# Solved: hard drives interchangeable??



## Novictory (Nov 18, 2007)

OK - here goes a really silly question - I have a failed HP system which I'm sure is not a hard drive issue, I'm really sure. (I think I either cooked the motherboard or the video card but haven't heard back from the forum regarding that. See earlier request for hardware help (_hp desktop dead - will not boot_) I have a Dell system which is working - can I install the HP hd into the Dell? I know - probably not possible but thought I'd ask. Also if possible I know you will need more details as to technical stuff (IDE's and SATA's and all) but thought I'd start with a basic question as to possibility.Thanks. While I'm at it, if the network sharing feature was not set up on the failed pc, then am I out of luck to share with the working pc? Any thoughts from the gurus on tech support guy forum. Would appreciate your esteemed thoughts.


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## Byteman (Jan 24, 2002)

Don't try putting the Hp hard drive into the Dell.... well, not to boot up from, anyway. Windows will freak and it may become DE-Activated causing you hours of frustration.....
The hardware environment even in a very similar machine may be just different enough to DE-activate Windows....and, the switch in drivers alone when you try to start the computer with a different copy of Windows from a different system can cause headaches you do not want.

You could install one drive into another computer to *READ and rescue files from* .....it that is what you need to do.

The network sharing question: I am not sure if you mean just transfering files or sharing Internet connection....

*was the HP under warranty?*


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## Novictory (Nov 18, 2007)

Hi - thanks for response. Kind of thought that might be iffy to move HD from 1 pc type to another. With regard to the file sharing info, I have the upstairs internet connection with an adapter set up thru the downstairs router so I'm o.k. with that. I would like to access the dead pc for files but again, probably not possible, right? That should have been set up before machine got killed off. I have much stuff backed up to HP external drive - I know how to connect it to the Dell with USB cxn but once hooked up not sure how to get some info off onto Dell such as my email addresses. I use Outlook express on both machines. I know how to get at my photos as I made a separate file for those, but all other docs are in the backup files and don't know if I can separate those email addresses out from all the rest of the backup file. Thanks again.


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## Byteman (Jan 24, 2002)

You have some options..... if the HP's hard drive still spins-

Take the hard drive out of the dead HP, connect it to a working system and just move the files and stuff you need onto either an external drive or the hard drive of the working computer. *I did not mean you could not do that at all, but I did mean you cannot boot Windows from your old drive when it is in the Dell*

Or, let a good tech shop do it. In your other thread, the person replying to you indicated that they felt the big-name tech stores were not "good enough" to do this job...... I'm sure that person has reasons.

That could be said of ANY tech shop but how would we know what to tell you..... ask family or friends or your local school IT department where they would reccommend you go.

To *repair that HP* might be more costly than a new computer- an overheating situation or dead fan like you are pretty sure happened over quite some time, there can be more than one bad component or some residual damage that would lead to early death of other hardware.... meaning, you may just be fixing more later on.

It's a matter of replace what it obviously needs and keep working.... or, getting rid of the HP.


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## Novictory (Nov 18, 2007)

I have a recommended tech shop in mind so I think I'm all set with that. With regard to the hard drive business, I wasn't aware you could hook up more than one. When I take the HP into the tech shop for a look, I'll have them remove the HD and show me (basically) where to hook it on the Dell. So this is what I do -- _On the Dell I boot as regular onto my C: drive and through windows explorer go to the HP drive and move files over, yes_? That would be a big help. I retrieved my list of email addresses from my external drive but wouldn't mind being able to get at my more recent messages through windows explorer to the HP drive (unfortunately they were not backed up recently).Do you know if OE6 stores the msgs on the hard drive or are they only accessible through the OE6 program? Sorry to be such a nit but anything beyond photoshop, pagemaker, emailing and internet surfing, I'm pretty out to lunch. Thanks again.


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## Byteman (Jan 24, 2002)

Please open a New Thread in our *Web and Email* forum for [expert[/b] help with OE. There are many tools that will back up email for you.... Outlook Express does save the Address Book on the hard drive, and more....

You can hook the HP's hard drive up to a connector in your Dell provided you have the same type of drive connection.

The tech will be able to help you with that.....there are only two *widely used * types around these days....SATA and IDE. There are adapters you can buy for very little that will let you change the type of connector, also.

I am not sure you can start up the OE that would be on the HP drive while it is in your Dell...I recall trying that once and it only would let me use the OE ON the host computer....but, you can certainly grab the backups that it has- there are some tricks involved, you cannot just copy the old backup into the new OE or you may accidentlally *overwrite all the stuff in the Dell's OE*

What OE does is display your email, it is not your ISP mail....there must be one of those somewhere and you may have left it so that it keeps a copy on the server meaning some messages might be retireiveable from the ISP webmail server.

Usually though....people prefer to not have to log into that and they set it so it does NOT keep mail on the ISP's.

I have not answered your main OE question because I am not sure whether OE does save all the email or not.....or if you will have to hunt around for pictures or documents that you downloaded (saved the attachments from) to the hard drive...or if it has it'sown default location...I don't like it and don't use it.


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## Novictory (Nov 18, 2007)

I will check that thread out. Thanks. Also with regard to the HD types, the Dell states that it is ATA-100 7200 rpm (2001) - the HP states SATA 7200 rpm (2006). Same?? I thought your idea about the ISP retaining emails was on the mark!! Yes, that's it. I scurried over to Verizon but I guess they are removed once you download them to your system. So my next best bet is to see if I can access them on the HP HD once connected to my Dell. I don't have a problem with my Dell OE being overwritten as I haven't really used the Dell much for emailing so there isn't anything to overwrite. P.S. OE does save all your emails (unless of course, you have deleted them). BTW what do you use for your email program? OE seems ok but I'm always looking to improve efficiency if I can. Thanks again - I'm off to computer repair world - at least the weather looks sunny and good.


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## preachp (Dec 2, 2009)

Hi novictory,
If this is an SATA drive then you can get an external enclosure and treat it like an external hard drive as long as you are not trying to boot your Dell from it. If it is an IDE drive that will not be such an easy thing to do. Remeber that whatever you end up doing the safest bet is to just move files and try not to run anything from the HP drive.


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## Novictory (Nov 18, 2007)

I took the unit to the tech shop and this is what was said: motherboard cooked. _*hard drive blown out.*_ All in all not a good day for the pc or me. So, he has a Dell 120 gb hd, 512 ram, don't know processor speed (it was a quick phone call with 10 other things going on) for $90. He said he couldn't get any power to the sick pc yet when I turned it on yesterday, it powered up but no boot. I guess it died really bad between yesterday and today at this shop. He pulled the HD so I can take it with me - do you know if the motherboard has died, would it take her son, the HD with her? Since I know so little about these tech things, I am hoping I can trust this diagnosis of ALL being dead. Just wondering - thanks for any thoughts. It seems logical if the MB is gone, all else would follow - again, just wondering.


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## Techiewoman (Mar 1, 2010)

The mobo doesn't necessarily take out the HD when it goes. But there is an IDE-to-USB cable that you can buy online to plug it in as an external, if you want to test it. If it's dead, you've lost the price of the cable+shipping. If it works, you're ready to transfer.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=ide+to+usb+adapter&aq=0&aqi=g4g-c1g2g-c1g-m1g1&aql=&oq=IDE+TO+USB&fp=3d121c88310e67e3
The used Dell with the 512 MB RAM is limited, as XP needs at least 1 GB RAM to run minimally. Also check the CPU speed for at least 800MHZ. But you would probably have no warranty on that computer.


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## Novictory (Nov 18, 2007)

Hi and thanks for all your input. I guess I have to believe him when he says the HD is gone - why would he tell me otherwise - the pc he is offering is $90 - so not a huge sale. He also said the pc had other multiple problems - if the dust had built up it would cause a static electricity thing which would affect lots of areas. I kind of thought the HD would not be blown but he said it was- he was recommended by someone who has used his services and feels he is good tech - it's so hard to trust especially when you are so limited in technical knowledge, as I am. I am running 512 w/xp on this machine I am on, and while it's not speeeeeeeeedy it's fine for what I do. Yes, forgot to ask cpu speed. He also indicated he would offer a warranty. I am probably going to opt for it and wait for some decent sales - this is my second pc down the tubes in 9 years - enough already!! P.S. Looked at your pc spec - self-built - very impressive for anyone - man, woman or otherwise. You know for sure what you've got when you do it yourself. Thanks again.


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## Techiewoman (Mar 1, 2010)

But I also had the incredible aggravation of learning modern specs when my last build was 10 years ago. Uphill all the way. 

Ask the CPU speed, but don't expect a lot of that computer. You don't know how old it is or who used it before.


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## Novictory (Nov 18, 2007)

Thanks - I bet it was uphill - good for you for going up. With regard to the pc it is a Dell optiplex cx270 - cpu 2.4 GHz, 120 gb HD and was first mfgd in 2004. He gave me a 90 day warranty which I guess I can't expect much more for $90. It runs smoothly and fast enough for me. With regard to previous ownership, no clue. I always hope, however, that bad stuff is not loaded and lurking somewhere on system. I use malwarebytes for spyware and avast security version. It came loaded with symantec, and some other office software which I am going to dump since I'm not sure of origin or ownership. Thanks again.


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