Vista - Adding a new hard drive

Not being a hardware wiz , but wanting to add a second drive, is this a
valid approach?

The system now has CD and DVD drives as PRIMARY master/slave.
The ATA hard drive is the SECONDARY master. (This has worked fine for years.)

Can I assume that adding the new HD (P)ATA is a matter of…

Jumpering it as the slave.
Plugging the second connector on the SECONDARY master ribbon cable (along
w/power) into the drive.

Anything missed?

Can I further assume that changing boot order in BIOS will bring up the
desired drive, or that a multi-boot loader can be utilized?

Grazie

On Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:06:38 -0700, augie@dg.us wrote:

>Not being a hardware wiz , but wanting to add a second drive, is this a
>valid approach?
>
>The system now has CD and DVD drives as PRIMARY master/slave.
>The ATA hard drive is the SECONDARY master. (This has worked fine for years.)
>
>Can I assume that adding the new HD (P)ATA is a matter of…
>
>Jumpering it as the slave.
>Plugging the second connector on the SECONDARY master ribbon cable (along
>w/power) into the drive.

Yes.

>
>Anything missed?
>
>Can I further assume that changing boot order in BIOS will bring up the
>desired drive, or that a multi-boot loader can be utilized?

How are you planning to use the second drive?
Depending on the BIOS, BIOS setup will have either a Hard Disk
Priority or just a Hard Disk setting that allows you to place one of
the hard disks at the top of the list. This is the disk that the BIOS
will boot from. Before installing Windows on the second disk, if you
want the Windows dual boot menu to appear, make sure that the first
disk is at the top of the list after you have connected the second
disk.

>
>Grazie