Adding 2nd HDD to XP machine when 2nd drive already has Win7 on it

[dodge_aries]

Hello,

New member, tried using the search function and Google, and couldn't find an answer even somewhat related to what I'm looking for, so I decided to make a new post.

Current PC Config:
Dell Optiplex 745 w/ Pentium D (purchased as refurb 3 years ago)
80 GB SATA hard drive preinstalled with XP Pro (COA on PC case)

I got a 750GB SATA drive from an old office computer that was being replaced. It already had Windows 7 installed on it. The installation went fine, as the BIOS recognized it right away, proper size and all.

When I booted into Windows XP on the primary drive, the second it was done Windows XP started the shutdown sequence. I figured that Windows might be recognizing the OS installed on the second drive and some kind of screwy copyright protection made it shut down. I booted to an XP install disc that I had handy (I was planning on installing a fresh copy after saving all of my important files anyway) and used the installer to erase the existing partitions on the 750 and replace them with a single empty partition.

When I tried to boot into Windows again, the same thing happened, it shut itself down(!) This is what concerns me, that there is some code still remaining in the boot sector of that second drive that repartitioning didn't get rid of that identifies that second hard drive as a Windows 7 boot drive, thus invoking some MS voodoo authentication magic that keeps me from booting to my totally legit copy of XP that I've been using for years.

In the mean time, I re-booted in safe mode, formatted the empty drive, and started the tedious process of copying all of the files I wanted to save onto it via safe mode (sooooo slow). When I get home tonight, I was planning on repartitioning, formatting and installing a fresh copy of XP on the primary drive after verifying that all of my important files have indeed copied OK. When I am done with the installation, is it going to boot OK, or is there another step I'm going to have to perform somewhere in the process to make it work properly?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Dave
dodge_aries

 

[objecterror]

Hi Dave,

I read carefully through your post, it's well detailed information of what you did right and possibly with some troubleshooting could've done a bit better. From what I can tell, you've already moved the existing files you were looking for on the Windows 7 partition over to XP.

In the very beginning with Windows XP, I can say that I've never heard of Windows XP shutting down right after being booted up too.

If Windows XP is the operating system you'd like to stick with, then yes, you will be fine installing a fresh copy of XP onto the primary 80GB drive.

When you boot up in Windows XP, chances are you will have a great deal of reboots to update to Service Pack 3, unless you already have it. But, from the sounds of things you might have fixed the issue by reformatting everything and starting over.

 

[dodge_aries]

Hi Dave,

I read carefully through your post, it's well detailed information of what you did right and possibly with some troubleshooting could've done a bit better. From what I can tell, you've already moved the existing files you were looking for on the Windows 7 partition over to XP.

In the very beginning with Windows XP, I can say that I've never heard of Windows XP shutting down right after being booted up too.

If Windows XP is the operating system you'd like to stick with, then yes, you will be fine installing a fresh copy of XP onto the primary 80GB drive.

When you boot up in Windows XP, chances are you will have a great deal of reboots to update to Service Pack 3, unless you already have it. But, from the sounds of things you might have fixed the issue by reformatting everything and starting over.

The install disk is slipstreamed with SP3 and has updates applied up through November. I also have all of the Dell drivers handy. I'm just worried that I'm going to go through all of this trouble, and when I go to boot for the first time, it's just going to shut down again.

Has anyone else ever heard of this problem before with two system drives in one PC?

Thanks

Dave
dodge_aries