Swaping Hard Drives

[REGNARTS_]

Hi, I have a computer that doesn't seem to work and I'm in the process of illimination. In order to test the hard drive, I want to move the hard drive on the computer that is not working and swap it with another computer that is working. So my question is:

Do I just take it out and plug it in the other computer or are there extra configurations that I have to do also?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Cabbs]

You could try that, but you will probably have to reformat the drive. When you install Windows on a machine, it becomes specific to that machine. sometimes it might though, I've swapped motherboards before without reformatting and it still booted and played games just fine. If it doesn't work, you will have to reformat.

 

[kchi55]

i've swapped hard drives with my friends before in order to test out their parts.. it works fine... the only thing that you'll need to do is reinstall the correct video/chipset drivers.

 

[Raffaz]

Hi, I have a computer that doesn't seem to work and I'm in the process of illimination. In order to test the hard drive, I want to move the hard drive on the computer that is not working and swap it with another computer that is working. So my question is:

Do I just take it out and plug it in the other computer or are there extra configurations that I have to do also?

Thanks in advance.

Why not just run a HDD diagnostics test on the drive, it will save ya having to remove the drive. Ya can download one from ya HDD manufacturers website. Can ya explain how its not working, as we will be to help ya better then

 

[REGNARTS_]

Why not just run a HDD diagnostics test on the drive, it will save ya having to remove the drive. Ya can download one from ya HDD manufacturers website. Can ya explain how its not working, as we will be to help ya better then

Well, the thing is that I'm not sure if it's the HDD that's why i'm doing this. The problem was that my brother dropped a computer speaker onto the tower and it went dead. It loads up to all the way to the loading of windows then it halts. I've looked around for potential solutions but haven't found one yet. I haven't reformat the HDD because I still need some data on there. So windows won't even load up. I can't get into safe mode as well, it halts while loading up some agp stuff but I also looked into that and tried to fix it but no luck.

 

[Raffaz]

Have ya tried reseating everything in the pc, something might have came loose when the speaker was dropped (very possible its ya graphics card, saying as its halting while loading AGP). And run the HDD diagnostics aswell to eliminate the HDD (you can get a DOS version, so there wont be a problem loading it in)

 

[REGNARTS_]

Have ya tried reseating everything in the pc, something might have came loose when the speaker was dropped (very possible its ya graphics card, saying as its halting while loading AGP). And run the HDD diagnostics aswell to eliminate the HDD (you can get a DOS version, so there wont be a problem loading it in)

Yes, I've tried reseating a few things but it wasn't that also, including the video card. Where can I get a DOS HDD diagnositic? This computer is so old. I don't even know if the HDD is being supported at this time.

Thanks.

 

[Raffaz]

Like it says above, ya get it from the HDD manufacturers website

 

[LambOfGod]

If the most important thing is getting your data off the drive i would pull the drive and put it in another system,

It is probally most likely an IDE drive, so you will have to have your Master and slave selections correct, (the drive on the end of the cable should be set to master and the drive in the middle of the cable should be slave)

there are other configurations for this as well, just ask if you need help.

Ground yourself when your doing the work, and be careful.

and have your friend put the cover on his case next time so this dont happen again

 

[setishock]

Hard drives can take a lot of G's whether running or not. I've dropped my share over the years and they run fine later.
You don't say if the side cover was off or if the speaker hit the mother board. Could you give a little more on that?
As for putting that drive in to another system just set the jumper to slave and put it another system as the second drive.