Are they notebooks or desktops? If your original is a notebook, notebooks often have a monitor output that can be plugged into an external monitor (useful when the built-in screen fails). This way, you can still operate the computer and backup your files to external media (or an external USB hard-drive). If both are desktops, you can remove the hard-drive and install it into the second hard-drive bay that almost all desktops have available (and pre-wired for). As long as you use cable select it's really easy. You can still set the jumper pins for master and slave if you have to do it that way. In any event, your computer will recognize the second hard-drive (assuming your cable select and/or jumper settings are correct), and then you just transfer over the files that you want to. It doesn't matter than the old hard-drive has an OS on it. It's not the "C" drive, and your computer could care less. DO NOT allow the old hard-drive to be formatted! If your computer wants to format the old hard-drive, don't let it. Unplug the second drive and come back here and ask what to do. There is MUCH more to discuss (i.e. options) once we know what type of computers we're dealing with.
Question: Did your old computer have video integrated into the motherboard or did it have a discrete video card that died? If the latter, replace the dead video card with an inexpensive new one and keep your old computer as a backup. ----------------------- Edited by - bob on 11/22/2008 11:52:21 PM
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nietzsche Deactivated User
5470 Posts 8/03
Posted - Nov 22 2008 : 11:52PM
The vid was integrated into the motherboard. If it were not I probalby wouldn't have bought a new computer
^^^ Salvage all the good parts for repairs and upgrades.
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nietzsche Deactivated User
5470 Posts 8/03
Posted - Nov 23 2008 : 11:25AM
ok here's another issue: there is a door on top of the machine, and i pulled it open and is has all sorts of USB looking slots but most of them are bigger than usb slots. One is called SMC/xD one is called CR I/II/MD; I have no idea what these are for but i don't really care. All I wnat to do is close the fucking door. I've tried pushing it down but it won't shut. Thanks
#SDNY he's all yours. -- Michael Steele 5110 Posts 3/03
Posted - Nov 23 2008 : 2:38PM
The slots are for the little data cards that digital cameras use. Is the issue with the door that you can't actually push it back to the closed position, or that it won't stay closed? What kind of computer is it?
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nietzsche Deactivated User
5470 Posts 8/03
Posted - Nov 23 2008 : 3:46PM
it won't stay closed. It's a Gateway.
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nietzsche Deactivated User
5470 Posts 8/03
Posted - Nov 23 2008 : 4:20PM
the new computer seems to have a SATA drive but i think i have an old IDE on the old one. it has the 4 prong power and the 39 pin whatever. I see a 4 pronged thing in the new one that looks like it will fit, but i don't see a 39 pin thingy. Please advise. I might have to take it into the shop in the morning. It needs to be fixed by noon tomorrow because there is stuff on there I need for work tomorrow. Edited by - nietzsche on 11/23/2008 4:21:23 PM
I got the old hard drive installed! Thanks for the help! Life is now better.
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nietzsche Deactivated User
5470 Posts 8/03
Posted - Nov 24 2008 : 10:54PM
I have two removable hard drive bays on the front. I looked inside and they look like SATA drives. I have a SATA drive and i tried inserting it. It went in, but didnt seem ot 'snap' in in the back the way i might expect. The drive 'holder' seems to go in ok, iow it seems to fit ok. But the computer is not recognizing it. Is there something i should know or change.
Hard-drives are usually hidden inside the computer, not "on the front." It sounds to me like you are talking about optical drive bays. Your two hard-drives must be on the same ribbon to work properly. Likewise, your optical drives must be on the same ribbon to work properly. MAYBE your now talking about a SECOND hard-drive issue (i.e. the internal hard-drives have been solved)? I know there are now external slots for "removeable" hard drives, but I know nothing about them.
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nietzsche Deactivated User
5470 Posts 8/03
Posted - Nov 25 2008 : 1:15AM
sorry this is a second issue yes. I solved the other one. The bays have SATA connections in the back. at least the look like it. If they are not, they are very close. Will investgate.
Only if they're IDE drives in a Master/Slave configuration. Neech says he's got SATA drives, which are each connected by a single cable to the SATA ports on the motherboard.
Can you post a picture? It sounds like they are e-SATA connections -- which would run from the motherboard to the e-SATA ports on the case to external e-SATA drives (if you choose to hook any up). If this is the case, the instruction manual should point out which ports on the motherboard are for (external) e-SATA connections and which are for (internal) SATA connections. The connectors on the motherboard for both kinds of ports have the same shape, but the one or two e-SATA ports (which require more power than SATA ports) are usually designated by a different color. --------------------- Edited by - bob on 11/25/2008 2:46:15 AM
^^^ On this motherboard, the red "SATA" connector can be routed to a case-mounted e-SATA port or an e-SATA add-on bracket that attaches to the back panel of the computer case. The black and blue SATA connectors are for internal hard drive connections only.
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nietzsche Deactivated User
5470 Posts 8/03
Posted - Nov 25 2008 : 9:54PM
Thanks bob, these are definitely regular SATA, there are two bays with a slide out drawer for setting the hard drive in. YOu snap the drive into a 'drawer' and slide it in. this is what i have and that thing it's in looks like what i have also. i wonder if i have to change the jumpers.
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nietzsche Deactivated User
5470 Posts 8/03
Posted - Nov 25 2008 : 9:55PM
plusi looked inside and the ports from the bays go directly to the same place on the mb that my sata drive went on my old computer.
You don't need to do anything with the jumpers on an SATA drive, because each drive has its own connection. There's no master/slave relationship between drives. If this is a new (blank) hard drive that isn't being recognized, it may be because it hasn't been formatted yet. In that case, go to Control Panel -> System and Maintainence -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Storage -> Disk Management. In "Disk Management" you can see all the physical drives installed. If your unrecognized drive is among those shown, right-click on it and select "Format" from the drop-down menu. Once the drive is formatted, it will show up in Windows Explorer and you can start using it.
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nietzsche Deactivated User
5470 Posts 8/03
Posted - Nov 26 2008 : 2:32PM
This is a new copy of Vista and im still trying to figure outhow it works. The drive has data on it, that's what i want. i don't want to format.
