Solved Install of Second Hard Drive Can'Format

derfsch

New Member
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I'm trying to duplicate my previous system where I had two hard drives with identical content. One was always disconnected so that one drtve could back up the other. I just installed a second drive in my current Windows 8.1 desktop computer and can't bring the second drive to an active status. I have followed several posts to the point where formatting the new drive is required and here I'm stopped, and can't go foward.

Does anyone have a procedure that can get this second drive to a useful state?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    AMD Athlon X2
    Motherboard
    Azus
    Memory
    3 Gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ?
Welcome to the forum can you post a screenshot of diskmanager showing the drive so we can see. Have you first created a parition then tried to format if so what error do you get. Is this an IDE drive or sata
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 8 pro
I have followed several posts to the point where formatting the new drive is required and here I'm stopped, and can't go foward.
What does, "can't go forward" mean? Are you getting an error?

And as samurai implied, we need to know more about the computer - motherboard or computer model, type of drive, and how you have the second drive connected. Is this second drive brand new?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
If I understand your opening post, I had the same thing on two of my three Windows 7 Professional OS computers; two identically-sized and partitioned HDs, an original OS and a copy OS via cloning the 1st HD onto the 2nd HD. I simply disabled the 2nd HD until it was needed. Am I paralleling you so far?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro 64bit [MS blue-disk set]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2 Acers & 1 Antec[?]
    CPU
    i7 in 2 Acers, i5 in desktop
    Motherboard
    Desktop w/Gigabyte
    Memory
    Two w/16GB, 1 w/8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Laptops GameWorthy; Desktop maybe GameWorthy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    flatscreens; 2 are BluRay worthy
    Screen Resolution
    1368x768; 1600x900
    Hard Drives
    1TB internals; 2 ext usb WD 1TB HDs
    PSU
    what's PSU?
    Cooling
    Regular plus external fans
    Keyboard
    desktio w/PS2
    Mouse
    desktop w/PS2
    Internet Speed
    DSL middle level [160?]
    Browser
    from Netscape 0.9 to FF 36
    Antivirus
    well-balanced, well-configured mult-layered defense is best
    Other Info
    From MS-DOS 3.3, MS-DOS 6.22, from Windows 3.1 to WFW 3.11 to Windows 95-98SE, now to Windows 7 Pro.
    Security for now: Windows 7 Firewall, Emsisoft AM, MSE [scan-only], SpywareBlaster, Ruiware/BillP combine
I think the 1st HD needs to be removed from the computer while you're marking 2nd HD's boot partition or the C partition as active. I do not know how to make a dual boot, others here can help with that.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro 64bit [MS blue-disk set]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2 Acers & 1 Antec[?]
    CPU
    i7 in 2 Acers, i5 in desktop
    Motherboard
    Desktop w/Gigabyte
    Memory
    Two w/16GB, 1 w/8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Laptops GameWorthy; Desktop maybe GameWorthy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    flatscreens; 2 are BluRay worthy
    Screen Resolution
    1368x768; 1600x900
    Hard Drives
    1TB internals; 2 ext usb WD 1TB HDs
    PSU
    what's PSU?
    Cooling
    Regular plus external fans
    Keyboard
    desktio w/PS2
    Mouse
    desktop w/PS2
    Internet Speed
    DSL middle level [160?]
    Browser
    from Netscape 0.9 to FF 36
    Antivirus
    well-balanced, well-configured mult-layered defense is best
    Other Info
    From MS-DOS 3.3, MS-DOS 6.22, from Windows 3.1 to WFW 3.11 to Windows 95-98SE, now to Windows 7 Pro.
    Security for now: Windows 7 Firewall, Emsisoft AM, MSE [scan-only], SpywareBlaster, Ruiware/BillP combine
My thanks to each of you who repllied. I'll try to supply answers to your questions.

samuria.... 'll need to hold off on a screeshot. I haven't created a partition since haven't had access to an image of of the new drive.

Itaregid.... No error comment. "can't go forward" means that there is no tab or button allowing or providing further movement toward format. My progress is stopped at this point. I can't provide details about the computer other than it is a Lenovo desktop about one and one-half years running Windows 8.1

RolandJS.... Yes, you are paralleling my previous sysytem exactly and what I'm trying to achieve with my present one. Unfortunately the first hard drive cannot be disconnected until the second drive is loaded by software which I wiil do with a backup program.

Again, thank you for your interest and I hope my response is not too cryptic.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    AMD Athlon X2
    Motherboard
    Azus
    Memory
    3 Gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ?
Its still not clear what you trying to do. If you want the new disk to be exactly the same as c drive you need to boot from a cloning software cd as you cant clone a drive in windows copy the first disk to the new one. If its just files you need to create a partition format and assign a drive letter then you can use it
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 8 pro
samuria, .............. Your latest reply is exactly what i'm trying to do. I do not have a Windows disk. My computer came with Windows 8 installed and I'm trying to prepare for Windows 10. I have Macrum Reflect to copy over my present 8.1 system in caase something goes wrong. Thanks for your continuing support.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    AMD Athlon X2
    Motherboard
    Azus
    Memory
    3 Gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ?
You have 2 choices use the Macurum Reflect boot disk and clone the drive to the new one this can be done in one go but you must boot the MR cd you can do it in windows. Option 2 you create a partition on the new drive format assign a drive letter thyen you can us MR to create a image of c on the new drive and that gives you room for a fair few images.

As win10 has a role back option for 30 days there is no need to panic just put all your docs photos etc in onedrive or Google drive so they go into the cload and are safe
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 8 pro
In order for the 2nd HD to become bootable by having its boot or C partition as marked Active,
I though the 1st HD has to be temporarily removed from the computer. Somebody tell me if I'm in error.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro 64bit [MS blue-disk set]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2 Acers & 1 Antec[?]
    CPU
    i7 in 2 Acers, i5 in desktop
    Motherboard
    Desktop w/Gigabyte
    Memory
    Two w/16GB, 1 w/8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Laptops GameWorthy; Desktop maybe GameWorthy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    flatscreens; 2 are BluRay worthy
    Screen Resolution
    1368x768; 1600x900
    Hard Drives
    1TB internals; 2 ext usb WD 1TB HDs
    PSU
    what's PSU?
    Cooling
    Regular plus external fans
    Keyboard
    desktio w/PS2
    Mouse
    desktop w/PS2
    Internet Speed
    DSL middle level [160?]
    Browser
    from Netscape 0.9 to FF 36
    Antivirus
    well-balanced, well-configured mult-layered defense is best
    Other Info
    From MS-DOS 3.3, MS-DOS 6.22, from Windows 3.1 to WFW 3.11 to Windows 95-98SE, now to Windows 7 Pro.
    Security for now: Windows 7 Firewall, Emsisoft AM, MSE [scan-only], SpywareBlaster, Ruiware/BillP combine
Just to let you know that I abandoned the "parallel HD" not too long ago. I had problems with boot, so I simply formatted the 2nd HD, and use it to simply store full images of OS and Data partitions, boot partition [System Reserved]. And, when I'm not making backups, the 2nd HD is disabled [not uninstalled].
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro 64bit [MS blue-disk set]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2 Acers & 1 Antec[?]
    CPU
    i7 in 2 Acers, i5 in desktop
    Motherboard
    Desktop w/Gigabyte
    Memory
    Two w/16GB, 1 w/8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Laptops GameWorthy; Desktop maybe GameWorthy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    flatscreens; 2 are BluRay worthy
    Screen Resolution
    1368x768; 1600x900
    Hard Drives
    1TB internals; 2 ext usb WD 1TB HDs
    PSU
    what's PSU?
    Cooling
    Regular plus external fans
    Keyboard
    desktio w/PS2
    Mouse
    desktop w/PS2
    Internet Speed
    DSL middle level [160?]
    Browser
    from Netscape 0.9 to FF 36
    Antivirus
    well-balanced, well-configured mult-layered defense is best
    Other Info
    From MS-DOS 3.3, MS-DOS 6.22, from Windows 3.1 to WFW 3.11 to Windows 95-98SE, now to Windows 7 Pro.
    Security for now: Windows 7 Firewall, Emsisoft AM, MSE [scan-only], SpywareBlaster, Ruiware/BillP combine
samuria, ............ In preparing for the upcoming download, I apparently got hung up on the format term. Most of my preliminary readings indicated formating is required. Once I took your advice and used Macrium Reflect, my backup was sucessful. Now I have two hard drives each containg the same information which is what i wanted.

Since I'm new at this forum, I'm not sure how to mark this thread Solved. Thank you for your continued support and all who respoded to my my first post.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    AMD Athlon X2
    Motherboard
    Azus
    Memory
    3 Gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ?
samuria, .............. This is the second time I've posted this response. My original to your last post appears to be lost, probably my fault.

I have taken your advice and used Macrium Reflect as a backup program which apprently took care of the format situation. I now have two drives with the same information on each one which I gave as my desire in my first post.

I'm not sure how to mark this as Solved but thank you again for your continued support.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    AMD Athlon X2
    Motherboard
    Azus
    Memory
    3 Gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ?
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