I want to run two computers off one hard drive; how?

Question

I came across a SATA drive - I've got a laptop and a desktop that I want to do stuff. Ideally, I want to have control of two computers without using a network. If possible I'd also like to share resources (one processor is in charge of X processes and the other's in charge of Y processes) ....? Any ideas?

Answer 1

Can't be done as far as the way that you describe. But what it sounds like you want is a server that can be accessed by both machines and you can have shared data.

Answer 2

You can get both computers to access the hard-drive simultaneously, but only by using a network (research the network boot option in Windows).

Firstly, as a previous answerer said, you can get one computer to act as a server. This could work but only
1) if you have a network between them
2) if you decide to use Remote Desktop type software (IE VNCviewer, which is free) to control one computer with the other
This way you could tell the second computer to run programs from the first computer and run different programs on the second computer...you have to do this manually unlike in grid-computing (which does this automatically and allows you to have one instance of program running on both machines at once for speed).

Secondly, to answer what another answer suggested, you can't simply just have one computer as a dummy machine (Linux or Unix) and get all the features you want as another user suggested...you CAN do that to create a "terminal" computer that can access its own hard drive and the other PCs...but you need both a network and/or connectors similar to a network AND you can't use processing on both machines at once.

You can get both of them to, for example, boot off the hard drive but need separate hardware profiles for each computer (and to switch between the two at the boot menu yourself)...if you plan on running Windows not Linux or Unix. You will also need a USB hard-drive connector and experience tells me you're best off having an external SATA drive USB dock you can plug your computers into (so you can plug the USB dock into either computer to let it use the hard drive).

Far as "(one processor is in charge of X processes and the other's in charge of Y processes)" it's cool you thought of that...that technology is rather new and it's called Grid Computing.

Unfortunately sharing a hard drive does not help this (it's a software issue). So you need special programs AND special software under them to make it work (IE you just can't take an average program like Microsoft Office and make it work like that). For more information on that kind of thing, look at IBM Grid Computing or search for grid computing programs and platforms on Sourceforge.net. And, yes, here you need networks also.

Answer 3

im lost!......cant do that however, you can terminate sata cable out from one pc then goes to the other but this never done before...theres no harm on trying (only the computers).

Answer 4

if you install Unix OS then it is possible but then also you will need networking with server as the one with the harddisk and client as a dumb machine.

Answer 5

The only way I know is to use an external harddrive.