Vista install on a laptop

[Dr. Indera]

hello,

i am trying to figure out if this will work.

i can install a second internal hard drive on my laptop.
can i install vista and office 2007 on that hard drive and only that drive?
i don't want to take the risk of anything being installed or changing
anything on my C drive.

if this is possible, will i be prompted to pick a drive or something like
that when i turn the laptop on?
if so, can i set xp to be the default.
i only need vista for testing purposes (surprise, surprise)

are there any external devices (that are reasonably priced) that i could
install vista and office on?


i also don't understand the requirements for aero. is what i have
sufficient?

my laptop has the following:
video card is mobility radeon 9600 series agp - i know i purchased 128 mb of
video ram, but i can't find an option that states that
1 gig of ram
P4 3.0 ghz
max screen resolution 1440 x 900
the second hard drive would be 60 gig. i wouldn't install any other software
on that drive unless you say it's ok.

any help would be greatly appreciated.
thank you.

ps. going forward would it be a good idea to buy laptops with 2 internal
hard drives, so that when something like this comes along, i won't have to
panic?

 

[Tom]

You can choose in the setup program to install onto the second hard drive -
but the setup program WILL replace your Master Boot Record on your first
harddrive with the Windows Bootloader - but it should retain the operating
systems you currently have...


Tom

 

[Dr. Indera]

hi tom,

i have a feeling that even with a second hard drive that something would be
touched on my current hard drive.

this sounds like i could have some problems doing this and i really can't
afford to have anything happen to my laptop, especially if something happens
because i installed beta software.

i've read that the min ram one should have it 512.
i have seen some $499 laptops, but they only have 256 mg and then i'm not
sure if vista will run on celeron chips.
i don't have a budget that high, and i don't have the space for a desktop,
which i could probably find for less then $499.

thank you. i'll have to come up with something.
--
Indera
* * * * * * * * * *
Don't just live life.
Live life well.


: You can choose in the setup program to install onto the second hard
drive -
: but the setup program WILL replace your Master Boot Record on your first
: harddrive with the Windows Bootloader - but it should retain the operating
: systems you currently have...
:
:
: Tom
: : > hello,
: >
: > i am trying to figure out if this will work.
: >
: > i can install a second internal hard drive on my laptop.
: > can i install vista and office 2007 on that hard drive and only that
: > drive?
: > i don't want to take the risk of anything being installed or changing
: > anything on my C drive.
: >
: > if this is possible, will i be prompted to pick a drive or something
like
: > that when i turn the laptop on?
: > if so, can i set xp to be the default.
: > i only need vista for testing purposes (surprise, surprise)
: >
: > are there any external devices (that are reasonably priced) that i could
: > install vista and office on?
: >
: >
: > i also don't understand the requirements for aero. is what i have
: > sufficient?
: >
: > my laptop has the following:
: > video card is mobility radeon 9600 series agp - i know i purchased 128
mb
: > of
: > video ram, but i can't find an option that states that
: > 1 gig of ram
: > P4 3.0 ghz
: > max screen resolution 1440 x 900
: > the second hard drive would be 60 gig. i wouldn't install any other
: > software
: > on that drive unless you say it's ok.
: >
: > any help would be greatly appreciated.
: > thank you.
: >
: > ps. going forward would it be a good idea to buy laptops with 2 internal
: > hard drives, so that when something like this comes along, i won't have
to
: > panic?
: >
: > --
: > Indera
: > * * * * * * * * * *
: > Don't just live life.
: > Live life well.
: >
: >
: >
:
: