password????

[texas seville]

OK, great...I think I can do that

1 last question...I read the links above you gave me

its asking me if I want to take control of a file or folder, but I want to take control of the whole 80GB HD, theres some previous info. allready on the 80GB...so what do I do to get that stuff off?

Im still a little lost, I understand how to hook up both HDs now but I still dont really understand how to get rid of the previous info???

 

[Alvin.C]

Re:

Hello,

okies...

So do you want to get rid of everything on the new 80GB hard drive, or you want to keep some stuff on it and get rid of other stuff on the drive?

If you want to get rid of everything on the 80GB drive, then simply format the new drive and you'll have all the space.

If you want to keep some stuff, but get rid of other stuff, then you'll need to gain ownership of the entire drive, allowing you to read, write and modify files on the 80GB drive.

To gain ownership of the entire drive, make sure that you're right clicking the specific drive in My Computer, going to Properties, then Secruity tab...and taking ownership this way - not just right clicking one folder or one file and doing this because you'll only gain full ownership of those folders and files.

But you've still got Windows XP on the second 80GB drive which you still can't access because you do not have the Admnistrators Password. But you can however, access, read and write files on the drive. You still need to get round this somehow.

My advice is, if there's data you want from the 80GB drive, but you don't need Windows XP on the secondary drive, take ownership of it, copy those files over to your 40GB drive as backup...then format the secondary 80GB drive.

 

[texas seville]

Ok, if I gain ownership of the 80GB will I still be able to add some programs to it even though I dont know the admin pass.

if I cannot add programs to the 80GB once I gain control over is using my 40GB drive then yes, I want to erase everything on the 80GB......but if I reformat (NEVER DONE THAT) will that erase my window xp on my 80GB??? If it does get rid of XP how will I create new folders and store new things if theres no operating system?

 

[texas seville]

I dont know how to "format a drive"

I just used the XP help, and it only brough up "how to format a disk" or "basic volume"

are one of those options how to format a drive : )

I must sound real stupid right now LOL

 

[Alvin.C]

Re:

Hello,

No no not at all. A step at a time .

(Okies just a heads up, I added some more to my previous post again i've got habit of doing that I'll stop it now).

I see there's a slight misunderstanding . You don't need Windows XP installed on a hard drive to be able to store data files on that hard drive.

You only need one Operating System on a PC to allow you to perform tasks, manage files and folders on all drives and install applications etc...

Take your current setup for example. You have the two hard drives, each with an operating system installed. When you boot into Windows XP on your 40GB drive, the Windows XP on the 80GB drive remains inactive....it isn't used. It's the Win XP on the 40GB drive which is managing everything, including the reading, writing and modifying of data on the 40GB drive.

Therefore, you can format the 80GB drive, then create a new partition on the 80GB drive which is entirely free of space, for you to store data onto. You do not need an OS installed on every drive to do this.

 

[Alvin.C]

Re:

Hello,

If you feel there's nothing you want to salvage from the 80GB drive, and you want to format it to gain all the free space...then make sure you've hooked up the 80GB drive as slave in your PC, and you've set your primary 40GB drive as master.

Boot into Windows XP on your primary 40GB hard drive set as master, and do the following:

Go to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Under the storage tree diagram on the left, click Disk Management > On the right, click to select the specific Volume, then right click the volume and select Format... > Type a Volume name, set file system to NTFS and Unit allocation size to Default > Ensure that Perform a quick format and Enable file and folder compression are unchecked and click ok.

Nothing will happen to your 40GB drive. Only te 80GB drive will be formatted.

Make sure you format the correct drive. Assuming you have no other partitions on your primary drive, then there shouldn't be a problem anyways.

The formatting process of the 80GB drive will take a long while. Avoid using the computer for this period and don't turn it off either.

 

[texas seville]

EDIT:: sorry your post above didnt come up yet until after I posted mine...so disregard about how to format, GOT IT NOW!!

OK.... : )


Im only using the 80GB for music & storage, and to add some programs too....

1.) music etc. = do I just copy the music folder from my 40GB then paste it in the 80GB??

2.) programs = once I erase EVERYTHING off of the 80GB, can I still add new programs to it??

Now w/o a OS on my 80GB im just wondering where my folder is going to be and my icons for my new music folders and programs??



Thanks for taking the time to help me out w/ this, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT

 

[Alvin.C]

Re:

Hello,

D My post at the top of this second page tells you how to format the 80GB drive.)

Exactly...you do not need Windows XP installed on every drive in a PC, only on one drive.

Okies perhaps a little explanation on having multiple drives . When you insert a floppy disk into your PC, or plug in on of those removable flash / thumb / memory stick drives into a USB port of your PC, Windows XP recognises the drive and it appears in My Computer. You can then transfer files back and forth from the floppy disk or flash drive and the 40GB drive, and save files onto a floppy disk or flash drive...right?

Having the second 80GB hard drive is exactly the same, albeit you can't remove it when the system is powered on and it has tonnes more space. Anyways, Windows XP sees the new drive, and you do exacty the same...transfer files back and forth from the 80GB drive and the 40GB drive, and save files onto the 80GB drive.

Ater all this, when you go into My Computer, you'll see a second hard drive there with it's own drive letter.

Let's say your 40GB has the letter C: and your 80GB has the letter E:. You download a file from the internet and your asked where you want to save the file. You can save it to your 40GB drive or the 80GB drive by either browsing to it or typing the drive letter (C or E).

So in the case of copying music files to the 80GB drive, yes it's a simple drag and frop procedure. You can also save file directly to the drive. It's no different to saving files into a folder on your 40GB drive, except for the destinations being on different drives with different letters.

Furthermore, you can create directories (folders) in the 80GB drive...wherever and as many as you want. You can also install prgrams to the 80GB drive, and run then in Windows XP...all it will do is retrieve files and write files to the 80GB drive. Simple.

But it's better to install an run programs on the drive which Windows XP is installed because performance will be better

 

[texas seville]

AHHHHH I GOT IT....YES


you explained it VERY well, the 80GB just acts like a sd card or any other "storage device" , so when I open a folder on the 80GB it will bring that folder to my 40GB to open and view? ( I THINK)

anyways I DO understand now!!!!! I'll get it once I actually transfer a folder from my 40GB to my 80GB

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING ME OUT WITH THIS!!!!! IM SORRY IM TAKING UP SO MUCH OF YOUR SATURDAY

Thank you again, I will set up the new HD in a little bit and I will format the 80GB...YOU actually helped me out, at 1st I wanted to get rid of the 40GB and just have the 80GB as my main memory, NOW I have 120GB


I'll let you know how it went!! I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR HELPING ME OUT...thanks a MILLION~~~~~

 

[Alvin.C]

Re:

As regards to what Disk Partitions, here are some learning resources:

http://www.tech-faq.com/hard-disk-partition.shtml

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-9-Manual/install-guide/ch-partitions.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk_drive_partitioning

Basically, a partition is just a specified area on a Hard Drive, with it's own 'drive letter', giving the illusion of there being multiple hard drives, each with it's own drive letter. You effectively have multiple drives on one drive .

Therefore it's possible to have, for example, a 60GB drive, split into three partitions or sections each which are 30GB in size. Windows knows that there are three partitions on just one drive, but sees them all as being three drives in total.

Each 30GB partitions are then assigned a seperate drive letter. For example, the first 30GB partition is labelled C:, the second labelled E: and the third labelled F:.

I can then install Windows XP 'drive' C:, and use the other drives E: and F: to store personal data files.