How To Install A Second Hard Drive Windows Vista

Don't worry if this sounds like more than you thought - partitioning a hard drive in Windows isn't hard and usually only takes a few minutes to do. Follow the easy steps below to partition a hard drive in,,,, or: How to Partition a Hard Drive in Windows Note: Manually partitioning (as well as formatting) a hard drive is not necessary if your end goal is to install Windows onto the drive.

Both of those processes are included as part of the installation procedure, meaning you don't need to prepare the drive yourself. See for more help. •, the tool included in all versions of Windows that lets you partition drives, among a number of other things. Note: In Windows 10 and Windows 8/8.1, the is the easiest way to start. You can also in any version of Windows but is probably best for most people. See if you're not sure. • When Disk Management opens, you should see an Initialize Disk window with the message 'You must initialize a disk before Logical Disk Manager can access it.'

This article explains how to physically connect, disconnect, and install a WD external / easystore drive to a computer running Windows10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP or macOS.

Tip: Don't worry if this window doesn't appear. There are legitimate reasons you may not see it - we'll know soon if there's a problem or not.

Skip on to Step 4 if you don't see this. Note: In Windows XP, you'll see an Initialize an Convert Disk Wizard screen instead. Follow that wizard, making sure to not select the option to 'convert' the disk, unless you're sure you need to. Skip to Step 4 when done. • On this screen, you're asked to choose a partition style for the new hard drive.

Choose GPT if the new hard drive you installed is 2 or larger. Choose MBR if it's smaller than 2 TB. Tap or click OK after making your selection. Tip: See our guide on to learn how you can find out how big your hard drive is so that you pick the right partition style. • Locate the hard drive you want to partition from the drive map at the bottom of the Disk Management window. Tip: You may need to maximize the Disk Management or Computer Management window to see all the drives on the bottom.

An unpartitioned drive will not show up in the drive list at the top of the window. Note: If the hard drive is new, it will probably be on a dedicated row labeled Disk 1 (or 2, etc.) and will say Unallocated.

If the space you want to partition is part of an existing drive, you'll see Unallocated next to existing partitions on that drive. Important: If you don't see the drive you want to partition, you may have installed it incorrectly. Turn off your computer and double-check that the hard drive is properly installed.

• Once you've found the space you want to partition, tap-and-hold or right-click anywhere on it and choose New Simple Volume. In Windows XP, the option is called New Partition. • Tap or click Next >on the New Simple Volume Wizard window that appeared. In Windows XP, a Select Partition Type screen appears next, where you should choose Primary partition. The Extended partition option is useful only if you're creating five or more partitions on a single physical hard drive. Click Next >after making the selection.

• Tap or click Next >on the Specify Volume Size step to confirm the size of the drive you're creating. Note: The default size that you see in the Simple volume size in MB: field should equal the amount shown in the Maximum disk space in MB: field. This means that you're creating a partition that equals the total available space on the physical hard drive. Tip: You're welcome to create multiple partitions, that will eventually become multiple, independent drives in Windows. To do so, calculate how many and how large you want those drives to be and repeat these steps to create those partitions. • Tap or click Next >on the Assign Drive Letter or Path step, assuming the default drive letter you see is OK with you.

Note: Windows automatically assigns the first available drive letter, skipping A & B, which on most computers will be D or E. You're welcome to set the Assign the following drive letter option to anything that's available. Tip: You're also welcome to change the letter assigned to this hard drive later on if you want. See for help doing that. • Choose Do not format this volume on the Format Partition step and then tap or click Next >Note: If you know what you're doing, feel free to format the drive as part of this process.

However, since this tutorial focuses on partitioning a hard drive in Windows, I've left the formatting to another tutorial, linked in the last step below. • Verify your choices on the Completing the New Simple Volume Wizard screen, which should look something like this: • Volume Type: Simple Volume • Disk selected: Disk 1 • Volume size: 10206 MB • Drive letter or path: D: • File system: None • Allocation unit size: Default Note: Because your computer and hard drive are unlikely exactly like mine, expect your Disk selected, Volume size, and Drive letter or path values to be different that what you see here. File system: None just means that you've decided not to also format the drive right now. • Tap or click on the Finish button and Windows will partition the drive, a process that will only take a few seconds on most computers.

Note: You may notice that your cursor is busy during this time. Once you see the new drive letter (D: in my example) appear in the listing at the top of Disk Management, then you know the partitioning process is complete. • Next, Windows tries to open the new drive. However, since it's not yet formatted and can't be used, you'll see a 'You need to format the disk in drive D: before you can use it. Do you want to format it?' Note: This only happens in Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7.

You won't see this in Windows Vista or Windows XP and that's perfectly fine. Just skip to Step 14 if you're using one of those versions of Windows. • Tap or click Cancel and then proceed to Step 14 below. Tip: If you're familiar with the concepts involved with formatting a hard drive, feel free to choose Format disk instead.

You can use our tutorial linked in the next step as a general guide if you need to. • Continue to our tutorial for instructions on formatting this partitioned drive so you can use it. Advanced Partitioning Windows doesn't allow for anything but very basic partition management after you create one, but a number of software programs exist that can help if you need them. See our list for updated reviews on these tools and more information on what exactly you can do with them.

An article by shantanu After reading this article you will be able to fix some of the problems that stop a user from using their external USB hard disk drives properly & will also help in the situation where your Windows Operating system based computer does not detect your external Hard disk drive. There are quite a few explanations for this problem & I have compiled this guide to address almost all of the known issues & help a user get rid of these problems for a smoother computing experience.

This guide addresses the most basic & the complex procedures to resolve some problems with your external hard disk drive. Follow the steps below: Checking USB Connection • If you External drive is USB powered, make sure that your cable is connected properly and the USB slot is a powered slot. • Try replacing the USB Cable • If your external drive is powered through an adapter, make sure your adapter is working fine, replace and check, if necessary.

• Try plugging your drive into another USB port USB Drivers • Always make sure that you have the latest USB & Chipset drivers installed in your computer. • To check, run windows update to update your computer • or • Go to your motherboard / system manufacturer’s support website, download & install the latest drivers from there.

Device Management • If you plug-in your device & it does not show up in my computer. The first thing to check is that whether your device has been detected in your computer or not. • To check • Go to start menu & type Device Manager • • Now, there are two things to check here. The first thing is whether your device is listed within disk drives of not. Check the screenshot above to confirm that my Seagate Go Flex USB device is listed there. In a similar way, you external USB device should be listed here. • Just to make sure click the last button, just under Help menu, to refresh the hardware listed there & to install any newly added device.

• Second, thing to check is your Universal Serial Bus Controllers, list therein ( device manager ) & make sure all USB ports and enabled and are working properly. • Go to start menu and type device management or right click the computer icon and click on device management ( you might have to provide administrator password here ) • Double click on storage • Double Click on Disk Management • • Refer the screenshot above and make sure all of your drives listed here have a drive letter assigned to them, • if you see a drive that does not has a drive letter assigned to them • Right Click that drive • Click on Change Drive letters & paths • Now, add a drive letter here. Running Disk Diagnostics • Sometimes due to a error in file system or on the disk, your hard disk might just fail to detect in your computer system. • An easy way is to gain access to a diagnostic software that might be available free to you on the hard disk manufacturer’s website. • Download & install such software.

• Run the software to detect issues with your drive Using a Live Disk, just to check • If you have any live disk with you, you can boot from that disk to check if it detects external drive. • Gparted live CD is a good tool to start with • If a Live CD detects your drive, it’s time to repair your Windows installation. • Check your disk for errors before exiting the live CD Repairing Windows File System • If you have a Windows CD / DVD with you or if you have a Windows 7 repair disc, boot from it • On the first menu press Shift + F10 • This will open up the command prompt • type diskpart • type list disk • If you see your external disk here • type select disk n ( n being the no. Example 0, 1,2 listed besides your disk ) • if everything seems fine here ( size, file system etc. ) • type exit • type exit again • Run CHKDSK with the drive letter • Boot back into Windows • Go to, Run ( Windows key + R ) • Type, SFC /SCANNOW • wait for the process to complete IF this does not solve your problem • check if you can open up your external enclosure • Take your drive out and plug it directly into your computer system • If your drive works, backup your data • Buy another External enclosure • Plugin your drive to check if it works • Make sure you backup your data before doing any of this.

• Format your drive ( repartitioning is also recommended ) • NOTE: Do any of the above said steps at your own risk. Do not open your computer hardware or your HDD external enclosure, if you are not comfortable with it. Telecharger Java Tete La Premiere Pdf Writer. Hire a professional to do it instead.

If any damage or warranty violations occur, the author of this article will not be held responsible for it. Have you tried formatting it via Command prompt? To do this: go to start menu and in the start menu search type cmd, right click the CMD ( command prompt ) that appears in start menu ->right click it and click on run as administrator let say your device is L format L: ( you can also /q for quick format ) There can be quite a few reasons for Explorer to stop working: 1. File system problems ( try running SFC /SCANNOW ) type this command in RUN 2. Also you can run chkdsk /f in command prompt to check your disk for errors 3. Update your Chipset / USB drivers. Hello, Thanks for the info.

I’ve just had a PC die on me, so I extracted the HDD from it, in an attempt to save all my data. I then went out and bought a new portable PC (it was long overdue anyway), and ended up with Windows 8. The Human Web Mcneill Ebook Library more. I bought an empty SATA disk case, mounted the old HDD in it and plugged it to the *new* and shiny portable PC. And the (now external) HDD seems to be running, its diod is lit (meanig there’s power going through), but the drive doesn’t show anywhere – AT ALL. Help, please? Hi, 1.Try changing your cable The step mentioned below will void your warranty. So please do it at your own risk.

Buy a 2.5″ external enclosure 2. Open your Seagate Free Agent drive to remove the casing.

Take the HDD out and plug it into the new external enclosure you bought or if you have a desktop PC, you can plug it directly to a SATA port as well & recover your DATA. ( this will work if your HDD is ok and only the USB casing has a problem ) PS: Do this at your own risk. I take no responsiblity for any damage to your HDD or any warranty issues. Hello, The first thing you should do is, to download and install the latest Chipset, storage controller & USB 3.0 driver ( USB 3.0 drivers are the most important in these ) drivers for your computer from the manufacturer’s support website. Next, make sure that your computer is connected to the internet and go to device manager ( control Panel ) and right click your conflicted hardware ( the USB 3.0 ehdd) and click on update driver. Also, make sure that your windows installation is updated.

Special Note: I have faced a similar problem & have noticed that USB 3.0 devices are detected as some other devices if and when the proper USB3.0 ( motherboard ) drivers are not installed or are not properly installed. Hi, Have a laptop with usb 2.0 ports (win XP SP3) and an external 3.0 hdd. The transfer speed seemed slow so I bought an express card adapter with 2 usb 3.0 ports and installed the associated software, “renesas electronics usb 3.0 host controller driver”; since then my external hdd is not seen at all when connected to the usb 2.0 ports, not even in the Computer management. All other flash disks and usb 2.0 hdd’s are working ok, except this 3.0 hdd.

Any idea of what may have happened? Thanks for help. With a problem of this kind, the first step is to check the physical connections. Unplug and reconnect the drive in each available USB socket one after another, keeping an eye on the drives list in My Computer. Try swapping out the USB cable with a spare.

If no luck, then attach the drive to a different computer. If it doesn’t show up there then the problem is almost certainly related to the hardware or the connection. If it does appear on the second computer then it’s a system problem and you should then use the configuration tools mentioned above, beginning with scanning for hardware changes in Device Management. If nothing works then you might consider rolling back recent changes to the operating system using System Restore. With such a common piece of plug-and-play equipment as an external hard drive updating drivers is really clutching at straws. As a last resort reinstalling Windows is practically guaranteed to clear the problem.

I have a old Laptop Dell Inspiron Mini it was die Screen Problem, so i extracted the HDD from it, and i bought an SATA disk case, mount the old HDDin it. Now i have Toshiba 250 GB External HDD i connect throught USB in my vaio Windows 8, Drives not open.

HDD show in Device Manager and property is Device working Properly. Now i open Disk Management it take time and says loading disk configuration information, still 30 mins it says loading disk configuration information. But it work Perfectly on Windows 7 Laptop, i check another Windows 8 Laptop i found same problem issue. I have 3 Partitio in my HDD. What i do, Check Screenshot of My Laptop. Go to your computer / motherboard manufacturer’s support website and download install the latest drivers from there.

If you are unable to locate the drivers, please share your computer model /configuration and i will locate the drivers for you. Alternatively, you can run windows update and select any hardware updates from the optional and recommended updates section. OR Go to device mangaer in control panel ->expand Display Adapters ->Right click the adapter and click on update driver ->choose automatically locate option ( make sure you are connected to internet).

After reading all the issues I do not have a very good feeling after buying this new laptop with windows 8 on it. I want to get some information off the old hard drive and want to know what adaptor to buy, but from the sound of it, nothing is going to work. I need some way to get the information off the OLD hard drive and onto the NEW computer, has windows 8 made this impossible?

It not what cables should I buy? I feel like I have been dooped buying this computer with windows 8 on it.