Replacing hard drive

[jx2mad]

Is it possible to take hard drive from one computer and install in another? How do you get the computer to accept a "foreign" hard drive?

[loanrangie]

Is it possible to take hard drive from one computer and install in another? How do you get the computer to accept a "foreign" hard drive?

Yes you can and sometimes the os will just bot right up and then you'll need to update the drivers for the different mobo, sometimes you will need to fromat the new hdd and re isntall the os. If the one you are replacing is working i suggest using a program like seagate seatools or equivalent for your hdd and setting the new hdd as a slave then using the program to copy the files over and setting it up as the primary drive.

[austastar]

Hi,
when the install was done on the first computer, files for the various bits of hardware, like cards, mother board, etc were installed.
Unless computer B is exactly the same, you MAY have problems.
We used to buy computers in bulk - all the same model etc and install a pre-prepared image on them.
The images were not interchangeable.
cheers

[loanrangie]

stupid double post.

[VladTepes]

Yes Easy.

I did it once.

Unplug from old computer and plug in to new one.

This is assuming that you two computers aer similar enough in age that the technology hasn't changed.


As far as I know howeveryou won;t be able to boot up as you did before - you'd hve to reinstal windws nd ffice etc (I think).

[The GMan]

Is it possible to take hard drive from one computer and install in another? How do you get the computer to accept a "foreign" hard drive?

Yes it can be done BUT the chipset must be the same or very similar or the drive will not boot up. If it is a 2nd hard drive (not the boot drive) you will be able to access it and all the data no problem.

[damo_s]

jx2mad:

Its much easier if you tell us what is on the hard drive (operating system, or just files) and whether you have a hard drive in your 'new' computer, and whether that has an operating system or just files.