I have a 60 GB hard drive right now, and I have everything from that hard drive backed up on a external 120 GB hard drive. I though that I would be able to access my software from the external hard drive but now know that it is for backing up files only. I would like to know if I get a larger hard drive can i use the external hard drive to format the new hard drive without having to use all of the start-up disks? I do not have any of my original disks because my husband took them when he left me, so i really need to know if I can just use this external hard drive. Thank you for your time.
2007-06-03 00:12:44 · 11 answers · asked by Crystal 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Add-ons
More than likely you will need the cds as those contain the actual Windows setup files. You can usually just pick up the windows cd or you could try contacting the pc manufacturer and see if they can send you the recovery cds.
2007-06-03 00:18:44 · answer #1 · answered by John K 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No you cannot use the external hard drive to format the new hard drive. Basically you need to format the new hard drive from a floppy disk containing a boot disk and the format command which is loaded into memory and can perform the operation. You can also use a CD to do this.
The best idea is to clone your new hard drive with the OS and programs from your old hard drive. You have to put your new hard drive in the PC as a slave drive (remove the jumpers(s)) and write the data from the old to the new and make it a bootable hard drive.
Then you make your new hard drive the master and boot from that by putting the jumper(s) back in.
2007-06-03 00:21:14 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the external hard drive has a disk image (such as Norton Ghost or drivesnapshot), then it is possible to move that image onto a new internal hard drive. Otherwise, no. And of course you'd need the software that was used to make the image, which it sounds like you don't.
Regardless, you're much better of getting legal copies of the software - for lots of reasons. You'll be able to stop blaming or relying on your husband and move on with your life, you'll be able to register the software in your own name, you'll be able to get tech support, you'll be able to reinstall the software next time your computer crashes, and so on...
2007-06-03 00:20:42 · answer #3 · answered by David R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your programs are already installed on your hard drive, it makes no sense to install them on the external hard drive.
For future programs however, you should configure your external hard drive so that it allows you to install and run programs from there.
If you have time, I recommend you to format your hard drive, install Windows only, and then install all other programs on the external hard drive.
Save files on your internal hard drive with an auto-backup on the external hard drive.
Your PC shouldn't slow down that way. When your external hard drive looks like slowing down, format it easily, and reinstall only what you need by then (you don't touch at Windows anymore).
This way, you'll have many years of peaceful PC utility...
Good luck!
2007-06-03 00:23:39 · answer #4 · answered by king76 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As you probably already know, the 40GB PS3 isn't backward compatible, has just 2 less USB slots, and doesn't have the Digital Camera flash card slots. I think that you should get the 80GB PS3 or 60GB PS3 just because they have have everything that you will ever need in a gaming system. The 60GB PS3 and 80GB PS3 cost the same, but the 60GB PS3 is worth the price even though it doesn't come with a free game because the 60GB PS3 can play nearly every single PS1 and PS2 game because it has the Emotion Engine chip inside it. The 80GB PS3 doesn't have the Emotion Engine chip inside it, instead it uses software to be backward compatible and can't play as many PS1 and PS2 games, but it still can play a lot of them though. The 60GB or 80GB PS3 is the ultimate gaming machine.
2016-05-20 00:02:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could try imaging but most likely Windows will flag the install and make you use a new key.(it thinks you are trying to copy installations onto multiple PC's with the same activation.
Shhhh....(Try getting them off the web)
If you still have the 60 Gig then use it for its lifespan and install the larger one as another storage as a slave or on another IDE
2007-06-03 00:29:14 · answer #6 · answered by digdugs 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most modern hard drives have software available to SAFELY and LEGALLY transfer the complete disk image from your old drive to the new one.
To see if available, try:
2007-06-03 01:41:45 · answer #7 · answered by ELfaGeek 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What you can do is try to swop the both 60gb and 120gb hdd, means taking the 120gb as master drive. but make sure you have also the os in the 120gb hdd.
2007-06-03 00:29:46 · answer #8 · answered by Raymond C 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.acronis.com
Download the trial version of image program and use it one time to do this swap.
2007-06-03 02:20:27 · answer #9 · answered by PBcompanies.com 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
good question...I'd like a large hard drive myself!
2007-06-03 00:21:22 · answer #10 · answered by Jenny A 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋