How to Check if a Hot Swap Drive is Compatible?

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  1. Posts : 5,207
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #11

    I am not sure you know what a Hot Swappable Drive is. But, If your C: Drive gets infected with a Virus while you Swappable drive is in the computer, there is a risk of it getting infected to. So your theory of having a removable secondary drive and not running the risk of getting infected won't work. But Viruses like to infect the Windows drive and don't usually spread to a secondary drive, whether it is internal or a USB HDD.

    I mentioned, that if you have a Hot Swappable drive enclosure in the computer with just Data on it, no OS, you can remove the tray while the computer is on, and replace it with another tray with a Data drive in it, where the term Hot Swap comes from. It may take the computer a few minutes to recognize the drive. But I don't recommend doing it this way.

    I do not understand when you say you want to Switch Drives, but not Swap them?
    When you have a secondary drive attached, either internally directly to the motherboard, thru a Swappable Bay, or a USB HDD. the files can be accessed thru the C: Windows Drive. It will show up as another drive with a different drive letter. Is that what you are trying to do?
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  2. Posts : 3,020
    Linux:Debian, Kali-Linux... 2xWin8.1,2x7Pro, Retro:1x2003server.1xXPpro, 1xW2k,1x98SE,1x95,1x3.11
       #12

    so you are saying that no, Hot swap drive can be replaced while a computer is ON?

    and No OS can unmount a drive while it still in the computer and the computer is on and in use?
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  3. kwp
    Posts : 56
    w10
    Thread Starter
       #13

    spunk said:
    I am not sure you know what a Hot Swappable Drive is.
    Uhh I actually do.

    But, If your C: Drive gets infected with a Virus while you Swappable drive is in the computer, there is a risk of it getting infected to.
    Yes, theres a virus spread risk when both the swappable and other drive are still running at the same time. In that case, the other drive may still infect the swappable drive.

    But I want a main drive that can house games, for example, and a swappable to house my personal data. So while the main drive is running, the swappable is disabled. When I want to "switch" between the two, I'd want to shut down the main drive and afterwards start up the swappable drive. I dont want to have both running at the same time. That way theres no risk of virus spread from main drive to swappable drive.

    Let me know what you think.
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  4. Posts : 5,207
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #14

    Then you want a USB External HDD. When you don't want to access it, unplug the USB cable from the computer.
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  5. kwp
    Posts : 56
    w10
    Thread Starter
       #15

    spunk said:
    Then you want a USB External HDD. When you don't want to access it, unplug the USB cable from the computer.
    Thanks for the reply. But plugging/unplugging seems to be uncomfortable for me.

    Wouldnt it be possible to have 2 internal HDs with one being disabled while the other is running? IN such a way theres no cross infection when I shut down the running HD then boot up the other HD?
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  6. Posts : 5,207
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #16

    Again, the likeliness of an infection spreading to another drive is highly unlikely.
    If you are thinking of a Hot Swap, you first have to install a HDD removable caddy to the computer. Then put the drive into the removable tray. When you want to "Disable" it, you remove the tray from the caddy, removing it from the computer.

    If you have an external USB drive then you can press the Windows key +X and choose Disk Management. Right click the Disk # (ie) Disk 1, Disk 2 etc, and choose Properties/Driver tab and press the Disable Device Button. The Disable button is greyed out for Internal HDD's, only viewable on External drives.
    Or you can shut down the computer, open your case and unplug the power plug to the secondary internal drive.
    Personally, unplugging the USB cable seems much easier to me.
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  7. Posts : 3,020
    Linux:Debian, Kali-Linux... 2xWin8.1,2x7Pro, Retro:1x2003server.1xXPpro, 1xW2k,1x98SE,1x95,1x3.11
       #17

    kwp said:
    Thanks for the reply. But plugging/unplugging seems to be uncomfortable for me.

    Wouldnt it be possible to have 2 internal HDs with one being disabled while the other is running? IN such a way theres no cross infection when I shut down the running HD then boot up the other HD?
    If you had used Linux Desktop you have had this you want as one of the basic system function.... just open the file manager(Explorer in windows) right click on the harddrive and click Unmount.. and to mount it again you click on the drive in the file manager and enter the password and the drive/partition gets mounted again... if enter the wrong password and the system has no read/write access.

    But this is windows.
    You can kind of half achieve this in windows.
    one way.. Open disk-management. mark/click on the partition/drive you want to disappear. Right click and then click "change drive letter and paths" and then click Remove.
    Then the drive wont show up in the system. it is "kind of" unmounted.... And to mount it again.. same procedure and in "change drive letter and paths" you click Add.. and select the drive letter you want... I use "kind of" as that drive can be accessible by sophisticated malware.. but "most" ransomware does attacks drives that is shown in the system with a drive letter.
    The other way is to create a virtual hard drive you can mount and unmount.... that drive will be a large file on one of your harddrives

    That is the best windows can do without hardware Raid so you have an unmount function.
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  8. Posts : 5,029
    several
       #18

    kwp said:
    Thanks for the reply. But plugging/unplugging seems to be uncomfortable for me.

    Wouldnt it be possible to have 2 internal HDs with one being disabled while the other is running? IN such a way theres no cross infection when I shut down the running HD then boot up the other HD?
    yes. get a hotswap caddies that have a power switch on the front of them. I do it all the time.
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  9. kwp
    Posts : 56
    w10
    Thread Starter
       #19

    Or you can shut down the computer, open your case and unplug the power plug to the secondary internal drive.
    Personally, unplugging the USB cable seems much easier to me.
    With all due respect thats completely out of the question. Too much work.

    If you have an external USB drive then you can press the Windows key +X and choose Disk Management. Right click the Disk # (ie) Disk 1, Disk 2 etc, and choose Properties/Driver tab and press the Disable Device Button. The Disable button is greyed out for Internal HDD's, only viewable on External drives.
    Kinda confused and hope you can make what you said clearer. So if I use an external USB drive, how would disabling the internal drive make it visible in the external drive? How would the internal drive being shut off become visible in the external drive?

    spunk said:
    Again, the likeliness of an infection spreading to another drive is highly unlikely.
    Really? I thought infection could spread between drives. I didnt know infection couldnt spread between 2 HDDs.
    So if I have 2 HDDs, I can switch between them, like I can shut down one and boot the other?
    Last edited by kwp; 20 Mar 2023 at 22:37.
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  10. Posts : 5,207
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #20

    So if I use an external USB drive, how would disabling the internal drive make it visible in the external drive? How would the internal drive being shut off become visible in the external drive?
    You can only Disable an External Drive in the Device Manager, you can't Disable an Internal drive, that is a Windows Safe Guard against accidentally Disabling the C: Drive.

    Really? I thought infection could spread between drives. I didnt know infection couldnt spread between 2 HDDs.
    So if I have 2 HDDs, I can switch between them, like I can shut down one and boot the other?
    I didn't say it Couldn't spread to other drives, I said the Possibility is Low that it may spread. With Windows Security (Defender) in Windows, Viruses are not as prevalent as they were in previous versions of Windows, and most Viruses attack the OS and do not infect Data Drives unless you save an infected app or file to a Data drive.

    Personally, unplugging the USB cable seems much easier to me.
    My point is, if you want to Easily Disable a Secondary drive, and that drive is a USB External HDD, it's as Easy as Unplugging the USB cable from the computer end. It can't get any easier.
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