PC Harddrive Installation Question

I know more about software than hardware, so I have a simple hardware question...

I just bought a new Dell desktop to replace my 6 year old Pentium 4 machine. Core 2 Quad, 256mb video card, 500gb Serial ATA HD for under $500. I am reusing my existing LCD monitor, so it will be inconvenient to switch back and forth between machines, or to run them both simultaneously. As soon as I am confident that I have taken everything off the old P4, I plan to scrap it.

Anyhow, rather than copying my documents, photos, music, etc off the old machine onto DVD, Time Capsule, etc and then pasting it to the new machine, is there any reason I can't just remove the HD from the old P4 and install it in the new machine as a D: drive and then route through it at my leisure to scavenge whatever I need?

It seems that whenever I try and copy everything all at once, two weeks later I always seem to need something I forgot to copy.

Windows Device Manager wasn't too helpful with details regarding the old drive. I just know it's a Western Digital 120gb circa 2002.

That'll work.

May need to look online for the WD's info on setting the drive to slave or cable select if it's not on the drive casing. It's a matter of just having the jumper on the correct pins. Won't hurt anything if it's not though, except it may not show up when you boot into Windows.

Depending on the Dell you bought, it might not have IDE connectors on the Motherboard. Your old 120GB harddrive is most likely IDE. As where your new 500GB is SATA2.

That's probably true. Forgot about that. Haven't built a new rig in a couple years now.

JGruber said:

Depending on the Dell you bought, it might not have IDE connectors on the Motherboard. Your old 120GB harddrive is most likely IDE. As where your new 500GB is SATA2.

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That's kind of what I was afraid of. I remember the IDE cable being a 2" wide ribbon. I guess I'll find out what SATA connections look like when I crack open the case.

Worst case scenario, I guess I could just dump the whole HD into a folder on my Time Capsule and sort through it there. Might be easier anyway

Thanks!

A standard SATA cable looks somewhat similar to a USB cable. It's about 1/2" in width and 'clicks' into a Sata port.

Jaygray said:

That's kind of what I was afraid of. I remember the IDE cable being a 2" wide ribbon. I guess I'll find out what SATA connections look like when I crack open the case.

Worst case scenario, I guess I could just dump the whole HD into a folder on my Time Capsule and sort through it there. Might be easier anyway

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Why even mess with opening up the Dell? Just buy one of these.

Regards.