Confused with align utility for WD EARS 1.5 TB

[Chickasaw]

So I just purchased a 1.5TB WD EARS HD. I am not technologically confidence enough to understand that how can I continue. I am having a 200 gig hardrive which is running on Windows XP currently. I want to install new hard drive and do a format on the system. I am having Windows XP installed in my system. I want to install the Windows XP on my new hard drive, XP is running on the old drive. I don’t wish to drop any data from my original HD.

I recognize that there are 7-8 jumpers, what does those signify. Fundamentally what I require to do to make sure the drive runs correctly. Suppose that I install the drive right away as well as format with my XP and after that install windows 7 them am I need to run the align utility because I am making it beneath Windows XP. If I try to remove windows 7 afterward, then if that make problems with the drive? Please provide your suggestions.

[DotNetUser]

The problem through WD's "Advanced" hard drives is that because they make use of 4KByte clusters so you finish up by a very unfortunate performance unless your partitions begin on a sector that is an accurate manifold of 4KBytes. The partition manager in Windows XP does not perform that. It begins partitions 1 division before that 4KByte border. This means terrible performance in Windows XP. I recommend you that not to use drive firmware since it will make the drive to carry out very badly in Windows 7.

[$tatic]

According to me, you should connect the new drive on your system but don’t format that under Windows XP. Instead of that you should boot as of the Windows 7 bootable disk. Create a new partition for the Operating system and install it in that. The Windows7 bootable disk will make the partition in the correct place.

[CitricAcid]

It is actually a subject of preference. If you separate the drive for Windows XP earlier than installing Windows7 then every Operating system will not have any knowledge of the other operating system. Your system will boot directly into whichever drive for which the BIOS is configured to boot. If you keep the drive for Windows XP connected and boot the system then you will obtain a boot menu which will give you the choice from where you can select the OS from where the system is to boot. You can put it to boot with an exacting OS by default subsequent to the user-adjustable timeout. My personal advice is to make use of the OS boot menu before configuring the BIOS as it is very easy to contract through a day-to-day basis.