Adding a second HDD with windows 8 in it

[lighatnight]

Hi, I have a important question. I have a 240 sdd and a 120 sdd card. Right now a combined 360 gb only is causing some problems. I want to install a hard drive into my computer with 1 TB in it, however it has windows 8 installed in it already. Will this cause problems? Thanks, Garrett

[MaxBunny]

1 minute ago, lighatnight said:

Hi, I have a important question. I have a 240 sdd and a 120 sdd card. Right now a combined 360 gb only is causing some problems. I want to install a hard drive into my computer with 1 TB in it, however it has windows 8 installed in it already. Will this cause problems? Thanks, Garrett

If you can format it first, or if you have a usb connection (hdd enclosure), then that would be preferable. Your BIOS will read it as a boot device and might try to load it.  That's the only issue. But once windows is up you can plug them in, open up disk management, and format/set a drive letter for it.

[Oshino Shinobu]

As long as you're still booting from your current OS drive, it's not an issue. If you want the HDD to be clean, you can just boot up and format the drive. 

[lighatnight]

1 minute ago, MaxBunny said:

If you can format it first, or if you have a usb connection (hdd enclosure), then that would be preferable. Your BIOS will read it as a boot device and might try to load it.  That's the only issue. But once windows is up you can plug them in, open up disk management, and format/set a drive letter for it.

So basically when I boot it up, the computer will ignore windows 8 and install normally?

[MaxBunny]

Just now, lighatnight said:

So basically when I boot it up, the computer will ignore windows 8 and install normally?

If you boot it up, AND your ssd boots first, then you're good to go.

[lighatnight]

Just now, MaxBunny said:

If you boot it up, AND your ssd boots first, then you're good to go.

My ssd is in Sata 1, so it will boot first.. right? Sorry I'm very noobish at this and I don't want ANY mistakes

[Oshino Shinobu]

3 minutes ago, lighatnight said:

My ssd is in Sata 1, so it will boot first.. right? Sorry I'm very noobish at this and I don't want ANY mistakes

Not necessarily. If you go into the BIOS and go to boot order settings, you'll be able to choose which drive gets priority. 

[lighatnight]

1 minute ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

Not necessarily. If you go into the BIOS and go to boot order settings, you'll be able to choose which drive gets priority. 

Ok, I already have my ssd as priority so I should be good!

[Zmax]

Your system may see both windows during the boot . Just choose the one you want to use.

 

This may not happen, since you have not use this bios to install window on the hdd

[Enderman]

9 minutes ago, lighatnight said:

So basically when I boot it up, the computer will ignore windows 8 and install normally?

You need to go into the BIOS and make sure that the boot priority list has your SSD first on it, and preferably that the HDD is not on the list.

[Zmax]

Before connecting the HDD just save any info you need on the SSD just in case you need to do a format all drives 

[ArduinoBen]

as long as you don't boot it and set your boot drive to the SSD, as well as formatting it after you login, it will be completely fine.