Hopefully a simple SATA query

I just bought a new GW computer - a GM5478 which is not the toughest kid on
the block but it fills my simple needs - and I wish to add a second drive.

The computer came with a 500 gig WD SATA drive and I have a chance to add a
second SATA drive to use for backup images and archived digitized photos.
Here's my dilemma. When I checked my BIOS under Drive Configuration it gave
the following: ATA/IDE (greyed out) - <Native>, next was listed Configure
SATA as - <RAID> (the choices were IDE,RAID, & AHCI) and RAID was
highlighted, next was S.M.A.R.T. - <Enable>. and more stuff which has no
concern with my question - which is:

Can I just add the second SATA, have the BIOS recognize it, have WIN Vista
partition and format it leaving me with a drive C and a drive D - simple
like in the good old days when ATA was no problem? "<RAID>" has me scared.
All I want is a system that has, as stated before a drive C and a drive D
[no writing to two disks]. Any help would be appreciated.

(This is what I get for not reading technobabble for a few years!)

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 18:50:17 -0400, jimrx4 wrote:

> I just bought a new GW computer - a GM5478 which is not the toughest kid on
> the block but it fills my simple needs - and I wish to add a second drive.
>
> The computer came with a 500 gig WD SATA drive and I have a chance to add a
> second SATA drive to use for backup images and archived digitized photos.
> Here's my dilemma. When I checked my BIOS under Drive Configuration it gave
> the following: ATA/IDE (greyed out) - <Native>, next was listed Configure
> SATA as - <RAID> (the choices were IDE,RAID, & AHCI) and RAID was
> highlighted, next was S.M.A.R.T. - <Enable>. and more stuff which has no
> concern with my question - which is:
>
> Can I just add the second SATA, have the BIOS recognize it, have WIN Vista
> partition and format it leaving me with a drive C and a drive D - simple
> like in the good old days when ATA was no problem? "<RAID>" has me scared.
> All I want is a system that has, as stated before a drive C and a drive D
> [no writing to two disks]. Any help would be appreciated.
>
> (This is what I get for not reading technobabble for a few years!)

I can't speak for Win Vista but WinXP accepted a second SATA drive with
only one detectable item i.e. it didn't assign it as D: but took the first
unassigned drive letter. In my case that was H: (following the last of
the special equipment: CD/DVD drives, Zip Drive and the chip reading slots
on the front of the computer.