External Hard Drive....A Couple More Questions

[Pepper]

Here is the scenario:

I have a new computer (comp A).
I have an older computer with a hard drive that is on its last legs. (comp B)

If I purchase an external drive, can I copy the c: drive from comp A and paste all its contents on the external drive?

If the answer to the first question is yes, will I be able to use the external drive to boot up comp B? Will this require that I disconnect the internal hard drive on comp b?

[Rebycman]

Re: External Hard Drive....A Couple More Questions

Well this is kinda complicated. You can copy your hard drive from comp A onto the external hard drive but it probably wont run comp B without a slew of drivers/updates. You might be able to get it to work but I wouldnt advise it. By the time you go through all this you probably would have been better off just formatting and reinstalling the OS.

Why not just replace your old hard drive with a new one and reinstall the OS onto your new drive and use the old drive as a data drive? Are you trying to save money or just find a way to boot up from a removable drive?

-Reby

[Pepper]

Re: External Hard Drive....A Couple More Questions

[ QUOTE ]
Well this is kinda complicated. You can copy your hard drive from comp A onto the external hard drive but it probably wont run comp B without a slew of drivers/updates. You might be able to get it to work but I wouldnt advise it. By the time you go through all this you probably would have been better off just formatting and reinstalling the OS.

-Reby

[/ QUOTE ]

Both computers use XP. Does the drivers/updates statement still apply?

I want to use the external drive as a temp solution. What I really want is a new computer, but Wilma repairs depleted that fund. I am figuring the external drive would be a good bridge until I have the $$ for my new computer.

I priced new internal HD vs External HD's. The external ones were less, and (I think) would require less technical ability on my part. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[Rebycman]

Re: External Hard Drive....A Couple More Questions

Well since both are XP you wont have as many driver conflicts, but you still have different hardware (processor, motherboard, ram, video/sound) on the other XP box so you will still need drivers. Now most of these should be auto-detected by XP but just in case make sure you have an XP CD around before you try it.

Installing a hard drive is cake, its 1 jumper, 1 power cable, 1 data cable, and a few screws. I would advise a new internal hard drive but an external should work.

I havent tried swapping XP to XP so it would be advisable to go track down both CD keys before you try anything. If the copied OS does choke because its still in use you may need to go in and flip the CD key to the other one.

Now there is still one thing I'm not sure about. I don't know if you can select a USB external drive as a bootable drive. I don't know offhand if the usb drivers load in the bios to make your drive bootable. So before you buy an external drive you need to know if its possible to boot from that drive. If you have a model you are looking at I can tell ya if it will do it (send me a link or post it here).

Regards,

-Reby

[Rebycman]

Re: External Hard Drive....A Couple More Questions

Ok I've checked the USB option and you can do it but I would advise you get into your bios first to see if your motherboard has the option to boot to USB first (before cd, hd, floppy). Not all older PC's will have this option so check it before you buy an external drive.

A word on XP, I belive the XP cd key/authentication is set to activate when the OS detects a different lan card (each card has a serial # and when that # changes XP wants to be re-validated). So no matter what you do you will need a cd key for XP.

Regards,

-Reby

[Pepper]

Re: External Hard Drive....A Couple More Questions

Thanks for the help Rebyc. That sounds like more effort than I am willing to expend.

Tax return time is coming, hopefully I will get enough to speed up the new 'puter purchase timeframe. Or maybe I will look at internal hard drives again.

[Rebycman]

Re: External Hard Drive....A Couple More Questions

I knew you would listen to reason [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

If/when ya do get a new internal drive I'll walk ya through it. Its pretty easy stuff, even a chimp could do it [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

-Reby