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This may be a silly question, but is it possible to install the same copy of WindowsXP on 2 different HDs in a single computer? So I could have a hard drive with just all the essential recording stuff loaded, and then a seperate hard drive with all the MS Office, Internet, etc stuff loaded. I hear about dual boot systems using 2 different operating systems all the time, but never really hear about using the same OS on both...

Also, do you think I would have luck using the Dell OEM version of Windows XP on my new setup? (I'm phasing out the dell, but moving a lot of the components into a new case/motherboard/CPU)

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Scoobie Sat, 11/18/2006 - 16:06

Why use two drives for a dual boot set up. You can creat two partions on one drive and creat one for office and internet. Then have a striped down version of your OS to use for recording . I use to do this along time ago , back in 98se days.

Your disk that came with your computer, the Dell version of XP. It will work but you will have to activate the OS with'in 30 days. I know this will work because my wife has a Dell and the motherboard failed. I replaced the motherboard and harddrive and used the Dell OEM disk that came with the computer to load XP. It work just like any other OS disk that I have.

Peace...........Scoobie

Reggie Sat, 11/18/2006 - 16:22

Basically, I'm thinking about hard drive wear (whether it is important or not, I guess). I may use the everyday harddrive for gaming too, and figured there was no need to stress my recording OS harddrive with all that. Because I can, I guess. Thanks for the OEM info. But do you think my idea is actually possible: one copy WinXP, one computer, 2 bootable harddrives, same OS ?

hueseph Tue, 11/21/2006 - 18:03

Yes it will definitely work. Xp will write a new mbr on your primary drive. Not sure that it will mirror an mbr onto the secondary drive but I think that you can do this in the repair console from your install disc. Not that you will need to necessarily but just in case I suppose you could boot from disc and run the repair console on the secondary drive and write a new mbr.

hueseph Wed, 11/22/2006 - 20:51

I could be wrong but when you set a channel to raid doesn't it affect the other channel? I think that your computer will expect you to set the other two drives in raid configuration also. I'm not sure that you can do an install with two different configurations on the same computer unless maybe you have a pci raid card. I could be wrong.