Basic computer Hard drive question

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #1 20-03-2011, 02:41 PM

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 (Warren) · #2 20-03-2011, 02:48 PM

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 (David) · #3 20-03-2011, 03:03 PM

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 (Warren) · #4 20-03-2011, 03:14 PM

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 (Ken) · #5 20-03-2011, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

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 · #6 20-03-2011, 03:26 PM

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

mill (Martin) · #7 20-03-2011, 03:30 PM

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

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #8 20-03-2011, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrevorW

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

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by mill

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

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

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

mithrandir (Andrew) · #9 20-03-2011, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

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.

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 (Ken) · #10 20-03-2011, 04:21 PM

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 (Martin) · #11 20-03-2011, 04:24 PM

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

So this one can now be used without an password

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #12 20-03-2011, 04:24 PM

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

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!

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #13 20-03-2011, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

Excellent Marty.
Will it net connect?

mill (Martin) · #14 20-03-2011, 04:27 PM

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 (Martin) · #15 20-03-2011, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

Excellent Marty.
Will it net connect?

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 (Ken) · #16 20-03-2011, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

mill (Martin) · #17 20-03-2011, 04:36 PM

I did say maybe

Now are you using that internet thingy that you used at SV camp to broadcast?

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #18 20-03-2011, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

Wi-Fi to our Netgear Router.

It is a Netgear N300 WNR2000 if that helps

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 (Martin) · #19 20-03-2011, 04:37 PM

Ok now deleting lots of crap on it.

mill (Martin) · #20 20-03-2011, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

Wi-Fi to our Netgear Router.

It is a Netgear N300 WNR2000 if that helps

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

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