Basic computer Hard drive question

[ballaratdragons]

Doug built me a PC from bits he had at home but as we discovered at Camp it has some motherboard problems and won't do a lot of things.

I also have a PC that a school donated which has a locked Hard drive which means I can't use it.

Am I able to swap the HD from the Doug Built machine into the School machine and get it all working that way?

Please answer in non-technical lingo. I am Computer illiterate :)

[supernova1965]

If the PC's are the same make and model you would be able to swap the HD from one to the other no problems. However if they are different you will probably find that Windows wont boot once swapped as the hardware will be to different. You could format the HD in the locked one and reinstall the Operating System. Hope this helps if you need any clarification please don't hesitate to ask questions.

[DavidTrap]

What do you mean by the school hard disk being locked? Password locked when you go to boot it up, or is the BIOS locked to prevent "unauthorised access". Many corporate/government computers have this activated - if so, not sure of how to get around that.

You'll need to see if the hard disks have the same connectors on them (IDE or SATA) before you could swap them. If they do, it may work, but a reinstall would be the minimum required.

DT

[supernova1965]

If the bios is locked that can be fixed by resetting the Bios you would have to google the brand of computer to find out how to do that.

[ballaratdragons]

No, they aren't even similiar Warren.

Dougs one is Asus tower style case with XP on it.
The school one is an Acer Veriton 5100 in a horizontal style case with Windows '98 2nd Edition on it.

How do I Format a HD in the locked one, and no, I don't have an Operating System disk.



David, it says DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT DISK AND PRESS ENTER.
But I don't have the disk.
It was donated by a Primary School in Melbourne but it is locked to keep kids out when they shouldn't be in there (Most schools lock their PC's).

I'll check the connectors if we end up going that far, but I don't have anything to reinstall into it.

[TrevorW]

Ken you can probably get a new hard drive for under $100

[mill]

Ken i will unlock one i have here and get it over to your house.

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks Trevor, but I don't have $100.



Thanks Martin. Yeah, it is one of those school ones I am trying to unlock.
And then I have to hope it will net connect.

I need something to Broadcast on. This little Netbook is struggling to keep up, and Doug said the PC he built me died in the Motherboard.

I also have to hope that the school one is good enough for broadcasting. It takes every bit of power from modern PC's to do it, and the school one is old and has Windows '98 on it :sadeyes:

If need be, I could drive down to your place Martin and pick it up if it is any easier.

[mithrandir]

All in all, I'd see if I could source another motherboard the same as the faulty one. It would be a lot easier to replace that than go through the pain of moving to another PC. There is no certainty that your expansion cards are compatible with the other PC, or that the system is as fast as the faulty one.

If you don't have the key for the case and given the age of it, it isn't worth the cost of a locksmith to open it. Can you push a screwdriver into the keyhole and force it?

Either there is no disk in the case, the disk is really dead or it has been erased so there is no operating system on it. Assuming it has a working CD drive, you could download and burn a recovery CD like "Ultimate Boot CD" to test which it is.

Given the age of any box with Windows 98, the disks out of your newer box will almost certainly work (I know from before they are IDE), with a few BUTs.

IDE cables take two disks. Make sure you connect them in the same order on the cable that they are in in the broken one.

When you boot you will probably have to get into the BIOS to configure the disks.

When you boot, you will have to do so in "Safe" mode (think that is hold down F8 after the BIOS messages go away) because the hardware drivers will be wrong.

Andrew

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks Andrew.

I really appreciate the help you are giving, but I really didn't understand anything you just said.
AS I said, I am computer illiterate.

[mill]

Ken this one is password protected and runs winxp.
It is an Celeron 1.2Ghz and i am now in as an administrator.
The harddrive is 20Gb so enough for what you are doing :P
So this one can now be used without an password :)

[ballaratdragons]

I have just opened the case of the school PC and I can't even see a Hard drive in there! :eyepop:

As far as I knew Hard drives are a black box about 15-20mm thick, and about 130mm x 100mm.

There is nothing in there like that. Just the floppy drive, the disk drive, a speaker, the motherboard and lots of wires! :shrug:

[ballaratdragons]

Excellent Marty.
Will it net connect?

[mill]

PS it might be that i have to go to Geelong tomorrow for work so this way you only have to drive half way.
Will give you a call when i have to go to Geelong.

[mill]

You mean with your usb internet dongle that you have from Bigpond or ethernet with the wire?
It will do both.
Else i will have a wifi card here to fit in the case.

[ballaratdragons]

Woo-hooo!

I hope it is between 12 and 3pm. I have to take Mother-in-law to the Ballarat Railway station at 11am and then I have to be home in time for my boys at 4pm.
Cuts it fine doesn't it. :sadeyes:

[mill]

I did say maybe :P
Now are you using that internet thingy that you used at SV camp to broadcast?

[ballaratdragons]

Wi-Fi to our Netgear Router. :)

It is a Netgear N300 WNR2000 if that helps :shrug:

The usb dongle was Erics, and I can't run a wire to where the PC will be, so I have to go wireless.

[mill]

Ok now deleting lots of crap on it.

[mill]

Ok i have to whack the wifi card in it then.

[Barrykgerdes]

That's why it won't boot.
Try the other hard disk in there.
First set the old windows version to 640/480 16 colours
It may work in the new case.

Barry

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks Marty.

If it costs anything please let me know :thumbsup:

This Router is an 'N' router, not the older A, B or G.
It is b,g,n 2.4 GHz if that means anything. :)

[ballaratdragons]

I don't know where to put it :lol:

There are loose wires everwhere and I can't even see a place where I would attach (if you attach, or screw in, or bolt on etc) a HD :ashamed:

[mill]

Ken thewireless card is in and you can from now connect to your home network.
The first time you connect to the network, you have to put the wep key in if you have one.

[ballaratdragons]

I don't even know what a wep key is :(

[mill]

Didnt you have to put anything in the router?
Or is your router unsecured?

[DavidU]

The WEP key sould be printed under the router. Have a quick look......

[ballaratdragons]

I don't know. I think it is unsecured.
Who's going to park out here and tap into my wireless? :P

Don't ask hard questions :lol: :sadeyes:

[ballaratdragons]

Dave, there are all sorts of numbers under the router!
All with bar codes. :shrug:

What's a wep anyway?

[mill]

wep is encryption so people cant use your internet without permission.

[mill]

David a wep key is never on a sticker (unless you put it there yourself :P ).

[ballaratdragons]

Ahhhh, I can't remember what I set it at, but I remember seeing it in the 'Settings' on the PC in the kitchen (the one that the Router is wired into).

I can probably go in and change it if I need to. :question:

[mill]

You dont have to change it Ken.
When you connect with this computer it will ask for the key and once you have put that in you dont have to do it again.
After putting in the key it will automatically connect every time it starts up.

[ballaratdragons]

I didn't know I had a key :help:

[mill]

First try connecting when you get the computer and then see what happens :P

[ZeroID]

WEP = Wireless Encrytion Protocol
The old 98 PC is probably too slow, old, under resourced to run XP.

[Kal]

Looking at the specs of the Acer Veriton 5100 (http://support.acer.com/acerpanam/desktop/0000/Acer/Veriton5100/Veriton5100sp2.shtml) that pc will only be as powerful as a very first gen netbook.

I don't know what netbook you have, but chances are it will more than likely be more powerful than that old school pc.

[alistairsam]

Ken,

pics would always help immensely when describing hardware,

But I have a spare PC that I can donate, free.

It is an Intel Motherboard with a Pentium 4 - 2.4Ghz ( or 1.8Ghz will check), 256MB RAM, 40GB HDD, CDROM. fully working.

it comes with windows XP and the installation CD.

just taking up space so no issues if you need it.

Only thing is I'm in Melbourne. so pls let me know if you're interested.

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks Alistair. :)

I'll see how I go with this one Martin is fixing first. I have it here at home now trying to connect to the wireless. No go yet :(

[Octane]

The kindness and help that is readily available on this forum, never ceases to amaze me.

You guys rock, and, I'm so proud to be part of a genuine community.

H