Hard drive switch?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Where's my map???
Hard drive switch?
I want to switch one HD from one of my PC's to another. Both are HP's
The only difference is the RAM. ones sdram and the other is ddram.
Will I have a probem with the BIOs? I don't want to lose the info on the one I want to switch in.
The only difference is the RAM. ones sdram and the other is ddram.
Will I have a probem with the BIOs? I don't want to lose the info on the one I want to switch in.
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Calgary, Canada
from your post, I gather that you're adding a hard drive drive to a PC that already has a bootable drive in it.
If you're connecting both HD's to the same cable, you'll need to set the jumpers properly. Choices are: Master, Slave, Cable Select. Choices should be obvious but I've had a combination of HD's and ROM drives that was a crap-shoot to get working properly.
I'd recommend cabling each HD to an individual controller port. Your motherboard should have at least two IDE ports, then set the HD's both to master.
The only other thing I can foresee happening is that the computer tries to boot from the added HD and if it's a blank drive, you'll get the dreaded "Operating System Not Found", in that case you'll need to go into the BIOS and set the boot order to boot from the original drive.
And as mentioned, BACK UP anything you would regret losing.
If you're taking a HD with a working OS and trying to put it into another PC that doesn't have a HD w/OS in it already, that is a whole new ball game.
If you're connecting both HD's to the same cable, you'll need to set the jumpers properly. Choices are: Master, Slave, Cable Select. Choices should be obvious but I've had a combination of HD's and ROM drives that was a crap-shoot to get working properly.
I'd recommend cabling each HD to an individual controller port. Your motherboard should have at least two IDE ports, then set the HD's both to master.
The only other thing I can foresee happening is that the computer tries to boot from the added HD and if it's a blank drive, you'll get the dreaded "Operating System Not Found", in that case you'll need to go into the BIOS and set the boot order to boot from the original drive.
And as mentioned, BACK UP anything you would regret losing.
If you're taking a HD with a working OS and trying to put it into another PC that doesn't have a HD w/OS in it already, that is a whole new ball game.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,140
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From: Oak Harbor, OH
Yes, the easy thing to do is get a network hub and some cables and just transfer the files you want or need back and forth. Wireless N is an option too, as it's faster then most cat 5 lines, unless you use the gigabit networking.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Bonita Springs FL
It depends on what you want to do. If both drives are boot drives with an OS already loaded on them, then you absolutely, positively CANNOT simply switch drives between the two computers and expect it to work. If you're just going to put the drive from one into the other as a slave to copy data from, then it will probably work, but even that isn't guaranteed.
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Posting Guru
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From: Hawkeye Country
my advice would be to pull the hard drive out of one machine. position the jumper so that drive is now the slave, make sure the jumper on the other hard drive is set as master.
before you remove the drive from one machine make sure the drive has no password protection, and make sure there are no password protected folders held in the drive. remove any passwords that are on there, otherwise once the drive is in the other machine, you wont be able to access anything on the drive. once both drives are up and running in a single machine then you can transfer files from one drive to another.
a simple solution to removing the drive would be to get a USB jump drive, copy the files from one machine on it and transfer it to the other, simple plug and play.
before you remove the drive from one machine make sure the drive has no password protection, and make sure there are no password protected folders held in the drive. remove any passwords that are on there, otherwise once the drive is in the other machine, you wont be able to access anything on the drive. once both drives are up and running in a single machine then you can transfer files from one drive to another.
a simple solution to removing the drive would be to get a USB jump drive, copy the files from one machine on it and transfer it to the other, simple plug and play.
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Post Fiend
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From: Where's my map???
OK, I looked up flash drives online. Very many to choose from. I am interested in a 2GB version. Is one brand better than another, or does the software make the difference?
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Southern MD
Originally Posted by tewferford
OK, I looked up flash drives online. Very many to choose from. I am interested in a 2GB version. Is one brand better than another, or does the software make the difference?
I have a PNY 1 gig flash drive that I carry all the time. Sofar it's been 100% reliable. (Watch. . . it'll go 'belly up' right after I hit 'submit'!)
Either Best Buy or Circuit City has the 2 gig version on sale for at/near $30.00 this week. (I left the sale ad at home. Sorry.)
The Sandisk "Cruzr Micro" (I think that's how they spell it) has a good reputation, too. The ones that I have seen are quite small and can be dropped into your pocket and won't be noticed.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Oak Harbor, OH
Almost all computers today use cable select, so the cable actually tells the drives what order they're in. It my be just as simply as removing it from the one system and adding it (not replacing the current drive) to the new system. Then you can safely transfer any files you need to.