Running 2 Hard Drives

[drone_wolf]

Ok, I have a hard drive in my computer now which is Sata and Im building a new computer and the MoBo supports 4 Sata hard drives and Im buying a new hard drive so I figure no need to let this one go to waste. But Im not really sure how to run two hard drives or if like there is something specific to do. My friend said he put his windows on one and used the other one but I dont understand how you choose which to install windows or any other programs to and/or make one default and if doing this slows down my computer in anyway. Thanks.

[Driscoll]

Hi friend if buying another one sata also so don't worry there is no jumper setting at all you really not need to do anything but if you buying another HDD as IDE then you have to do some jumper setting and have to make the HDD in which OS is installed as Master and another drive as Slave. But if you gonna use both as SATA then there is nothing to do like setting and all. If you haven't buy yet then my advice is go for SATA only. Good luck

[Reginald]

you should be able to use both unless your system is running low on resources and there's a conflict.

Some pci slots share resources and some don't, I have a similar add in card in my machine and it wouldn't install or work at all until I changed slots - now it works fine.

I have:
2 DVD drives connected to MB IDE 1
1 IDE hdd connected to MB IDE 0
3 x SATA drives connected MB
1 x eSATA connector using 4th slot on MB
1 x SATA connected to add in card ( 3 ports left )

1 of the SATA's is the boot device - don't remember which. I did have an issue where I had to disconnect the IDE HDD before windows would install on the SATA but once installed it's fine.

all working fine, so it can work.

You could try disabling things you don't use in the BIOS to free up resources such as extra onboard USB / parallel / serial ports etc.

Also there is a way to show "hidden" installed devices in device manager ( you might have to google it because I don't remember how) because everytime you try to install something and it fails windows merrily stores it away and hides it from you so you can't uninstall it - for no reason I can understand. Although I don't think this would be your problem