F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Do you know how to boot to another hard drive on older Dell PCs?

Do you know how to boot to another hard drive on older Dell PCs?

Do you know how to boot to another hard drive on older Dell PCs?

T
Terreur_QC
Member
62
09-20-2021, 07:41 PM
#1
I own a few older Dell computers that I need to configure for various operating systems. For the Optiplex 745 and XPS 400, I don’t have a way to select different drives or adjust boot priorities. What steps should I take?
T
Terreur_QC
09-20-2021, 07:41 PM #1

I own a few older Dell computers that I need to configure for various operating systems. For the Optiplex 745 and XPS 400, I don’t have a way to select different drives or adjust boot priorities. What steps should I take?

N
NinofanTOG
Member
211
09-22-2021, 02:54 PM
#2
Your understanding is correct.
Each host computer needs two hard drives installed.
At startup, you should be able to choose which hard drive will host the operating system you want.
You are using an OS?
N
NinofanTOG
09-22-2021, 02:54 PM #2

Your understanding is correct.
Each host computer needs two hard drives installed.
At startup, you should be able to choose which hard drive will host the operating system you want.
You are using an OS?

K
katara_bryant
Junior Member
36
09-22-2021, 04:13 PM
#3
The Optiplex 745 is set up with Windows 10 on the main drive, Windows 7 on a secondary drive, and Windows XP 32/64 on another secondary drive that isn't currently installed. The XPS 400 runs Windows XP MCE on the primary drive, and I wanted to install Windows Vista on the secondary drive.
K
katara_bryant
09-22-2021, 04:13 PM #3

The Optiplex 745 is set up with Windows 10 on the main drive, Windows 7 on a secondary drive, and Windows XP 32/64 on another secondary drive that isn't currently installed. The XPS 400 runs Windows XP MCE on the primary drive, and I wanted to install Windows Vista on the secondary drive.

J
JasonGamerZ
Member
53
09-27-2021, 11:36 AM
#4
Can you change the physical connections of the drives?
J
JasonGamerZ
09-27-2021, 11:36 AM #4

Can you change the physical connections of the drives?

N
Nivatakunta
Junior Member
40
09-28-2021, 10:11 PM
#5
Just a guess if you have an option called legacy bios play with it see if these other drives then show in the boot order.
N
Nivatakunta
09-28-2021, 10:11 PM #5

Just a guess if you have an option called legacy bios play with it see if these other drives then show in the boot order.

S
skyfall666
Member
50
09-30-2021, 10:24 AM
#6
It is currently set to Legacy Mode, which is the sole available setting for these machines.
S
skyfall666
09-30-2021, 10:24 AM #6

It is currently set to Legacy Mode, which is the sole available setting for these machines.

T
TX_Toxic
Junior Member
3
09-30-2021, 12:04 PM
#7
In a somewhat unexpected way, it falls under "Boot Sequence." It seems you can only turn features on or off there, or adjust their position in the boot order, but you can actually highlight "Hard Disk" and then press Enter to open a popup menu for choosing the drive make and model to boot from. Clearly, every drive you want to use must have an active partition with a properly formatted MBR.
T
TX_Toxic
09-30-2021, 12:04 PM #7

In a somewhat unexpected way, it falls under "Boot Sequence." It seems you can only turn features on or off there, or adjust their position in the boot order, but you can actually highlight "Hard Disk" and then press Enter to open a popup menu for choosing the drive make and model to boot from. Clearly, every drive you want to use must have an active partition with a properly formatted MBR.

T
Thalli
Junior Member
18
09-30-2021, 12:54 PM
#8
You can test the startup of machine mash F-12 key until it displays boot options. You should be able to select the desired drive during that startup.
T
Thalli
09-30-2021, 12:54 PM #8

You can test the startup of machine mash F-12 key until it displays boot options. You should be able to select the desired drive during that startup.