However, as I found out, if you unplug those other drives, you will not get the nifty option of which of your drives you want to boot into. To boot another drive, you will have to go into the BIOS each time and change the boot drive order.

Hi, sarahandus!

Actually, for me, removing the other drive would be more stressful, so I think I will stick with backing up my user files on D: drive and keeping my fingers crossed !

Susan

Can't you just go in through the Ethernet port?

Collector, Unfortunately I don't have an Ethernet port so I'm having to order an adapter card. Next time I upgrade the motherboard I will make darn sure it has an Ethernet port. Of course, by that time it will be something else I miss. (sigh)

Can't you put a ***network card*** in it?

edit:
Sorry I read "adapter card" as USB adapter.

She said that she is ordering one, but I wonder if the motherboard is not new enough to have an onboard NIC, will it be able to handle Windows 7? 7 may not be the resource hog that Vista is, but it has been many years since an onboard NIC has been standard.

Are you positive you don't have a LAN (Ethernet) port? What is the model of the motherboard?

You can download and run CPU-Z to identify it - (look on the Mainboard tab)

CPU-Z

Collector, I put a new Gigabyte MOBO in the build I did this spring that does not have onboard NIC. It does have ethernet. Actually, while shopping for my components, I didn't see any MOBOs with onboard NIC, but they all had on-board ethernet. It does seem odd that Susan doesn't have it.

EDIT: I meant that it's odd that Susan doesn't have ethernet.

Here's a picture of a motherboard with an ethernet port.
See the blue, green, and pink audio ports arranged vertically?
To the left of that is an ethernet port with two USB ports below it.



Draclvr,
Do you have a picture of what you mean when you're referring to an "onboard NIC?"

I have no idea, Jenny. Collector mentioned that most all new motherboards now come with on-board NIC. My experience is that none of them do.

NIC stands for Network Interface Controller. A few occasionally refer to it as "Network Interface Card". "On board" just means that the function is built into the motherboard and as such would not be used to refer to an add in card. But all of this is semantics and is beside the point. The point is that whatever you want to call the Ethernet Adapter, the feature has been built into most motherboards for nearly a decade, now.

Ah, now I understand. I thought NIC referred to a wireless card or controller. I have to install wireless "NICs" in my computers as I live out in the country and have wireless broadband from a tower for my internet.

Thanks for explaining, Collector... One of the reasons I hang out here is to learn new stuff.

Like Draclvr I learn something new from here. On checking again with the motherboard manufacturer I see it does list a LAN/Ethernet port. I had assumed it was only for LAN. I had tried to use it and it doesn't work at this time. On checking with drivers for it, I found some and downloaded them.
Downloaded the CPU-Z you suggested Inland. We'll see what it says.

This won't be the first time I've ordered an unneeded item, and I'm sure won't be the last either.

Make sure it is enabled in the BIOS as well as Windows.

Check your Device Manager to see if it is under the "Network adapters" category. If it is not there, be sure that it is enabled in the BIOS, as InlandAZ said. If it is listed under a category called "Other devices" it need to have the driver installed for it. If you find the "Network adapters" category expanded and there is an explanation point icon over it, it means that Windows couldn't load the driver for it. This may be from a resource conflict, corrupt driver, etc. If this is the case you can try uninstalling the device and reinstalling the driver for it.