Two HDDs Issue

[Technicalfault]

Thanks to Automatic updates, I have to reinstall windows after just having finished reinstalling winows. Thankfully I have 2 HDDs which allowed me to do this, but the problem I am having now is when I have the 1 HDD plugged in that had all the automatic update's on it, the computer wont boot. I just want to wipe that HDD but I cant seem to get the computer to not hang when I have the other HDD on.

That may sound confusing so i'll put it like this.

HDD 1 had window automatic updates on it

HDD 2 was completely clean

HDD 1 lost it's ability to boot up windows

I unplugged HDD 1 and reinstalled windows on HDD 2.

Now, with HDD 2 plugged in ALONE windows will boot. Even in the order of HDD 2 in the SATA 0 spot and HDD 1 in the SATA 1 spot, the system still will not boot if I have HDD 1 plugged in, period.

Perhaps I am over looking a setting in the BIOS? Just need a little help with this one and then i'll address my Automatic Updates problem later.

 

[Punkid]

go to ur bios and look for BOOT settings...u should see the order in which the bios looks for a boot loader....set HDD 2 to first priority then it should boot fine with both drivers plugged in.

 

[Technicalfault]

I tried this and it still didnt work. I had someone on the Dell forums read an error code on the HDD that came back from a diagnostic. It seems the code reads back a bad hard drive.

So that's - 1 (250 gig) Hard Drive. Thanks Windows Automatic Updates! Couldnt had kill it without you!

 

[Ritwik7]

Plug in HDD 1 only and set BIOS to boot from CD / DVD. Insert the Windows disk and format the HDD. Then plug in HDD 2 an set the system to boot from it.

 

[Punkid]

by formatting Ritwik7 means that just format the drive and NOT install Windows on it

 

[Technicalfault]

Plug in HDD 1 only and set BIOS to boot from CD / DVD. Insert the Windows disk and format the HDD. Then plug in HDD 2 an set the system to boot from it.

This is not an option as when the hard drive is plugged in windows won't boot, even from the CD.

 

[Technicalfault]

Update : ran a diagnotic, someone who knows what the diagnotic codes mean looked at it and explains the trouble code I got ment the HDD is toast. Feel free to delete this thread moderator.