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Keeping 2 HD's seperate.

  • 27-11-2006 11:23am
    #1
    coldfeet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 217 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I've got a pc with 2 internal HDs, both installed with xp pro. My plan was to use one as my normal pc and the other as a test environment. I wanted them totally separate from each other but if I boot A I can see B and if I boot B I can see A.

    Is there a way of re-installing the opersting systems keeping both drives separate or is it a hardware issue on the HD cabling. If it is an issue with the cabling is there a software answer to restrict access and hide the drives from the other.


Comments

  • #2
    matt-dublin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭matt-dublin


    U used to be able to do it in 2000 by creating one with an ntfs file system and the other with a fat32 file system.

    Probably the easiest solution would be to do it with hardware profiles i guess if its possilbe?


  • #3
    Ghost Train
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,472 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    If you go in to computer management in xp, and drive storage, you might be able to deactivate the second hard drive in each version of windows, so it can't be seen


  • #4
    coldfeet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 217 ✭✭coldfeet


    Thats a smashing idea, can't see why it won't work. The best solutions are always the easiest, I was thinking about putting a switch on the HD cables.


  • #5
    jayo2004
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 359 ✭✭jayo2004


    you should get a copy of virtual pc or vmware its great for testing. i have windows 2003 server, and 2 xp pro clients running on my laptop and still use xp on the laptop as my normal pc.


  • #6
    coldfeet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 217 ✭✭coldfeet


    I'm already running VMware on the second drive. But my test envoirment is for Trojans, viruses, spam, rootkits and any other imaginably bad thing so I don't want it interacting with my 'good' pc.


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  • #7
    TempestSabre
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,142 ✭✭✭TempestSabre


    Why not use removable caddies. We used to do that. One PC but a bunch of test disks.


  • #8
    el Bastardo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 573 ✭✭✭el Bastardo


    Use a partition manager or boot manager (Symantec, Acronis, Paragon... etc) to hide, unhide and assign drive letters, and also copy your MBR to every drive that you plan to use. AFAIK the WinXP computer management console can't do all this.

    I do this for exactly the same reasons as OP mentioned and it works well. There's absolutely no conflict and all OSs appear as C: drive (or equivalent) and not some other letter.


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