New Build: New & Old Hard Drives

[Ages]

I am putting together a new system. I have a new SATA WD6400AKS HD that I intend to install Windows Vista 64 SP1 on. It will be my primary boot drive. I also have my old boot drive with Windows XP Professional that has all of my old programs (Web authoring tools, various office programs and games); it is a SATA 150gb VelociRaptor. Once I install Vista will Vista recognize the VelociRaptor and will I be able to access files and use the programs and games on that drive?

New System Build:

Motherboard: Gigabyte EP45-UD3P
CPU: E8400
Cooler: Tuniq Tower 120
Memory: 8GB DDR2 PC1100 G.Skill
Video Card: Saphire HD4850 1GB
Aforementioned Hard Drives
Monitor: Sony Professional 19" CRT (I'll be upgrading soon)
Case: Antec 902
DVD Burner: Samsung SATA

 

[Ages]

There has to be someone out there that can answer this. Any recommendations?

 

[Rifter]

I dont see a problem with that, it should be formatted NTFS if its from XP and be no problem for vista to see.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Any program that requires a normal "install" will not be able to run from your old XP drive. The program registered certain things with Windows XP that enable it to run, and you're no longer running XP so those items aren't available when you try to run that program.

You can access files and stuff just fine, but programs generally won't work anymore.

 

[Ages]

Can I reinstall the programs in vista and expect them to work using files from the xp drive?

 

[Barfo]

Originally posted by: Ages
Can I reinstall the programs in vista and expect them to work using files from the xp drive?

Positive.

 

[Ages]

Ok, I have another question. I built this system as a gaming rig. Do I gain any processing speed advantage by partioning vista? If so does it matter which hard drive I put the OS on? I'm planning on putting my games on the Velociraptor. I'm mainly concerned about speed as it relates to online multiplayer gaming. Your advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Rifter]

The first partitions on a drive are faster from what i have been told. I always put my Linux swap first then the OS partitions then storage partitions. If they were all diff physical drives i guess it would not matter. I would think you will want the OS and games on the raptor to maximize performance.

 

[taltamir]

Originally posted by: Ages
Ok, I have another question. I built this system as a gaming rig. Do I gain any processing speed advantage by partioning vista? If so does it matter which hard drive I put the OS on? I'm planning on putting my games on the Velociraptor. I'm mainly concerned about speed as it relates to online multiplayer gaming. Your advice is greatly appreciated.

not enough to matter. Partitioning however SHOULD be done... because if you need to reinstall vista, anything on the other partition remains... you have a lot LESS to backup if you partitioned the drive.

 

[Ages]

Thanks! I'll partition. How much space should I allocate to the Vista 64 partition?

 

[taltamir]

mine, with all the programs, and temp files and whatever on it, has 23GB out of 60GB free right now. (vista64)

It really depends on how you want to use the drive. I want to use it to install programs, but all games, and data and a few programs which don't require install go on partition D.
Biggest thing to do is once you install it, go to your user directory, right click on each folder (documents, music, etc) and select properties, there select "location" and change it from C:\Users\Yourname\Documents to be D:\...

That way that stuff
1. wount clog your C drive.
2. Doesn't need to be backed up in case you want to reinstall windows (IT DOES need to be backed up to prevent loss in case of drive failure!)