How to configure a 2nd SCSI SATA drive?


22:26 01/10/2007

How to configure a 2nd SCSI SATA drive?
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Specs: Win XP Pro SP2, Pentium 4 3 GHz, 445 MB RAM

Following drive specs obtained via 'Computer Management' and 'Device Manager':

Disk 0: ST316081 5AS SCSI Disk Device / 75 GB
Disk 1: ST380811 0AS SCSI Disk device / 150 GB (just added & initialized;
not yet configured, partitioned, formatted, etc.)


These drives are SATA drives. I know v little about SCSI and SATA drives
except
for what I'v just read on the Net. SEAGATE Website says no jumpers need be
set
and that all drives are considered as Masters. I do not know the implications
of having 2 Master drives. The following is from SEAGATE Website:

----------------------------------
Serial ATA drives are designed for easy installation with no jumpers,
terminators, or other settings. It is not necessary to set any jumpers on
this drive for proper
operation. The jumper block adjacent to the signal connector is only needed
in some cases when connecting your SATA II drive to an older SATA I
controller.

Each drive on the serial ATA interface connects in a point-to-point
configuration with the serial ATA host adapter. There is no master/slave
relationship because each drive is considered a master in a point-to-point
relationships. If two drives are attached on one serial ATA host adapter, the
host operating system views the two devices as if they were both “masters” on
two separate ports. This means both drives behave as if they are Device 0
(master) devices. Each drive has its own cable.

Your serial ATA host adapter may provide master/slave emulation options. See
your host adapter documentation for details.
----------------------------------

There are 4 SATA connectors on the mobo - 2 red (1 & 2); 2 black (3 & 4) -
and I don't have a clue as to the difference between the red and the black
ones - unless maybe the black ones are for 'Slave drives'.


I would like to make the new 2nd drive a Slave (if possible and if
adviseable) but have no idea how to go about it. Wouldn't have a clue about
any "host adapter documentation"; seems like a bit of overkill, just to make
a drive a slave drive. Thought Windows might give the option. With IDE it's a
matter of simple drive jumper relocation.

In Disk Management I got confronted w/ a riske "Dynamic Volume" wizard. "The
Elder Geek" provides some articles on this which made my hair stand on end
and my skin crawl. For sure I don't want to convert the Disk to Dynamic
Volume or RAID, etc. No way!

The article also givesa warning about not being able to convert back; yet
Windows Help (via 'Computer Management') says it's a simple matter and gives
the steps.

Who's right?

Fortunately and somehow I got the wizard to finally give me the 'basic disk'
option.


------------------------------------------

1. All I want to do is to make this 2nd drive a simple FAT32 backup drive
with a total of 4 partitions - and hopefully Windows XP will give me the
FAT32 option somewhere along the line. I don't want NTFS for several reasons.

2. If I cannot get the 'Slave drive' option, is it OK to just go ahead and
assume it'll turn into a 2nd Master? What are the consequences of this?

3. How do I partition this thing? Should I / do I need to first create a
primary
partition and then an extended partition, which I then partition into 3
logical
drives? or how?

4. Do I need to / can I (if I want to) install an OS (like Win XP Pro) on
the primary
partition? Is there any advantage to this? Would there be a conflict created
between the existing OS on Disk 0 and the new one on Disk 1 or would the
system boot normally via the OS on the C: drive?


I did not see any answers to any of the above specific questions in the
Windows Help on the issue in Computer Management.


Could someone please supply me with some understandable answers to the above?

Thank you very much,

--
Nak
.

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