Tom said:
Anna,
This sounds like the solution I have been seeking. To verify:
One (and only one) Desktop PC.
One Internal Hard Drive.
One (maybe two) Mobile Rack(s) installed.
One copy of Windows XP installed on the Internal Hard Drive.
The same copy of Windows XP installed on the "Mobile Rack Drive".
Boot from the Internal Hard Drive for, let's say, business activites.
Boot from the "Mobile Rack Drive" for, let's say, family game, photo,
music,
etc., activites.
Only one drive in operation at a time.
Information on the separate drives is completely discrete. So, if I want a
word processing program to operate from each drive, I must install it on
each
drive.
Will I be able to accomplish this with one licensed copy of Windows XP?
Any tips on a quality mobile rack drive manufacturer?
What will I need to do or watch for when I begin installing Windows XP in
this setup? (Not looking for in-depth instructions here, only a point in
the
right direction).
Thanks in advance.
Tom:
I see you've received a response to your latest query from Timothy Daniels,
so I'll try not to be too unduly repetitive (although it's not in my nature
to do so!)
You seem to have a good handle on the points you raised re using removable
HDDs. All the points you raised can be answered in the affirmative, with the
possible exception of the need to install programs, such as the word
processing program you mentioned, separately on each HDD. As I believe Tim
pointed out, using a disk imaging program such as Acronis True Image, to
"clone" the contents of your day-to-day working HDD to another HDD (say, one
that's in the mobile rack you've installed), then that "destination" HDD
would obviously contain the word processing program assuming it was
installed on the source HDD to begin with. So there would be no need to
undertake a separate installation on the destination drive. And, of course,
the same would be true for any application/program that was on the source
HDD. But, of course, if for one reason or another, the "owner of that
removable HDD" desired to add, modify, or delete this or that program,
obviously they would be free to do so. After all, he or she would be the
"owner" of that drive, right?
Some time ago we prepared a rather detailed "treatise" on the use of
removable HDDs so I'm including it here just to give you some additional
background on this most worthy hardware configuration...
Assuming your desktop computer has two available 5 1/4" bays, i.e., vacant
bays that you can utilize, you can equip your computer with one or two
removable hard drives in their mobile racks. By equipping your desktop
computer in this fashion you will, for all practical purposes, be able to
simply and easily maintain a near fail-safe backup system and at the same
time be able to experiment with different programs and configurations with
the full realization that should anything go awry you will be able to return
to your original system and configuration in a near-instant. And accomplish
this from the comfort of your computer chair with no need to get inside your
computer case to make (what can be) complicated cable/power disconnects and
connects. In my view it's close to an ideal system for many, if not most
desktop PC users and I can virtually guarantee that once you begin working
with this arrangement you'll never want to return to the "old" way. It's
that good.
The HDDs are housed in so-called "mobile racks" that fit in the 5 1/4" bays
of a desktop's computer case. The racks themselves are two-part affairs with
the HDD residing in a removable tray that slides in & out of the rack. The
beauty of this arrangement is that the hard drives can easily be accessed
from outside the computer case. Note that these mobile racks are designed
for desktop computers and are not feasible for laptop/notebook machines
because of the latter's size/weight considerations. (Although I have to add
that a very few manufacturers have released notebooks with one internal HDD
and one removable HDD).
So by using a disk imaging program such as Symantec's Norton Ghost or
Acronis True Image or other disk imaging program, the user can routinely
clone the contents of his or her day-to-day working HDD to the second HDD,
thus having a virtual bit-for-bit copy of that working drive. And through
the use of additional removable trays the user is free to create additional
clones on hard drives that they can easily remove from the premises for
near-absolute security.
Then again, one can use separate (limitless!) hard drives for whatever
purposes desired -- installing different operating systems, installing
experimental programs of one sort or another, providing each family member
with his or her own HDD secure in knowledge that each system will be
physically distinct and not impact on any other system. And with additional
removable trays the user can make clones of those drives.
And if and when the day comes when one's HDD goes to "Hard Drive Heaven"
("Hell"?) it's a quick & simple matter to replace that drive with a cloned
HDD, and to do so from the comfort of one's chair without the need to get
inside the computer case.
My preference, if at all possible, is to equip one's desktop PC with two
removable hard drives. However, if the user has only a single 5 1/4" bay
available to house just one mobile rack, he or she can still profitably use
a single removable HDD. In this instance assuming we're working with a fixed
internal HDD as well as a removable HDD and further assuming that PATA and
not SATA HDDs are involved, the fixed internal HDD (presumably the C: drive)
would be configured as Secondary Master while the removable HDD would be
configured as Primary Master. This would allow a boot from the removable HDD
when connected without the need for accessing the system's BIOS. However,
the user could reverse these connections if for one reason or another it was
more practical to do so.
Of course, if the desktop PC was equipped with only a single removable HDD,
i.e., no fixed internal HDD, then that HDD would be obviously connected as
Primary Master.
Most mobile racks are equipped with a simple ON-OFF keylock so that the HDD
contained therein is electrically disconnect from the system when the rack's
keylock is in the OFF position. (For additional safety one could physically
disconnect the removable HDD from the system by a simple pull of the
removable tray's handle. No more difficult than opening a miniature desk
drawer)
Do you see the enormous advantages in this hardware configuration? Now you
can safely "play around" with a wide variety of programs & configurations on
either your day-to-day working HDD or a cloned HDD, confident that if
anything goes awry (even to the extent that your working HDD becomes
physically or electronically defective), you have a perfectly good bootable
clone that is virtually instantly at hand. And you can easily clone back to
your internal HDD (assuming it's non-defective) the contents of the
previously cloned removable HDD.
And with each family member having his or her own HDD, think of the
isolation afforded by that arrangement and its inherent advantage of one
person's system not impacting on another's system.
There are a wide variety of mobile racks available on the market today
ranging in cost from about $25 (all plastic) to $50 and up for the
all-aluminum models. Interestingly enough, in my experience working with
more than a score of different makes & models by & large we've never found
much difference among them either in performance or reliability. Since we're
working nearly exclusively these days with SATA HDDs, we're using mobile
racks designed to house that type of HDD. As of late we've been using the
Athena MR-125 model. It's an all-plastic model that's relatively
inexpensive - about $25 or so. Has a 80 mm fan at the bottom of the rack
which is a nice feature. I know newegg carries it and it's generally
available from a number of online vendors. I think it also comes in a model
designed for PATA HDDs. But there are many, many mobile racks designed for
both PATA & SATA disks. Do a Google search of "mobile racks" to peruse the
many different models that are available.
Installing the rack(s) themselves is a comparatively simple matter. No more
difficult than installing an optical drive.
I can assure you that once you begin working with removable HDDs you'll have
but one regret -- that you hadn't had this hardware configuration on your
current or previous desktop computer(s). The flexibility together with peace
of mind that you gain from this arrangement cannot be overstated.
BTW, with respect to a disk imaging program...
We've been quite taken with the Acronis True Image program which we've been
working with extensively for nearly two years now. You may want to consider
that program (Acronis has a 15-day trial version available) for your disk
cloning needs. I recently posted to this newsgroup step-by-step instructions
for using that program. You may want to take a look at them. The thread was
"Re: XP home backup utility" and my posting was dated 11/18/06.
Anna
