Installing a secondary old SATA HDD into a new SATA machine

**Steforian** · March 11, 2011, 06:31 PM

Hello all, here's my question(s):
I recently bought a new desktop computer with Windows 7 x64 and a SATA 1tb HDD. What i want to do is connect my old Windows XP (32bit i think...) SATA 320gb HDD to my new machine, so that i can at-least copy all my files over onto my new 1tb drive.
I took the old HDD out of the old machine, and made a half-hearted attempt to put it into the other, yet faltered when i saw that the connecters look nothing alike (and different model HDD's as well). SO what plugs do i plug into what?
Any help is MUCH appreciated! And ask as many questions as you want in order to assist me better!

**Ishan** · March 11, 2011, 10:47 PM

Connect your secondary drive in the SATA_1 etc port after the primary one. For that you only need 2 cables one data that is your sata cable and the other one power cable from your PSU.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Grabbing your motherboard manual is also a right move.

**Steforian** · March 12, 2011, 06:45 AM

Thanks for the quick reply, and there's no complications from one HDD being from Windows XP and the other being Windows 7?

EDIT: i also checked the mobo manual, and it basically said to 'plug the two cables into the new HDD' not 'how' or 'where'. But ill try what you said anyway.

**Ishan** · March 12, 2011, 07:00 AM

No there won't be any complications your 2nd drive will be picked up as a simple data drive as it will be a slave drive.

**Steforian** · March 12, 2011, 06:07 PM

Hmm was posting previously that the HDD was installed and working when my PC crashed randomly

**Ishan** · March 12, 2011, 08:05 PM

Run the PC in safe mode make your backups first then format the drive properly.

**Steforian** · March 12, 2011, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by Ishan

Run the PC in safe mode make your backups first then format the drive properly.

When you say to format the drive, what exactly do you mean by that?

**Ishan** · March 13, 2011, 01:46 AM

You are using 7 right so when you plugged the 2ndary drive in then did you saw a notification that new drive installed etc on the right hand side of your taskbar?

And by format i meant complete sweep of the drive after backing up the data ofcourse, right click & format and stuff.

**Steforian** · March 13, 2011, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Ishan

You are using 7 right so when you plugged the 2ndary drive in then did you saw a notification that new drive installed etc on the right hand side of your taskbar?

And by format i meant complete sweep of the drive after backing up the data ofcourse, right click & format and stuff.

Yes i saw that pop-up, and i had a folder in the added HDD open while posting when the PC crashed. Complete sweep of the drive? I added the old drive to transfer the music/pictures/files to my new drive.