additional hard drive, Adding a second hard drive Options

[Maccabee]

I have an old computer that I have been using as a test computer but I have nothing to test, and i recently got a new desktop and I want to take the hard drive out of the old computer and put it into the new one for extra space. I know how to do it basically but I have some questions. First, should I format the hard drive of the old one, cause it currently has ubuntu on it and it has no files I need. second, I have a lot of open spaces for hard drives and there are a lot of power cables but there are no spare ide cables. And if I took some from the other computer where would they plug into. And lastly how would I make the new hard drive im installing the secondary one. And not effect stuff. Im pretty sure its called the slave hard drive actually. Thanks.

[shanaynay]

if you install it on a Second IDE cable you shouldn't need to set it to slave, but if it's secondary on the SAME IDE cable, then you need to set it to slave, I'd format it unless you want to keep ubuntu.

[heyo-captain-jac...]

You could always dual boot. I'd keep Ubuntu unless it's on a small hard drive.

[Maccabee]

I dont know how to do either of those. I have a spare ide cable and I know where it plugs into the harddrive but I dont know where it plugs into the computer. And I dont know how to make it a secondary on the same cable. Or hot to make it a slave. And I will format it.
Why would I keep ubuntu? No point. I have xp.
O wait...are you saying that if i dont format it ill be able to duel boot?

[heyo-captain-jac...]

I dont know how to do either of those. I have a spare ide cable and I know where it plugs into the harddrive but I dont know where it plugs into the computer. And I dont know how to make it a secondary on the same cable. Or hot to make it a slave. And I will format it.
Why would I keep ubuntu? No point. I have xp.
O wait...are you saying that if i dont format it ill be able to duel boot?

Yes.

Do you know what model (or at least what brand) motherboard you have? I might be able to tell you where to plug it in if I had that information.

[Maccabee]

Ill go take a look. Ill snap some pictures if I cant find out.
Edit: ummm...all i know is that its red. O and next to the ide cables on the mother board it says ide1 and ide2. I think those are the only two spots for ide cables.
O and a little offf topic but i noticed that next to my ram,on my motherboard it says DDR1 DDR2. Does that mean that it supports those? Right now its using DDR. Maybe i was wrong the whole time.

[heyo-captain-jac...]

Ill go take a look. Ill snap some pictures if I cant find out.
Edit: ummm...all i know is that its red. O and next to the ide cables on the mother board it says ide1 and ide2. I think those are the only two spots for ide cables.
O and a little offf topic but i noticed that next to my ram,on my motherboard it says DDR1 DDR2. Does that mean that it supports those? Right now its using DDR. Maybe i was wrong the whole time.

The ide1 and ide2 are probably the only spots for ide cables then.

For the DDR1 and DDR2 thing, it's probably labeling it like it did the IDE cable inputs.

[Maccabee]

So then where, how can I plug in the second hard drive? Without unplugging my disc drive. Which I guess I could do since I have an external one which is better anyways.

[heyo-captain-jac...]

As in a USB disk drive?

If the computer has a floppy drive, I would unplug that instead.

[Maccabee]

It doesnt.

if you install it on a Second IDE cable you shouldn't need to set it to slave, but if it's secondary on the SAME IDE cable, then you need to set it to slave, I'd format it unless you want to keep ubuntu.

How can I make it secondary on the same cable?

[Maccabee]

How can I make it secondary on the same cable?

Any takers?

[mipadi]

How can I make it secondary on the same cable?

You have to move a jumper on the rear edge of the HDD. Gotta check the hard drive -- there should be a little sticker on it that shows the position of the jumper for master or slave.

[Maccabee]

Umm...I dont understand...what are jumpers? And how can I connect the hard drive to the computer if there are no extra ide cables? I noticed that n my other computer on the ide cables it says master and slave but on the cables in this computer the cables are blank.

EDIT: Ok! I finally understand! No all I have to do is jumper the hard drive to be a slave, which is a little confusing but ill figure it out.

[mipadi]

Umm...I dont understand...what are jumpers? And how can I connect the hard drive to the computer if there are no extra ide cables? I noticed that n my other computer on the ide cables it says master and slave but on the cables in this computer the cables are blank.

The actual position on the cable doesn't matter -- it's the position of the jumpers that matter. Here's a good guide.

[Maccabee]

Well i realized that i dont need another ide cable cause on the ide cables theres a plug that says slave that you plug into the additional hard drive so they are both connected to the same ide cable if im correct.

I might scan the directions on my hard drive, cause on the little guide shows no little thing on the jumpers ot make it a slave. but i dont see how thats right.
PS: Thanks for all the help guys. Im still kinda a hardware noob.

[Maccabee]

How do I format a hard drive using ubuntu?
Or if I dont format the hard drive what will happen when I install it and turn it on on my windows cpu? All it has on it is ubuntu.