transfer hard drive to a friends puter

[mel999]

This might sound a silly question but I need to know.

I live in the UK and want to remove my 40 gig hard drive, and take it to the USA on holiday. Reason being because I have access to a computer over there. Question:
Can I remove the hard drive in the USA puter and replace it with mine and would the op system work (XP PRO) as normal.

Please let me know asap

Mel in the UK

 

[Frank4d]

It usually does not work well, if at all unless the computer hardware is nearly identical (same chipset, same graphics card, same CPU vendor, etc).

Some people have had luck removing the chipset, graphics, sound, LAN, etc drivers before moving the hard drive. Then doing a repair install after the hard drive is moved. XP also would need to be re-acivated (which is against the EULA if it is an OEM license). Result vary widely.

 

[eyec]

instead of taking your entire HD, will a flash drive (either external or thumb) do you any good?

 

[mel999]

Thanks guys for all your input regarding my post. From what I have read I guess the best bet is to burn all my files progs etc onto 5 x 750mb CD’s and just take that across the pond.
I will just have to bite my tongue and use the operating system which is Win ME on my friends puter.

Thanks again, - Mel

 

[paparazi]

The other alternative would be to set your hard drive as slave in your friends computer, that way you could access your files as needed.
What file format are you using? NTFS or Fat32?

Martin

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[mel999]

Hi Martin - - My hard drive is formatted to NTFS and looking at your answer this has to be the best idea. I also posted this thread to XP pro and had many interesting suggestions but will go along with yours. - I only hope now that my bag doesn't get thrown around from baggage handlers 'cos I cannot take in on plane as hand luggage. Not the way Homeland Security operate these days. I have learned that the less you say the easier it is!!!

Thanks again.

Mel

 

[paparazi]

mel999
That's good news, just set yours to slave or leave as master but connect to the secondary IDE and set whatever rom is on that channel to slave.
Your hard drive WILL be picked up and a drive letter assigned, just browse and use as per backup drive.
It may help to carry out a bit of house keeping before removal ie: properly name everything to make browsing around your files easier.
As for transporting your drive, I would put it in one of those original plastic covers that they come in when new! then wrap it up in the middle of your cloths, it might even help to include a "FRAGILE" label, TAKE CARE! something like that, just in case it gets unpacked during security checks.
Martin


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Participate and help others.

 

[Freestone]

If your friend's computer is Windows ME and your drive is formatted NTFS, you won't be able to access files directly from the ME operating system.

You will need some kind of NTFS Reader such as available at

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/NtfsWindows98.html

 

[paparazi]

Sorry I was getting mixed up thinking your friends PC was using XP and now I've read back I see your friend is actually using ME.
As Freestone points out that won't be straight forward.
That's why I asked the original question about file format, just got mixed up with who was using what lol.

Martin

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.