Hard drive experts?

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thejokerboy

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#18131 28-Dec-2007 20:54

Hi, I'm looking at buying a new pc (without monitor etc). The HDD has no operating system installed.
would it work if I took the HDD out of my old pc with OS installed and hooked it up to the new Pc and it would run the same OS with files as before?
cheers

freitasm

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#102124 28-Dec-2007 21:23

Yes, but... Not everything may work at first becauseof different drivers for motherbard, network, video card, etc. Also if you are running Windows then it will probably ask to reactivate your copy.

sbiddle

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#102125 28-Dec-2007 21:26

Swapping HDD's between different systems can be hit and miss. Sometimes it can work and Windows will detect the new hardware OK and install drivers for you. Other times you'll simply see a fantastic BSOD when Windows attempts to boot.

rscole86

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#102127 28-Dec-2007 21:32

freitasm and sbiddle have prettymuch summed it up.

I take it you are talking about Windows as your OS? If it is linux Iam not sure how it would respond.

Fossie

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#102143 29-Dec-2007 00:26

I find that windows usually crawls into a cave and dies when it encounters a new motherboard.

dnb4life

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#102146 29-Dec-2007 00:50

Fossie: I find that windows usually crawls into a cave and dies when it encounters a new motherboard.

i second that.

thejokerboy

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#102312 30-Dec-2007 17:14

oh ok. thanks everyone.

AllNightNerding

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#102603 2-Jan-2008 20:59

I find that vista tends to do the change fine but XP doesnt like it.

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paradoxsm

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#102605 2-Jan-2008 21:18

Usually XP can go between different varients of the same chipset ok, but if you change from say Intel to Via, you will probably seem BSOD's I say Usually as it's not always ok.

if you get that you can grab your LEGAL copy of XP and run "repair" on windows, BEST to re-install from scratch.

bigal_nz

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#102608 2-Jan-2008 21:27

If you get BSOD go into safe mode and try changing the computer type ie Uni Processor PC, ACPI Compliant etc etc....

Fastlemons

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#106937 26-Jan-2008 20:33

if you go into the windows xp setup (i think thats what your using) and do an advanced startup repair then tpe in fixboot and then y + fixmbr it should tell the pc that its all the same.

Spyware

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#106950 26-Jan-2008 21:41

Fastlemons: if you go into the windows xp setup (i think thats what your using) and do an advanced startup repair then tpe in fixboot and then y + fixmbr it should tell the pc that its all the same.

Really - please explain how repairing the master boot record is related to hardware detection and driver installation.

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Fastlemons

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#106952 26-Jan-2008 21:45

When i repaired my mbr after plugging my new mobo into old hdd my system worked perfectly as i am geussing it re wrote the types of hardware on my pc, it may not work for you and like most people say it is better to reformat asdn start again.