I have a 250 gig hardrive currently, I have tons of media on it. Photos, movies etc...projects I am currently working on. I have a computer with a fairly new 80 gig hardrive that is not being used. Both are running Windows XP. Can I add this to my 250 gig computer with out formatting it? if not what do I need to do.
2007-09-11 02:48:25 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Add-ons
Hi 3pisces,
There are 2 IDE ports on every motherboard and each port can have maximum 2 devices (Harddrive, CD/DVD Drive etc)
Now u have to see how many devices are already connected and if there is vacant position available for this 80GB Hdd.
Technically it is possible to add this 80GB HDD to ur PC, without formatting, provided this 80GB HDD was not earlier used in any UNIX or LINUX or SOLARIS or any other NON-Windows computers.
More important is to set the jumpers on this 80 GB HDD to make it a Slave and then connect it, so that ur computer doesn't boot from 80 GB HDD, else if u wish to boot from this HDD then make ur 250GB HDD as slave (details are generally printed on the HDD itself)
Hope that answers ur query,
take care,
Jeet
2007-09-11 03:00:54 · answer #1 · answered by Jeet Sharma 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great idea for doing quick drag & Drop backups.
Just change the 80 GB jumper to "Slave" or "Cable Select", there should be a diagram on your drive, and install it.
Then, copy all old "personal Data" from the 80 to the 250 temporarily, if needed.
Then, right-click on My Computer, choose Manage > Disk Management and "Quick" reformat the 80, and move the old personal files back again.
2007-09-11 02:58:37 · answer #2 · answered by ELfaGeek 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
change your jumper on the old drive to Cable select (on the back of your hard drive, usually 4 jumpers, instructions on the top of the hard drive or check with manufactuar which jumper setting is for CS)
Power off your computer and unplug
Put the old drive on the middle connector of your Hard Drive IDE cable (looks like a flat ribbon usually grey ).
COnnect the power
turn it on! All done!
Or even easier buy a usb hard drive enclosure and put the hard drive in there. Then plug it in. About 50 dollars but you can use it like a portable drive if you want also
2007-09-11 02:52:08 · answer #3 · answered by Charles 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can add a previously formatted hard drive as a slave.
Is this IDE? Check the manufacturer's site for jumper settings.
2007-09-11 02:56:18 · answer #4 · answered by U Have Nothing Better 2 Do 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes of course you can. Which ever drive you decide to use as your secondary drive, you do not need to reformat it. (Unless you want to to clean it up)
If your computer is using the IDE interface, and you decide to use the secondary drive on the same IDE channel, you will have to set your secondary drive's jumper setting to the "slave" mode. If your system board has an available IDE channel it can be set as Master.
2007-09-11 02:53:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You just plug and play
Make sure to set the jumpers on the back of the drive to slave or it won't work. Then just plug it into a free spot on an IDE cable.
2007-09-11 02:52:30 · answer #6 · answered by Shwaa 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
do your hard drives both have ide connections or are they sata connections? or one of each. if they are one ide and one sata it might be a little more tricky. however i think like everyone else is saying if you have one set master and one set slave they should work. and no not all motherboards have two ide ports mine only has one however it has six sata connections. newer computers are doing away with ide connections.
2007-09-11 03:35:16 · answer #7 · answered by natallbad 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes you can, but since you said that they are both running on windows xp i assumed that other 80gig of hd have a windows xp installed. it might confuse your system in booting if you will not especiafy on your bios which hd will be booted first.
2007-09-11 02:57:57 · answer #8 · answered by arbie_pogi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can
2007-09-11 02:51:00 · answer #9 · answered by ○Freeman○ 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋