johnhook

tomandjerry,

First, if you're going to install XP on that 2.5" HD, you need to connect it on the Primary IDE controller as the MASTER or DRIVE 0. You shouldn't connect it elsewhere and format it under Windows. You can connect it to a running Windows installation and use Disk Manager to remove the partition - but don't partition or format it. The XP Setup will establish a primary active partition and format it with NTFS when it's installed as the Primary Master.

You might have an IDE cabling or setting problem if you can't get to that drive when you connect the DVD drive. If you have a Cable Select cable - you need to configure both drives on that IDE channel as CS (jumper setting). If you have a standard IDE cable (need to use an 80-pin EIDE cable), you need to configure the hard drive as MASTER or Master w/slave and the DVD/CD drive as SLAVE. You could also connect the CD/DVD drive to the SECONDARY IDE channel as a MASTER (if no other drives are on that channel).

Once you wired up those drives as I mentioned above, power-reset your PC - go into BIOS setup and make sure the BIOS has auto-detected all of the drives. Disable any drives that are no longer connected. Also, be sure to set the Boot Order so that the system boots from the CD/DVD drive first (if you're installing XP), then the 2.5" IDE hard drive Second.

Hope this helps.

- John