I’m sure some of you saw my thread about wanting more RAM on my 7 year old desktop. Buying a new(er) comp is out of the question right now. However, I just got a 2 year old desktop from my fiance’s mom for free. It got a nasty virus and windows wouldn’t open properly anymore. Is it at all possible to take the hard drive out of my comp and put it in that one? Something about that idea seems way too simple. I’d really like to keep the hard drive out of my comp since I have so much stuff on it that would be hard to replace.
If they are the same exact model…possibly…if not I doubt it.
yes, as long as you have the right connecting cables.
Disconnect the HD from each of your pcs and compare to see if they accept the same type of cables.
Not going to work. Drivers are different. Get the O/S disk and do a fresh install on it.
You can install new drivers…
My pc was built and has had multiple different HDs in it… just install the drivers and youre set
You will still probably run into conflicting problems with the Hardware profiles. It’d be like swapping the parts from a Camaro into a M3, without modding.
It won’t boot into the current copy of windows. It will BSOD on you.
You CAN, however, install a fresh copy of windows and get the drivers for that computer from their website. Or… hint hint… pay someone a few bucks to do that for you in a couple of days.
Toss me a PM. 
That’s easy.
I also have the tools to get your data from the old hard drive onto the new copy of windows, if you need anything.
He’s better off doing a fresh install on it. What kind of computer is it?
You don’t need to do a fresh install
You do a repair install and it will work and you won’t lose all your shit
You would boot off a Install CD and it will detect the HD and detect the current install and ask if you would like to repair or reinstall.
It can, but rarely. Only way to know for certain is to try.
In many cases you’ll just get a blue screen of death on boot given the likely technological gap between the two.
maybe im looking at it wrong but I highly doubt a HDD from 7 years ago will be compatible with a 2 year old system.
Format, reinstall the OS, go from there.
Best route would probably reload a new OS onto the current HD in the newer computer…
Attach the other HD (while still keeping the old HD attached) and just copy over the files you need from the old HD onto the new one.
With a repair install you have to deal with the old users files, folders, spyware and problems. With a fresh install you can guarantee it’s running at it’s best.
But yes… you can do a repair install as LZ said. Both will work.
Your probably better off doing a fresh install however :lol:
7 year old HDD…probably better off getting a new HDD.
A fresh install is a pain in the dick if you have a lot of programs and things. I was just able to do this swapping HD’s from one machine to another by using DriverMax.
Here’s what I’d try in order of least work to most.
-Plug in old HD, boot, see if it will load at least default drivers, and find the proper drivers
-Repair install
-Clean install.
People recommend formats for everything but sometimes it’s not necessary.
Also an alternative is to format the HD that’s in there now, do a clean install on it, and move your current drive into there as a slave drive as well. Then you will have all of your current documents and stuff with a new OS and HD with more storage.
lol isn’t that what I said :shoot:
haha, touche.
For some reason my forum layout is all weird on my work comp since I clicked the thread with the giant pics. I missed a few posts there.
It’s ok, you said it more elegantly lol.