Solve : Install old Harddrive into a new Computer?

1.	Solve : Install old Harddrive into a new Computer?
Answer» Hello folks, long time no post. I have an issue I can't seem to FIGURE out. I just purchased a new computer, and am trying to install a harddrive that already has files on it. The harddrive was in an external enclosure, and was running on WINDOWS 7 as well. I see the harddrive in the bios, and when I go to disk managment it is there, but it says the drive is unallocated. Is it possible to install this drive without having to wipe all my files? Thanks, MikeNot sure how you got Win7 to run from an external HDD as it usually cannot be done without a hammer and 2 days of patience... What you can do however is place it back in the enclosure...hook it up to a working PC and backup/burn your data to CD/DVD's or another HDD. Then remove it and install it internally in your PC...delete and re-create the existing C:\ PARTITION and install away... Remember to DLoad and re-install all that PC's drivers after the OS is installed... Quote from: patio on November 25, 2012, 09:07:46 AM Not sure how you got Win7 to run from an external HDD He said "running on Windows 7" Sorry poor wording. I used the harddrive on another Windows 7 PC, all it had on it was files, not the OS. I figured I would have to do something like that, I was just hoping it wouldn't come to it lol. I'm trying to install the harddrive into a second computer to use for more storage (and it already has all my files on it anyways lol).Something made the HDD show up as un-allocated...whether it was un-plugged prematurely or it was a power issue or something else. The above procedure is so that you can A) Save your existing data...B) install it into the PC you want it in ...and C) be able to re-allocate it and use it in that PC...which is all the things you requested help on...lol.

Answer»

Hello folks, long time no post. I have an issue I can't seem to FIGURE out. I just purchased a new computer, and am trying to install a harddrive that already has files on it. The harddrive was in an external enclosure, and was running on WINDOWS 7 as well. I see the harddrive in the bios, and when I go to disk managment it is there, but it says the drive is unallocated. Is it possible to install this drive without having to wipe all my files?

Thanks,

MikeNot sure how you got Win7 to run from an external HDD as it usually cannot be done without a hammer and 2 days of patience...
What you can do however is place it back in the enclosure...hook it up to a working PC and backup/burn your data to CD/DVD's or another HDD.
Then remove it and install it internally in your PC...delete and re-create the existing C:\ PARTITION and install away...
Remember to DLoad and re-install all that PC's drivers after the OS is installed... Quote from: patio on November 25, 2012, 09:07:46 AM

Not sure how you got Win7 to run from an external HDD

He said "running on Windows 7"
Sorry poor wording. I used the harddrive on another Windows 7 PC, all it had on it was files, not the OS. I figured I would have to do something like that, I was just hoping it wouldn't come to it lol. I'm trying to install the harddrive into a second computer to use for more storage (and it already has all my files on it anyways lol).Something made the HDD show up as un-allocated...whether it was un-plugged prematurely or it was a power issue or something else.

The above procedure is so that you can A) Save your existing data...B) install it into the PC you want it in ...and C) be able to re-allocate it and use it in that PC...which is all the things you requested help on...lol.

Solve : Install old Harddrive into a new Computer?

Discussion

No Comment Found

Related InterviewSolutions

Reply to Comment