Re: Simple way to explain hard disk issue

Allen L. wrote:
>> Allen L. wrote:
>>> Have a friend that has two Dell computers (only one hard drive in
>>> each), each running WinXP. I'm having problems explaining to him
>>> that he can't just remove an active bootable hard drive from one of
>>> the computers and install the hard drive in the other computer to
>>> replace that computer's present hard drive and it will boot up and
>>> 'work' with no problems. Both Dell's are the *same* models (4700's
>>> - with 'same' brand motherboards). I've tried to tell him the
>>> motherboards are really *not* completely the same (BIOS,etc.), and
>>> therefore the hard drives are *not* interchangable from one to the
>>> other. Can anyone give me a very simple explanation I can tell him,
>>> that he
>>> would 'kind of' understand? I can't seem to make it simple enough
>>> for him.
>>> Thank you very much.
>>>
>>> ...Allen
>
>> In news:O2a%23zMrZFHA.2900@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
>> kurttrail <dontemailme@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> typed:
>
>> Same model? Then how are you certain they have different BIOS? And
>> you can updated the BIOSon both.
>>
>> If it is indeed the same model, and has basically the same internal
>> components, especially mobo chipset, then it is highly likely the you
>> could just swap harddrives and boot right up into XP.
>>
>> With the proper preparation, even two totally disparate computers
>> could swap harddrives and still boot up, I know, I this the
>> beginning of this year. Went from a mobo with a AMD XP processor and
>> Via chipset, to PCIe mobo with Intel processor and Intel chipset. By
>> removing the previous mobo chipset drivers prior to the move, xp
>> successfully found the new drivers and booted up. It wasn't a
>> perfect install though, so a week later I did a repair install and
>> have been good to go ever since!
>> But in your friends case, with seemingly similar components, he
>> probably wouldn't even need to do any prep or a repair install.
>
> In other words, you uninstalled everything in Device Manager on the
> object computer for the transfer,

I uninstall what was gonna change, left what was basically the same.

> and then put the 'new' hard drive
> (from the other computer) in and let it find new drivers for the
> hardware in Device Manager?

And then I installed the real drivers, as most of MS's drivers are old
and minimalistic

> What failed later with the install?

Nothing really failed, I was getting an intermittent BSOD, and before I
spent time and hair that I can ill afford to lose, I just did a repair
install about a week later, reinstalled my drivers and haven't seen a
BSOD until yesterday, but I was screwing around and knoew what caused
that one.

> Some
> of the installed programs, or hardware issues?

Not sure, the repair install solved it, and I kept a couple of hairs a
little while longer.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"


.

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