Best way to identify internal hard drives at boot


  1. Posts : 6
    windows 10
       #1

    Best way to identify internal hard drives at boot


    I have a custom built desktop, Cooler Master Haf Test Bench case, Asus z97 Sabertooth, 32 gigs, ram. I use the X-docks in the front for my boot drives. We put an Icy Dock 3 drives in 2 bay hot swappable cage on front left. These are for my storage drives. This way, when I want to install another hard drive I just take my current ones out and keep the one I want in the hot swappable dock.


    We even made the internals hot-swappable. Icy has a unit that fits inside one of the 3.5 holders, this can hold (2) laptop drives. The important thing I can take the side off the case and remove the drive myself.


    With the potential for having 7 hard drives in this case, if I want to boot up with the one I want, how do I know which is which? I labeled each one in Windows - icy dock top, x-dock bottom, internal laptop boot, etc.


    But when the Asus boots up I get something like P2, P3, E1, etc. Then the numbers on the drive. I am pretty sure these are the sata ports, and want to make sure these will not change.


    So if I put a hard drive in icy dock top in P2 and take and leave that out, and put in another drive, that boot up will also say P2, correct? Because this is still the same connection, same slot.


    And if the icy dock middle slot is P3 and I take that (boot) drive out and put this same drive in the icy dock bottom which is P5 then I will always know my boot drive will be in P5 until I remove it, correct? Just want to make sure.


    Is there another easier way to keep track? I would like my Windows labels for each drive better, but that probably couldn't be done.


    I currently only have two boot drives, both have Windows 10. I have both in the front x-docks while I boot up. I do have the internal hot swappable as a boot too. Is there any harm to doing this? Or should I only have one boot drive in the slots. Unless I have looked at one drive too many I can see the files on the internal hot-swappable, but not on the x-dock that I am not currently booting from.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 16,623
    Windows 11 Pro X64
       #2

    Yes those numbers are for the SATA ports. Look in the Boot options of your BIOS, and sect the drive with your OS to boot from. I believe the disk with your OS should always be on PORT 0, or 1 if you don't have zero. The lowest number, first port is where the drive with the OS should go.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 6
    windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks!


    Appreciate the confirm.
      My Computer


 

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