Installing a Second Hard Drive

 

To properly install 2nd hard disk, you have to go into one of following procedures:

1. Connect both disks on same controller, which is both disks are on the same cable. In this case jumpers on first disk (which is your bootable disk by default) has to be set to PRIMARY disk, and jumpers of second disk to be set as SLAVE disk.

2. You can connect each disk at separate controller, which is recommended. Why? On primary controller you have (I guess) your default disk and CD-ROM on same cable, and on the second controller, which has its own cable, you have to connect your second drive. This configuration puts both disks at max speed available, because controller adjusts the speed to match the speed of the slowest disk if both are on the same cable. When disks are each on separate cable, both need to be jumper-set to SINGLE disk operation (usually they do not require jumpers to be set at all). In both cases:Be sure to turn connection cables right way, which is, red coloured wire at controller side matches pin No. 1, and at disk side red coloured wire is usually at power connector's side.

Then proceed:

Turn on computer normally (does not require boot diskette), and keep pressing DEL key (F1 key, or ESC key on some computers - There is a note after POST procedure: "Press DEL to enter setup" when computer starts) to enter BIOS SETUP (or CMOS SETUP - same thing).

When you are on BIOS setup screen, find entry "IDE auto-detect" or "HD auto-detect" or "Detect Hard Drive" or something like that, which depends on BIOS manufacturer. Anyway, go to that entry and run it.

Bios will scan all hard disks and CD-ROMS connected, and when it finds such devices, it may require your acknowledge by pressing "Y" at each disk found.

After pressing "Y" to all four disks found (there may be max four disks / CD-ROMs attached to standard EIDE controller - two on PRIMARY controller and two on SECONDARY controller), you can check if disks are properly detected by finding entry "Standard CMOS setup" or "General" or something like this, ussually is this the very first entry of BIOS setup. There you should see all of your disks. If not automatically set, be sure to check out manually LBA mode to ON (this is for disks above 512 Mb size).

When finished, go to entry "SAVE CHANGES TO SETUP AND EXIT", don't forget to press "Y" on question "Save changes to CMOS? (Y/N)" and you are done.

Then you may run your windows normally.

NOTE:

Your first (bootable) disk will be attached drive letter C: , your second disk D: , then all extended partitions on your both drives, only then will follow your CD-ROM drive (as last drive). Which means, if your CD-ROM was D: before, it wil be automatically attached to drive letter E: now.

Enjoy your old 850 Mb Seagate!