[Garg11]

OK so i just bought a new Asus Mobo for a new rig im building.. Newegg.com - ASUS P5N-D LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards my tech level is average, well after much research and inspection, i've relized that there is only 1 IDE slot, but i have both an IDE DvD drive and 2 IDE format Hard drives (just bought a 320 gig last Xmas) and im wondering if i can hook both the HD and the DvD drive upto the same cable (they come w/ 2 output plugs but ive always had 2 HD's pluged in never mix of 2 diff components) Will i be able to run both DvD and HD off the same cable, or am I going to need to suck it up and get some Sata HDs for my new rig?

[Peter.Cort]

you can mix and match with ide drives. problem is you can only have 2 hooked up at once. i would suggest getting a SATA optical drive because they are cheaper then a new hdd, and you don't ahve to move stuff over.

[Saxon]

Well IDE is old most people on here making a new system won't use IDE as it's older slower an makes for bad airflow inside a case, as peter said SATA drives are cheep now (god i can recall when a 80gb SATA hard drive cost over £100) get yourself either a new hard drive in sata or a optical drive. You can mix an match with IDE an SATA (i.e. you can have both) but personally i would just upgrade both my drives to SATA.

[oldskool]

Plus you can plug a SATA drive into your existing IDE slot that you are already using. Make sure your master drive is on the end of the cable when sharing a cable between two drives.

[CrazeD]

Originally Posted by oldskool

Plus you can plug a SATA drive into your existing IDE slot that you are already using.

...What?

SATA and IDE are not backwards compatible, whatsoever.

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by CrazeD

...What?

SATA and IDE are not backwards compatible, whatsoever.

Ok, I forgot to mention that you would use a SATA to IDE bridge chip like this one found at this URL

SATA MINI BRIDGE CONVERTER SATA DRIVE TO IDE CONNECTOR

Also, I braincramped, SATA doesn't need to be set to master or slave. I knew that it could be done though, regarding hooking a SATA drive into a IDE controller slot.

[Garg11]

thanks guys for the info. i think im gunna just shell out for a new sata drive, but my main concern was losing all the data on the old IDE HD's i use a 40 gig for windows and junk and a 320 for games, pics, music etc... Also, A friend told me.. that if i was to build a new system and use my old HD's (with Wind XP installed and upto date) that i wouldnt be able to use the same copy of Windows and i'd have to repurchase it?

Can anyone confirm or bust this Myth?

[Saxon]

You won't be able to put your old hard drive in a new system an boot it as normal, You would have to reinstall it but as you have basically built a new system (MS classifies a new motherboard as a new system) it would break the TOS to install on a new system. So you would be legally required to buy a new copy of XP.

[Garg11]

/beats the TOS w/ a Nerf stick

OK so another question, I'm going to need a new OS, i'm planing on Vista. Here is my plan, buy a new SATA HD and install it fresh, BUT, what copy do i need?

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit English 1pk DSP OEI DVD for System Builders - Operating Systems

or

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 English NA DVD - Operating Systems

that's a $110 difference, but what are the difference between the two?

[oldskool]

As far as I know OEM software (original equipment manufacturer) is sold for system builders as the description states in your link. It is supposed to be bought with a particular piece or set of hardware normally, and many places sell OEM software, looking for an extra buck or 3.

I am pasting a link:

Microsoft Authorized Distributors List

of "official" sites that Microsoft has posted that are available to buy OEM software legally from Microsoft. Weird, I didn't see Newegg.com there. :freak:
OEM software is not reportedly transferable either.

If I am wrong, sorry for misinformation, but I think I am right.

Also, you may want to read some of this Microsoft SMB Community Blog : OEM Software. Let's Set The Record Straight...