Will my Hard disk be safe when I change my OS from XP to Windows 7?

[Bhaanumuarti]

I'm operating XP32 now and I reformat the 160 GB hard drive and install Windows 7 primary for builders. I have a inferior hard drive of 1 TB with two NTFS partitions. I wish this to the implementation of an upgrade disc, because the only reason I'm upgrading so that you can reinstall the 64-bit versions of all my music production software, and all I keep on the main unit are program files, so you'd basically either cleaning anyway, with all reinstalled. In addition, a clean start is rarely a bad thing. If I disconnect the storage drive before reformatting and reinstalling the operating system on the unit, it should have no problem reconnecting after the storage unit and get Windows 7 to recognize it without losing data?

[SalVatore]

I've done reformats and operating system is set up several times but never with a subsequent unit in the equation. I have a recording studio and this is the main computer that runs all the programs to accommodate and record stores all the project files. I can deal with any problems caused by communication equipment from other slaves, but if I lose the data storage unit that I'm screwed. I don’t know will this work or not but still need a second opinion.

[Deep123]

As far as I know you could keep the Storage HDD plugged in whilst installing too. It doesn’t do anything as the Target Drive is the WD 160GB and it will only affect that drive. That will hold your time in unplugging it and plugging it back. Well I have never tried this but you can try it once. I hope this really works for you and if works then do reply it may help others too. So all the best.

[Enriquee]

As I say, you will not have a problem. The only advantage would be that you disconnect it definitely does not ruin the format the wrong disk! But it should be obvious, is a graphical user interface and asks which drive to install: Disk 0 partition 1, disk 1 partition 1, and finally disk 1 partition 2. Obviously, in this example that you desire Disk 0, because that is the operating system drive with only one partition. Most likely it will be disk 0 you want, unless you have installed hard drives at the same time, in which case it could be plugged into any outlet.

[DanielV]

But if you insist that off, it still works when plugged back in Windows 7. I personally have installed Windows 7 on a WD 320 GB and I had my old 80 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 aside. I thought I was a bit of a waste so I set it back for additional storage. And it was just plug and play as a memory stick. Windows did not recognize him and was there in full operation. So anyway, the short answer is no, you do not lose the data storage unit to format the primary.