Adding a new additional hard drive to my p6703w desktop to have a32bit xp duel boot.

[hprookie]

I want to add an addition sata hard drive to my machine to give me the option to boot up in 32 bit xp or 64bit windows7. I have some software that runs 32 bit and it's too expensive to replace. I have a stand alone seat of XP professional to load to the new drive. I have tried to run the software using windows7 in XP mode and it doesn't like it.

My question is  this.  First of all is it possible? If so, will any SATA drive work? Also what cables will I need? Also will I need to load new drivers on the new drive to run at 32 bits? Seeing my machine wants to run at 64 bits, or will the XP install take care of that?

Thanks.

[lasvegaswireman]

Yes, it is possible to dual two OSes on different drive. You could also repartition the existing drive and install both OSes on different partitions. Almost any SATA II/III drive should work. With a retail drive kit, everything should be included. With an OEM drive, you will need a SATA II/III cable and a power cable. Windows XP will attempt to load the drivers, however you will need to locate and install drivers for many devices. Your machine is both 32bit and 64bit capable... If you install a 32 bit OS, the machine is considered to be a 32 bit system... If you install a 64 bit OS, the machine is considered a 64 bit system... So yes, XP will take care of it, kind of.

One last issue, XP doesn't recognise SATA AHCI out of the box. To use AHCI mode, you will need to locate and extract the drivers and hit "F6" during the initial phase of setup. If you set SATA to IDE mode, your existing Windows 7 install will crash. It will take some effort to resolve this issue.

Frank