2 HDD's, No system disk

[telegramsam]

So I've read through the guides and I don't think I've seen how to do this:

I have an HP with XP on it, but it's a 10G drive.

I also have a 40G HDD out of an HP that got torched in a lightning storm. I want to put the 40G drive into the machine with the 10G in it--but I don't have a system disk to reformat it...

Can this be done? I'd like to keep the 40G intact because the 10G was a work machine used by a ...well... not so bright individual. It's got issues.

Thanks everyone...

BTW--these ARE both LEGAL copies of XP...In case the MAN is watching!!

[ski]

It can be formatted in XP's Disk Management:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=309000

[telegramsam]

Thanks!!

[telegramsam]

Ok, so let's see if I understand this correctly...

I have the second (larger) HDD installed as a second drive at this time (E).

I've found the HDD in disk management, now what? Should I initialize it? Then install it as the primary?

I can't find initialize in the right-click menu!!

[Panama Red]

Right click on the area with the name of the drive right in front of the Unallocated bar.

[telegramsam]

Change drive letter and paths?

[Panama Red]

Nope, Initialize.

[telegramsam]

In the upper window, my right click menu consists of:
Open
Explore
Mark Partition as Active (This one is shaded, can't access it)
Change Drive Letter and Paths
Format
Delete Partition
Properties
Help

In the lower part where it shows basic--size of the drive--Online, I've got:
Convert to dynamic disk
Properties
Help

Directly to the right of that, the menu is the same as the upper window...

Am I crazy???

Wait--don't answer that...!!!

[telegramsam]

Wait--If I change the drive letter to C, would that make it usable? I suppose if I switch cable ends (They're both on the first IDE channel) I'll just be back where I started--but the boot path says "C"...

Sorry to be a pain you guys--

[glc]

Are you saying that you want to install the 40 gig drive, complete with its existing load of Windows, into the machine as the primary drive? I would not try it without having the Windows CD. It's not going to sucessfully boot without a repair reinstall of Windows.

[telegramsam]

Ok--I thought that could be done.

So if I built a new machine I'd have the same problem, wouldn't I?-- Meaning that I'll have to buy a copy of XP to do it?

[glc]

Yes, you will need a legal copy of XP, not a name brand computer recovery disk.