't see the new hard disk drive, try looking for it in Computer Management.

1. Open Computer Management by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Security, clicking Administrative Tools, and then double-clicking Computer Management.‌  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

2. In the left pane, under Storage, click Disk Management, and then look for the new drive.

You'll probably have to format the hard disk before you can use it. For instructions, see Formatting disks and drives: frequently asked questions. Follow these same instructions to format an old hard disk that contains data you want to erase.

[gregahoffman]

thanks for the help. disc was wiped, formatted and partitioned successfully. I used a good portion of the disk to create a backup and set it to back up weekly.

 

thanks again for all your help phil

[phillpower2]

Job well done on your behalf Greg 

 

You are most welcome btw