2 Hard Drives - Raid Card - Questions!

[CIVILIZEDGORILLA]

Hey guys!

So I have some basic questions here that I am sure I will get the answer from all you knowledgeable chaps and chappettes.

Right now, I have a PC (Windows 2000) with one hard drive. It is a 15GB hard drive that I have had for close to 4 years. It is partitioned into two halves. One half as my OS on it and the other half I use for storage and what not. I have not needed more space until now...Believe it or not. Anyways, I just got an iPod and I am going to start doing that whole mp3/mp4 dance and I am going to need some more space.

So, I have decided to get a new hard drive. I am going to get a Western Digital 200gb Caviar drive. I do want to keep the 15gb as a backup of sorts and to maybe keep music only. Not sure yet.

Anyways, do I need a RAID card to have two hard drives? Can I connect the 200gb to my primary master and the 15gb to the primary slave? And if so, when I format the 200gb and then partition it and then put Windows 2000 on one of partitions, will I have any problems when I boot up, since the 15gb already has Windows 2000 on one of the partitions.

SIDE NOTE: After all is said and done, I will be formating the 15gb back to one whole drive without partitions.

I guess as long as I tell the motherboard to boot from IDE-1, I should be fine right?

Let me know guys and give me some suggestions if you have any...thanks.

 

[Fuchs]

Just follow the manufactures directions for the jumper on the hardrive and set the large one to master or cable select. Put it on hte correct IDE port (closest to Mobo). load the OS on it and you're golden. WHen you load the os partition the large drive then.

for the 15g, you can put it in right away, just make sure it's slave. Most likely if it is on cable select it will become slave. Newer drives tend to be master :/

It won't boot the old OS unless the drive is master (IDE-0). You want it Slave (IDE-1)