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General discussion

ReInstalling windows xp with two drives present

Dec 23, 2004 12:51PM PST

Hi, If I reinstall windows xp on a computer with two drives, and the second drive has important data that I want to keep, when I reinstall will I loose all my data on my other drive to?

Ie I have a C and D drive, i want to reinstall on c, but have imp. stuff on D. when i reinstall, will my files and things on d be lost? If I wont loose the data will I still be able to access my files on D after reinstall normally?

Discussion is locked

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Sometimes.
Dec 23, 2004 1:01PM PST

The date should stick, but these forums have posts where the owner didn't have a backup or plan if the data goes missing. Unplugging the drive might work, but sometimes it didn't.

Since hard disks do unexpectly "vanish", how is the backup looking today?

Bob

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it will be fine
Dec 23, 2004 6:25PM PST

if you want to unplug your D: drive, that would ensure a safe format without deleting anything, however if you are loading windows onto it, it specifically asks you, at the beginning of the setup process, wich drive you want to format (if any) and setup you new windows on. if you make sure to choose the right drive there won't be any problems. the people the other poster was talking about that lost data only lost it cuz they weren't paying attention to what the were doing, or they are complete idiots.

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Take NO chances, pnp!
Dec 25, 2004 2:36AM PST

Been there, done that, have the T-shirt...

As Bob Profitt points out, Windows reinstalls do weird things sometimes. The word to the wise is: Backup that D: drive to CD/DVD BEFORE reinstalling Windows to the C: drive - just in case.

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reinstall wxp
Dec 25, 2004 6:21AM PST

Keep cool, man. If you have 2 different physical hard drives, "C" and "D", and your desire is re-installing wxp onto one of them, "C" I suppose, nothing will happen to your data on "D" drive. But, if you still feel unsafe, just disconnect the power cable from your drive "D" during the process.

Good luck.

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Unplugging is not enough.
Dec 25, 2004 6:31AM PST