Re-use old hard drive

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Guest

Hi,
I am changing my computer, upgrading fron an P III 800 MHz to a P IV 775 3.2
GHz.
I wonder if it is as simple as to connect the old hard drive to the new
computer and start using it...
Is it?
Can I use my old hard drive on my new computer without any procedure? Will I
keep, for sure, my data (135 Gb of it...)
Thanks in advance.
 
Tiago said:
Hi,
I am changing my computer, upgrading fron an P III 800 MHz to a P IV 775 3.2
GHz.
I wonder if it is as simple as to connect the old hard drive to the new
computer and start using it...
Is it?
Can I use my old hard drive on my new computer without any procedure? Will I
keep, for sure, my data (135 Gb of it...)
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
First you have to make sure that the type of drive is supported. Many of
the new computers made today have Serial ATA drives not IDE drives. If
the IDE channel usually used for your DVD ROM or CDRW drive is not used
then you can put it on that IDE cable. If your system has IDE for your 0
or primary drive you can move the jumper on drive to slave and add it to
the IDE cable as secondary drive 1. So you have some homework to do.
 
It seems that there are some important information missing:
- the "old" drive has XP SP2 on it;
- on the new computer, the system disk (hard drive) will be one of the ones
already there, the old one will work as a second or third disk, not the
system disk, despite the fact that it is the system disk on the old computer;
- the hard drive to move is a Seagate Barracuda 7200, 200 Gb, IDE;
Any info required?
Thanks, once more...
 
Tiago said:
It seems that there are some important information missing:
- the "old" drive has XP SP2 on it;
- on the new computer, the system disk (hard drive) will be one of the ones
already there, the old one will work as a second or third disk, not the
system disk, despite the fact that it is the system disk on the old computer;
- the hard drive to move is a Seagate Barracuda 7200, 200 Gb, IDE;
Any info required?
Thanks, once more...
Click to expand...
Then if you are using the drive as secondary on same cable, the first
drive jumper should be on master with slave present if that jumper is on
the drive. If not set jumper to master. The secondary drive on cable
should have jumper set to slave. And that should work for you.
 
Have you considered a hard drive enclosure? That's what I use for drives I
want to get files off of, or for backup. I use USB enclosures, no problems a
snap to use and fast enough. Just a thought.
 
Many thanks for the replies and suggestions.
"Drive enclosure"...no idea what it is! Easy process?
There will be no need to have the old drive as a "bootable" one.
It seems that the change of the jumper from master to slave will work.
Thanks to you all.
 
A "drive enclosure" is simply a small box you insert a hard drive into. It
has cables and connectors that convert an internal hard drive into an
external portable hard drive that can be plugged into a USB port on any PC.
That would be very useful.
 
Tiago said:
Hi,
I am changing my computer, upgrading fron an P III 800 MHz to a P IV 775 3.2
GHz.
I wonder if it is as simple as to connect the old hard drive to the new
computer and start using it...
Is it?
Can I use my old hard drive on my new computer without any procedure? Will I
keep, for sure, my data (135 Gb of it...)
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

No it is not quite that simple.

First of all, will this be the only hard drive in the new computer? Or
will the old hard drive be a second hard drive for data storage?

If you want to use your old hard drive as the only hard drive (or as
the boot drive) in the new computer then you will have to do a Repair
Install of Windows XP on the new computer in order to make your
Windows XP usable with the different hardware. A Repair Install will
preserve your installed applications, user data files, and program
configuration settings. Windows Updates (since the last service pack
install) will have to be reinstalled. Note that if your installed
Windows XP has been upgraded to Service Pack 2 and your Windows XP CD
is for the Original Release or Service Pack 1 versions then you will
have to create a new install CD with Service Pack 2 slipstreamed into
it in order to do the Repair Install. Also note that if your Windows
XP is an OEM version that came preinstalled with your old computer
then that license is permanently locked to that old computer and
cannot be legitimately transferred to another computer under any
circumstances. See http://michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html for
more information on the actual moving of the hard drive.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
 
Papa said:
A "drive enclosure" is simply a small box you insert a hard drive into. It
has cables and connectors that convert an internal hard drive into an
external portable hard drive that can be plugged into a USB port on any PC.
That would be very useful.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the help and explanation.
All the Best
 
Ron Martell said:
No it is not quite that simple.

First of all, will this be the only hard drive in the new computer? Or
will the old hard drive be a second hard drive for data storage?

If you want to use your old hard drive as the only hard drive (or as
the boot drive) in the new computer then you will have to do a Repair
Install of Windows XP on the new computer in order to make your
Windows XP usable with the different hardware. A Repair Install will
preserve your installed applications, user data files, and program
configuration settings. Windows Updates (since the last service pack
install) will have to be reinstalled. Note that if your installed
Windows XP has been upgraded to Service Pack 2 and your Windows XP CD
is for the Original Release or Service Pack 1 versions then you will
have to create a new install CD with Service Pack 2 slipstreamed into
it in order to do the Repair Install. Also note that if your Windows
XP is an OEM version that came preinstalled with your old computer
then that license is permanently locked to that old computer and
cannot be legitimately transferred to another computer under any
circumstances. See http://michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html for
more information on the actual moving of the hard drive.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
Click to expand...

Thanks for the help provided.
All the best
 
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