| Nov 21, 2009 |
 if you need the data from the HD, then formatting it will render it empty,and you don't want that.  moving HD from one PC to another PC would be OK, andno further configuration is required IF it is autodetected (otherwise you need to tweak the BIOS), AND if it is your PRIMARY HD. you can still add it as a "slave" HD but you may have to modify jumper settings in that HD to make it work as a slave. settingsvary from HD to HD, you may have to ask someone to do it if you're not familiar with it. QUOTE (pikaz @ Nov 9 2004, 03:29 AM) Just wondering the answer to a simple question. If I want to add a second harddrive to my computer, does the hardrive need to be formatted first or can it just be taken out of another computer and added as is. I'v never actually done this and was wondeing if it would work. Thanks = ) 
QUOTE (pikaz @ Nov 8 2004, 02:29 PM) Just wondering the answer to a simple question. If I want to add a second harddrive to my computer, does the hardrive need to be formatted first or can it just be taken out of another computer and added as is. I'v never actually done this and was wondeing if it would work. Thanks = ) umm.. if there is an os on it, i suggest moving the files you need over to the good harddrive, and then after thats done, format it. if there are 2 os's on one sys(not properly installed, just installed on the hdd) it could screw up the computer. better said, look at lib2day's reply, im just kinda adding to it..
pikaz, ALL OS REQUIRES A FILESYSTEM IN ORDER TO SAVE AND LOAD FILES. THIS INCLUDES MAC, LINUX, SKYOS, WINDOWS AND OTHER OSES. IT'S HOW THE OS CAN MANAGE FILES. FORMATTING WILL SIMPLY WRITE A FILESYSTEM TO YOUR MACHINE. IN ORDER TO "INSTALL" THE HARD DRIVE, THE BEST WAY IS TO SELECT AUTOMATIC FOR YOUR COMPUTER TO DETECT IT, SO NEXT TIME WHEN YOU PULL IT OUT, THE COMPUTER (OR BIOS) WON'T SEARCH FOR IT.
xboxrulz
Dont forget to change ur second Hard Drive to slave otherwise your 2 Hard Drives will conflict and your Computer wont work.
that is very true IvoMan, to change it to slave, please refer to your hard-drive's menu!
xboxrulz
The Primary Master hdd is the one your computer boots from by default. An hdd can be added on the other 3 channels with whatever files or OS on it and won't cause a problem. Windows and Linux will automatically detect it and have it ready to use, in Linux you may need to mount it or do a little bit of setting up first.
If you have an OS on the disk it will not boot up, not unless you install a custom bootloader. If you plug it in as the Primary Master, then it will boot and go through a long process of detecting all the hardware etc, and probably not end up working correctly. why on earth are these messages center alligned... 
its easy if you are using desktop you can do it yourself no need to call a technician.
Just remove the alloy from the place where you want to put the hdd and connect the wire with motherboard and other with the current provided inside the cpu but sorry, i dont know that whats the function for laptops so better try to a technician for laptops or otherwise for desktop its easy and also fast so all the best..............................
Well I think that the answers here are adequate, but I went through a few of my own experiments myself and came across various problems as well. The first thing that I wish to tell here is the use of 80 pin / cable connector for your Hard disk drive bus. and 40 wire bus for your CD/DVD drives. The reason here is that the HDD is most in use and transfer a lot of data. The 80 wire bus helps speed up the data transfer in addition with the signaling that need to be done. Now you can add hard disks in primary or secondary cable and also as master or slave, thereby creating four choices.
The best thumb rule is to attach your main operating drive hard disk as the primary master. Why it is the first hard disk cable position that your pc will search. In case of a hard disk or bus malfunction operating system slow response of the pc, the first location is wise choice. Now you may add a second drive as the primary slave on the same cable. The best thing here is also to have the jumper settings of the hard disks as master and slave explicitly jumpered. However the cable select may also work with most motherboards. To add a third hard disk and if you have a CD/DVD drive then the secondary slave position should be used. The bus is a 40 wire bus. But if you want the fourth hard disk , which should not be the case then you may connect as the secondary master with a 80 wire bus and as master slave jumper configuration and make sure that they do not have bad sectors. The basic speed that you will achieve will be dependent on the slowest of all the hard disks connected. So if you have a faster disc connected and a slower one then the sped will be that of the slower one. Now for the SATA disks there are no problem as such as you have fixed slots only and they are much better in terms of speed than the PATA disks. when I try to boot from cd. I tried to change the bios setting to select the CD Drive . But first boot list no CD Drive. How can I add CD Drive to BIOS firtst boot list. Pls urgent -question by diana |
 Adding An Additional Hard Drive Question |
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