XP O.S.

[rcfrgf]

I have 2 harddrives. One has XP on it,and the other is empty. Could I
put XP on the other drive too?

[Tim Meddick]

Hi rcfrgf,
yes, you can. If I were you, the way I'd do it would be to
disable the current hard drive using the BIOS setup program, then you can
feel free installing XP from an installation cd on to the second drive.
Alternatively - you could use cloning software to simply copy everything on
the first drive to the second and then with a minor alteration of the
boot.ini file to include an extra entry for the second drive, you can then
boot from either copy.

--

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

"rcfrgf" > wrote in message
...
>
> I have 2 harddrives. One has XP on it,and the other is empty. Could I
> put XP on the other drive too?

[Daave]

"rcfrgf" > wrote in message
...
>
> I have 2 harddrives. One has XP on it,and the other is empty. Could I
> put XP on the other drive too?

Do you mean you would like XP to simultaneously be on *both* drives? If
so, why?

[DL]

Why?
Two installations of Win, require two licences

"rcfrgf" > wrote in message
...
>
> I have 2 harddrives. One has XP on it,and the other is empty. Could I
> put XP on the other drive too?

[Alias[_30_]]

DL wrote:
> Why?
> Two installations of Win, require two licences

But a clone or image of an install doesn't. Why?

Alias
>
> "rcfrgf" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I have 2 harddrives. One has XP on it,and the other is empty. Could I
>> put XP on the other drive too?
>
>

[rcfrgf]

Dear Tim,
Your answer is well taken. I would like to have desktop icons for
the drives or a quick access to the second drive through the first(C) drive
or maybe the way you say.
Thank You,
RCF

"Tim Meddick" wrote:

> Hi rcfrgf,
> yes, you can. If I were you, the way I'd do it would be to
> disable the current hard drive using the BIOS setup program, then you can
> feel free installing XP from an installation cd on to the second drive.
> Alternatively - you could use cloning software to simply copy everything on
> the first drive to the second and then with a minor alteration of the
> boot.ini file to include an extra entry for the second drive, you can then
> boot from either copy.
>
> --
>
> Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.
>
> "rcfrgf" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > I have 2 harddrives. One has XP on it,and the other is empty. Could I
> > put XP on the other drive too?
>
>
>

[Tim Meddick]

The reasons for having two simultaneous copies of Windows on two separate
hard-drives are painfully obvious (to me, anyway) - One is hard-drive
failure or (more commonly) OS System (Windows) failure. I've never had a
harddisk fail on me, yet, but that doesn't mean that it won't happen some
time. I have two identical drives with everything regularly cloned from one
disk to the other. If there's something wrong with Windows not starting on
the first then I have a couple of options open to me. I could just boot from
the second and attempt to fix the problem from there or clone the backup
drive back onto the first. Either way, my data is safe.
--

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.
..

"Daave" > wrote in message
...
> "rcfrgf" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> I have 2 harddrives. One has XP on it,and the other is empty. Could I
>> put XP on the other drive too?
>
> Do you mean you would like XP to simultaneously be on *both* drives? If
> so, why?
>

[Alias[_30_]]

Tim Meddick wrote:
> The reasons for having two simultaneous copies of Windows on two separate
> hard-drives are painfully obvious (to me, anyway) - One is hard-drive
> failure or (more commonly) OS System (Windows) failure. I've never had a
> harddisk fail on me, yet, but that doesn't mean that it won't happen some
> time. I have two identical drives with everything regularly cloned from one
> disk to the other. If there's something wrong with Windows not starting on
> the first then I have a couple of options open to me. I could just boot from
> the second and attempt to fix the problem from there or clone the backup
> drive back onto the first. Either way, my data is safe.

I trust that the drive you're not using is disconnected from the
motherboard and power supply when you're not using it.

Alias

[Tim Meddick]

Of course it's not. Can you not see the use of having two hard-drives
installed at the same time? Many self-help books on computing advise the
use of a second "back-up" drive. It'd be pretty dumb thing to do to have to
reconnect the drive every time I wanted to perform a back-up?
--

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.


"Alias" > wrote in message
...
> Tim Meddick wrote:
>> The reasons for having two simultaneous copies of Windows on two separate
>> hard-drives are painfully obvious (to me, anyway) - One is hard-drive
>> failure or (more commonly) OS System (Windows) failure. I've never had a
>> harddisk fail on me, yet, but that doesn't mean that it won't happen some
>> time. I have two identical drives with everything regularly cloned from
>> one disk to the other. If there's something wrong with Windows not
>> starting on the first then I have a couple of options open to me. I could
>> just boot from the second and attempt to fix the problem from there or
>> clone the backup drive back onto the first. Either way, my data is safe.
>
> I trust that the drive you're not using is disconnected from the
> motherboard and power supply when you're not using it.
>
> Alias

[Alias[_30_]]

Tim Meddick wrote:
> Of course it's not. Can you not see the use of having two hard-drives
> installed at the same time? Many self-help books on computing advise the
> use of a second "back-up" drive. It'd be pretty dumb thing to do to have to
> reconnect the drive every time I wanted to perform a back-up?

They're both on the same bus and both could be nuked at the same time.
Use a USB external hard drive for back ups and keep your second drive
safe by not having it connected to *anything*. Occasionally fire it up
to update it. As your data will be on an external drive, no need to back
that up to the second internal drive unless you have to use it.

Alias

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

"Alias" > wrote in message
...
> > Tim Meddick wrote:
>> >> The reasons for having two simultaneous copies of Windows on two
separate
>> >> hard-drives are painfully obvious (to me, anyway) - One is
hard-drive
>> >> failure or (more commonly) OS System (Windows) failure. I've
never had a
>> >> harddisk fail on me, yet, but that doesn't mean that it won't
happen some
>> >> time. I have two identical drives with everything regularly
cloned from
>> >> one disk to the other. If there's something wrong with Windows not
>> >> starting on the first then I have a couple of options open to me.
I could
>> >> just boot from the second and attempt to fix the problem from
there or
>> >> clone the backup drive back onto the first. Either way, my data
is safe.
> >
> > I trust that the drive you're not using is disconnected from the
> > motherboard and power supply when you're not using it.
> >
> > Alias

[Mike Torello]

"Tim Meddick" > wrote:

>Of course it's not. Can you not see the use of having two hard-drives
>installed at the same time? Many self-help books on computing advise the
>use of a second "back-up" drive. It'd be pretty dumb thing to do to have to
>reconnect the drive every time I wanted to perform a back-up?

"Alias" has exposed himself to be a fool - again.

One of my three spare internal drives is a clone of my Vista system
drive and is updated nightly. Another has a fully-updated XP system
on it.


>
>"Alias" > wrote in message
...
>>
>> I trust that the drive you're not using is disconnected from the
>> motherboard and power supply when you're not using it.
>>
>> Alias

[NotEvenMe]

if you do regular backups, what is the problem?
but if you really worry about drive failure, setup raid mirror drives, then
you will have identical drives with the OS and settings.
then get another 2 drives and set them up for your data.
if a drive fails, you have an exact copy.
when you get a lightening strike, it will all be gone anyway, so bakup also.

"Tim Meddick" > wrote in message
...
> The reasons for having two simultaneous copies of Windows on two separate
> hard-drives are painfully obvious (to me, anyway) - One is hard-drive
> failure or (more commonly) OS System (Windows) failure. I've never had a
> harddisk fail on me, yet, but that doesn't mean that it won't happen some
> time. I have two identical drives with everything regularly cloned from
> one disk to the other. If there's something wrong with Windows not
> starting on the first then I have a couple of options open to me. I could
> just boot from the second and attempt to fix the problem from there or
> clone the backup drive back onto the first. Either way, my data is safe.
> --
>
> Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.
> .
>
> "Daave" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "rcfrgf" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>> I have 2 harddrives. One has XP on it,and the other is empty. Could I
>>> put XP on the other drive too?
>>
>> Do you mean you would like XP to simultaneously be on *both* drives? If
>> so, why?
>>
>
>

[Unknown]

I don't see why you call Alias a fool. It is much safer and logical to use
an external drive for backup.
What Alias stated is true.
"Mike Torello" > wrote in message
...
> "Tim Meddick" > wrote:
>
>>Of course it's not. Can you not see the use of having two hard-drives
>>installed at the same time? Many self-help books on computing advise the
>>use of a second "back-up" drive. It'd be pretty dumb thing to do to have
>>to
>>reconnect the drive every time I wanted to perform a back-up?
>
> "Alias" has exposed himself to be a fool - again.
>
> One of my three spare internal drives is a clone of my Vista system
> drive and is updated nightly. Another has a fully-updated XP system
> on it.
>
>
>>
>>"Alias" > wrote in message
...
>>>
>>> I trust that the drive you're not using is disconnected from the
>>> motherboard and power supply when you're not using it.
>>>
>>> Alias

[Mike Torello]

"Unknown" > wrote:

>I don't see why you call Alias a fool.

You're right... I meant TROLL.

>It is much safer and logical to use
>an external drive for backup.

You're assuming that my cloned internal drive is my only backup, fool
(which you are for assuming). It is there in case my main system
drive completely fails/dies so I can be up and running again in
seconds.

I also have another internal drive with multiple ATI images for other
backup/restore purposes.

And those images are also stored on a USB drive that is kept
disconnected except when backup images are copied to it.

>What Alias stated is true.

No.


>"Mike Torello" > wrote in message
...
>> "Tim Meddick" > wrote:
>>
>>>Of course it's not. Can you not see the use of having two hard-drives
>>>installed at the same time? Many self-help books on computing advise the
>>>use of a second "back-up" drive. It'd be pretty dumb thing to do to have
>>>to
>>>reconnect the drive every time I wanted to perform a back-up?
>>
>> "Alias" has exposed himself to be a fool - again.
>>
>> One of my three spare internal drives is a clone of my Vista system
>> drive and is updated nightly. Another has a fully-updated XP system
>> on it.
>>
>>
>>>
>>>"Alias" > wrote in message
...
>>>>
>>>> I trust that the drive you're not using is disconnected from the
>>>> motherboard and power supply when you're not using it.
>>>>
>>>> Alias
>

[Tim Meddick]

I don't see why it being connected to the same bus means that they will both
fail. The most common cause of hard-drive failure is what is called a
"head-crash", that is, when the read/write head actually comes into physical
contact with the magnetic media itself. This renders both unusable from
then on. Other causes include imperfections in the magnetic media. I've
not heard of the PCI BUS being particularly responsible for hard drive
failures. As Mike Torello said, with a secondary internal drive, I can be
back up and running in a couple of ticks! Frankly, I think you're talking
out of your hat when you criticize people needlessly. In the end, none of
what you say is writ in stone - it's all a matter of personal preference to
what sort of back-up measures you have, as long as you have some - that is
the main thing, isn't it?
--

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.


"Alias" > wrote in message
...
> Tim Meddick wrote:
>> Of course it's not. Can you not see the use of having two hard-drives
>> installed at the same time? Many self-help books on computing advise the
>> use of a second "back-up" drive. It'd be pretty dumb thing to do to have
>> to reconnect the drive every time I wanted to perform a back-up?
>
> They're both on the same bus and both could be nuked at the same time. Use
> a USB external hard drive for back ups and keep your second drive safe by
> not having it connected to *anything*. Occasionally fire it up to update
> it. As your data will be on an external drive, no need to back that up to
> the second internal drive unless you have to use it.
>
> Alias
>
> Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.
>
> "Alias" > wrote in message
> ...
> > > Tim Meddick wrote:
> >> >> The reasons for having two simultaneous copies of Windows on two
> separate
> >> >> hard-drives are painfully obvious (to me, anyway) - One is
> hard-drive
> >> >> failure or (more commonly) OS System (Windows) failure. I've
> never had a
> >> >> harddisk fail on me, yet, but that doesn't mean that it won't
> happen some
> >> >> time. I have two identical drives with everything regularly
> cloned from
> >> >> one disk to the other. If there's something wrong with Windows not
> >> >> starting on the first then I have a couple of options open to me.
> I could
> >> >> just boot from the second and attempt to fix the problem from
> there or
> >> >> clone the backup drive back onto the first. Either way, my data
> is safe.
> > >
> > > I trust that the drive you're not using is disconnected from the
> > > motherboard and power supply when you're not using it.
> > >
> > > Alias
>
>
>

[Alias[_30_]]

Tim Meddick wrote:
> I don't see why it being connected to the same bus means that they will both
> fail. The most common cause of hard-drive failure is what is called a
> "head-crash", that is, when the read/write head actually comes into physical
> contact with the magnetic media itself. This renders both unusable from
> then on. Other causes include imperfections in the magnetic media. I've
> not heard of the PCI BUS being particularly responsible for hard drive
> failures. As Mike Torello said, with a secondary internal drive, I can be
> back up and running in a couple of ticks! Frankly, I think you're talking
> out of your hat when you criticize people needlessly. In the end, none of
> what you say is writ in stone - it's all a matter of personal preference to
> what sort of back-up measures you have, as long as you have some - that is
> the main thing, isn't it?

It's your computer; ignore what I wrote and do what you want.

Alias