How to make primary HDD with OS boot

Z

zeitgeist909

New Member
I have two HDD's. One is an IDE HDD with Windows XP on it. The other is a SATA HDD with Windows 7 just recently installed on it. In the BIOS, it tells me that the IDE HDD is the primary HDD and it needs to be first in the Boot Device Priority - if I change this, I have an error on startup telling me that I need to change the Boot Device Priority, and this error only goes away if I make the IDE HDD first again.

What I want to do is to make my SATA HDD with Windows 7 be the Primary HDD, and for it to boot first. I want to disconnect my IDE HDD because I don't want to use Windows XP anymore, and want to purely use Windows 7 on my SATA HDD.

I tried (and failed) to use Powerquest Partition Magic to forcibly change the drive letter name on the IDE HDD from C: to something else, and to change the SATA HDD to C: but this change only works when I choose Windows XP on startup and then it subsequently fails to boot Windows XP - but choosing Windows 7 on startup works fine. This is because under Windows 7, the C: stays the IDE HDD unlike in Windows XP. I have another thread on this problem here: http://www.computerforum.com/168851-changed-c-lettering-now-wont-boot-os.html#post1407175

I would really like to get to the bottom of this, and I have been working on this for hours. I have a good amount of tech experience, and I have googled this extensively but I can't find anything that addresses this particular problem and I seem to be at my wit's end. Any help is very appreciated!
 
i have had problems with a dual boot machine on two different hard drives. it seems both are required when you install the second os on the second hard drive with the first hard drive still plugged in. i ended up having to reformat. annoying to have to do but it worked out for me in the end.
 
have you checked the jumper settings to see which one is "master" and "slave", could be worth a shot checking it out.
 
AusLinda said:
have you checked the jumper settings to see which one is "master" and "slave", could be worth a shot checking it out.
Click to expand...

SATA doesn't have jumper settings per say. He probably needs install windows while the other one is hooked up still. It all depends on how it was setup when he installed windows 7
 
johnb35 said:
SATA doesn't have jumper settings per say. He probably needs install windows while the other one is hooked up still. It all depends on how it was setup when he installed windows 7
Click to expand...

oh ok, well its good to learn new things (I'm still using IDE didn't know that Sata didn't have jumper settingsx.x)
[edit] fixed one of my lines [edit]
 
oh, actually i have had problems with which slot my sata drives were plugged into. try moving them around.
 
zeitgeist909 said:
I have two HDD's. One is an IDE HDD with Windows XP on it. The other is a SATA HDD with Windows 7 just recently installed on it. In the BIOS, it tells me that the IDE HDD is the primary HDD and it needs to be first in the Boot Device Priority - if I change this, I have an error on startup telling me that I need to change the Boot Device Priority, and this error only goes away if I make the IDE HDD first again.

What I want to do is to make my SATA HDD with Windows 7 be the Primary HDD, and for it to boot first. I want to disconnect my IDE HDD because I don't want to use Windows XP anymore, and want to purely use Windows 7 on my SATA HDD.

I tried (and failed) to use Powerquest Partition Magic to forcibly change the drive letter name on the IDE HDD from C: to something else, and to change the SATA HDD to C: but this change only works when I choose Windows XP on startup and then it subsequently fails to boot Windows XP - but choosing Windows 7 on startup works fine. This is because under Windows 7, the C: stays the IDE HDD unlike in Windows XP. I have another thread on this problem here: http://www.computerforum.com/168851-changed-c-lettering-now-wont-boot-os.html#post1407175

I would really like to get to the bottom of this, and I have been working on this for hours. I have a good amount of tech experience, and I have googled this extensively but I can't find anything that addresses this particular problem and I seem to be at my wit's end. Any help is very appreciated!
Click to expand...

You have multiple problems...
Because some BIOS just see IDE as Primary and SATA as Secondary.
You shoulded tried an Bios Update first.
I think in another part of BIOS, you can actually
choose from witch HDD you want to boot from first
(someware in the HDDs list and you can put the sata as first in that list)
About changing the drive letters with partition magic..another mistake
because as far as a know he doesnt deal very well with SATA
Hdds.
What you still can do is get an licence from
Winternals Erd 2005 Commander and boot from it
and change the drive letters back to the original form from
Disk management that ERD has inside of him.
Hope that helps
 
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