Hello Folks,So, after 8 days I finally got my entire FSX computer built (parts). Today, I will start to install every bit of software to my computer. But, since I am not a software guy (only an Airbus & Boeing "pilot"), I need your assitance with installing the software correctly. Now, the only reason for the confusion, in my part, is due to now I am using 2 HD instead of one.--- First HD: Drive C: (Contains the OS, and every other software, except FSX stuff)--- Second HD: Drive E: (Dedicated FSX and all Flight Simulation Add-ons, only) QUESTIONS: (1) Do I need to install the OS (Windows 7)to the second HD, as well or not? (2) If I don't need to install the OS to the FSX HD, does it means when I boot-up the computer, I just need to start MS FSX and the OS will detect it on the second HD? (3) I can imagine when I start installing FSX and other add-ons, I will have an option to install it under Drive C or E correct? (4) Defragmenting: Do I need to specifically download and install the O&O Defrag software to Drive E (FSX) HD, so as to defrag each HD separately, or by installing it to the C: Drive will defrag both drives at the same time? (5) I have not done any changes in the BIOS such as Raid stuff...All I did was conect 2 HD to my MOBO and format them...Drive C:(Windows 7) and Drive E:(FSX stuff only)So, basically my confusion is due to having 2 HD and I don't understand how the computer will handle itself if I did not install any OS on the FSX HD. I may be making things more difficult than what it is, but I rather ask where I'm going and what to expect, rather than to "fly" without a "flight-plan" Sounds fair ?I appreciate you guys...Please respondJohn

Hello Folks,So, after 8 days I finally got my entire FSX computer built (parts). Today, I will start to install every bit of software to my computer. But, since I am not a software guy (only an Airbus & Boeing "pilot"), I need your assitance with installing the software correctly. Now, the only reason for the confusion, in my part, is due to now I am using 2 HD instead of one.--- First HD: Drive C: (Contains the OS, and every other software, except FSX stuff)--- Second HD: Drive E: (Dedicated FSX and all Flight Simulation Add-ons, only) QUESTIONS: (1) Do I need to install the OS (Windows 7)to the second HD, as well or not? (2) If I don't need to install the OS to the FSX HD, does it means when I boot-up the computer, I just need to start MS FSX and the OS will detect it on the second HD? (3) I can imagine when I start installing FSX and other add-ons, I will have an option to install it under Drive C or E correct? (4) Defragmenting: Do I need to specifically download and install the O&O Defrag software to Drive E (FSX) HD, so as to defrag each HD separately, or by installing it to the C: Drive will defrag both drives at the same time? (5) I have not done any changes in the BIOS such as Raid stuff...All I did was conect 2 HD to my MOBO and format them...Drive C:(Windows 7) and Drive E:(FSX stuff only)So, basically my confusion is due to having 2 HD and I don't understand how the computer will handle itself if I did not install any OS on the FSX HD. I may be making things more difficult than what it is, but I rather ask where I'm going and what to expect, rather than to "fly" without a "flight-plan" Sounds fair ?I appreciate you guys...Please respondJohn

you can get all your info here: http://www.simforums.com/forums/topic29041.htmlJim

Hello Folks,So, after 8 days I finally got my entire FSX computer built (parts). Today, I will start to install every bit of software to my computer. But, since I am not a software guy (only an Airbus & Boeing "pilot"), I need your assitance with installing the software correctly. Now, the only reason for the confusion, in my part, is due to now I am using 2 HD instead of one.--- First HD: Drive C: (Contains the OS, and every other software, except FSX stuff)--- Second HD: Drive E: (Dedicated FSX and all Flight Simulation Add-ons, only) QUESTIONS: (1) Do I need to install the OS (Windows 7)to the second HD, as well or not? (2) If I don't need to install the OS to the FSX HD, does it means when I boot-up the computer, I just need to start MS FSX and the OS will detect it on the second HD? (3) I can imagine when I start installing FSX and other add-ons, I will have an option to install it under Drive C or E correct? (4) Defragmenting: Do I need to specifically download and install the O&O Defrag software to Drive E (FSX) HD, so as to defrag each HD separately, or by installing it to the C: Drive will defrag both drives at the same time? (5) I have not done any changes in the BIOS such as Raid stuff...All I did was conect 2 HD to my MOBO and format them...Drive C:(Windows 7) and Drive E:(FSX stuff only)So, basically my confusion is due to having 2 HD and I don't understand how the computer will handle itself if I did not install any OS on the FSX HD. I may be making things more difficult than what it is, but I rather ask where I'm going and what to expect, rather than to "fly" without a "flight-plan" Sounds fair ?I appreciate you guys...Please respondJohn

John,1. No, you only need to install it onto one drive. You will have to format it to NTFS, however. This is done either when installing the operating system initially, or once it's installed, by double clicking the hard drive icon for the one you want to format in 'Computer.'2. Yes, the computer recognises all the drives and will display them separately in 'Computer'3. Again, yes you will. This can be done in the normal way you install a program, ie. pressing the browse button and navigating to the desired install location using the dialogue box, or you can also just type the path. In windows, the path always starts with the drive letter. For example, "C:\Program Files\" if you typed that into windows explorer, it would go to the C drive, and then the folder named Program Files. Sorry if you know that, but from your questions I just presume you're slightly new to things like this!4. The E drive is just another storage area, and windows recognises it as its own. It's part of the one system, therefore any programs you install, no matter what drive, or folder you install it to, will work anywhere on the system. In O&O, you will see a list of drives that are installed on your system, all you have to do is select the ones you want to defrag and do it in the usual way.5. Finally, you don't need to worry about RAID. As far as I'm aware, though it most certainly isn't my area of expertise and I may well be wrong (do correct me if I am), RAID is just a system where one hard drive copies the other exactly, which creates a backup should the main drive fail. But for the average user, it's not something to be worrying about.I hope my answers help, and if there's any confusion let me know!

So long as you can see your second HD when you look on 'my computer', you can install anything you like on it and it will run just fine, because if you can see it, so can any program just as long as you point it there. So all you need to remember, is that when you install anything for FS, make sure it says 'E:' at the start of the installation path rather than 'C:', which most installers tend to default to.You don't need an OS on your other drive, although you could put a really pared down one on there and boot up from that, which would free up a bit more RAM for FS, but that would not really make a huge difference unless you were really short of RAM. As a matter of fact, I have FS on an external F drive.Al

There are different types of RAID, here's my understanding of it(do correct me where I'm wrong): The one most popular with gamers/simmers is the version which has two harddrives sharing the load called RAID 0 (zero), which means the computer can read stuff off the disks twice as fast as with one harddrive. The type puffmac describes is the backup and safety type, called RAID 1, where two harddrives look identical. Common for both is that only one of the two physical harddrives is visible in "My Computer".Drawback with RAID 0 is that if one disk fails (2 disks = more chance of a failure), you lose ALL of your data. Drawback with RAID1 is that you don't get any performance increase, and you need twice the space for everything.So in short don't worry about RAID for now. If you still experience blurries or if FSX takes ages to load, only then do you need to start thinking about either RAID0 (preferably with velociraptor disks), or even SSDs(solid state disks) which are pricier but even faster than that.

Here's more than most home users will ever need to know!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID

John,1. No, you only need to install it onto one drive. You will have to format it to NTFS, however. This is done either when installing the operating system initially, or once it's installed, by double clicking the hard drive icon for the one you want to format in 'Computer.'2. Yes, the computer recognises all the drives and will display them separately in 'Computer'3. Again, yes you will. This can be done in the normal way you install a program, ie. pressing the browse button and navigating to the desired install location using the dialogue box, or you can also just type the path. In windows, the path always starts with the drive letter. For example, "C:\Program Files\" if you typed that into windows explorer, it would go to the C drive, and then the folder named Program Files. Sorry if you know that, but from your questions I just presume you're slightly new to things like this!4. The E drive is just another storage area, and windows recognises it as its own. It's part of the one system, therefore any programs you install, no matter what drive, or folder you install it to, will work anywhere on the system. In O&O, you will see a list of drives that are installed on your system, all you have to do is select the ones you want to defrag and do it in the usual way.5. Finally, you don't need to worry about RAID. As far as I'm aware, though it most certainly isn't my area of expertise and I may well be wrong (do correct me if I am), RAID is just a system where one hard drive copies the other exactly, which creates a backup should the main drive fail. But for the average user, it's not something to be worrying about.I hope my answers help, and if there's any confusion let me know!

Thanks, Andrew... And I appreciate all of you guys for your input. I feel that my questions have been answered; so I will now proceed...If it catches fire, I'll let you guys know...Or better yet I'll come looking for ya"ll :(