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(Solved) - New at installing windows - help with windows 8 and sata drive

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  • Started 4 months ago by computernewby
  • Latest reply from computernewby
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computernewby
Posts: 5

Hi
I am new to this so please explain like you would to some-one who has no real idea. I have read some posts about diskpart and am a little lost. here is what i have.

I have a PC with a 64 gig sata drive C and a 300 gig sata drive F inside the box. My C drive is partitioned.
I am running Vista (which i hate)
My C drive 64 gig is on the way out as I get a black screen with flashing curser on bootup. I get into windows only on every 6 or 7th attempt at swutching on and off.
My F drive is fine and just sitting in the machine where I used to store my docs, music etc. Its quite new.
I now have a windows 8 disk and licence key.

I want to know from scratch what to do as I would love to load windows 8 on the f drive 300 gig drive and take out the whole C drive altogether. I have backed up everything so I'd like to delete or clear the 300 gig drive also so that I can make it my computer instead of the frustrating ancient 64gig which is better off in the bin.

I am guessing that I need to get into F11 Bios first?
is there an Fdisk thing I should do first on the F drive, how?

what do I do first?

Posted 4 months ago #
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afuhnk
afuhnk
Posts: 309

Physically remove (or disconnect the 2 cables attached to) the 64Gb drive.
Start the computer with the Windows 8 CD in the CD/DVD Drive and follow the Windows 8 installation steps.

Note that if your computer is not set to boot from CD first you may have to enter BIOS (when you boot your computer, the first screen you see would normally show the BIOS/Setup key needed to enter BIOS/Setup - usually DELete, ESCape or one of the F keys [F1, F2 etc]) to change the BOOT ORDER (make sure CD/DVD drive is the first in the boot sequence).

Once in the installation setup it will ask you on what drive you want to install Windows 8 to. If you really don't need anything on the 300Gb drive, simply select any partition and hit 'Delete'. Once all partitions are deleted, click 'Next' and the installation process will do the rest on its own (that is, create the 350mb 'System Reserved' partition and the (new) C: partition.

No need for diskpart.

Posted 4 months ago #
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computernewby
Posts: 5

Thank you so much

I will give it a go and let you know what happens.

Dumb question but in the disk chamber the 2 drives are plugged there, how would I know which one is the right disk, do they normlly have the gig size written on them?

Posted 4 months ago #
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afuhnk
afuhnk
Posts: 309

On the sticker on each drive you will see the details of the drives, including size. That's how you'll know which to disconnect.

Posted 4 months ago #
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computernewby
Posts: 5

Thanks so much -i will keep the post open until my day off this week and I will try these things... Thank so very much

Posted 4 months ago #
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ispalten
ispalten
Posts: 6259

Another way to tell is to go into the BIOS (F11 I guess on your machine). On the page that shows the drives you should see the size. Note the SATA port it is on. Also look at the BOOT ORDER. Now trace the signal cable (not the power cable) back to the motherboard. Hopefully it shows the port number. Disconnect the one for the port for the 64GB.

One other thing, some machines are set to boot from ALL drives, that is the first hard drive and then the second. Before you start the install of the W8, to be 'safe', set the boot order to the 300GB drive and remove the 64GB drive from the boot order list.

Irv S.

Posted 4 months ago #
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computernewby
Posts: 5

Hello again

Okay - I and now sitting scratching my head and hoping I have not done something I can't fix.

I removed thr broken drive and put the machine back together - great.
I loaded windows 8 disk
it followed a process and then basically it worked.

There was no option to partition the drive and when I looked in the my computer file, it does not show a partitioned drive like it did before.
So I decided reboot with the disk and format the drive or clean it. It's done.
Now I reboot with disk inside and it goes back to the windows licence page and product key. After that it will again load windows with out partition...
How fo I get a partition?

Posted 4 months ago #
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computernewby
Posts: 5

okay - I found it on youtube.... yay. My computer is working now with a new partion

all is working really well

Accepted Answer · Posted 4 months ago #
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