Will This Work ?

[Pooka]

As some may recall, I attempted to move the insides of my daughters computer and screwed the whole thing up. I have started to put together a new box and loaned the wifes computer, (don't call it a box here) to the daughter and grandkids.

My question, can I use the hard drives from daughters old machine and put them into my wifes?

Daughters old computer was a Windows 7 upgrade, with a Gigabyte MoBO and Sempron 3000 CPU. It had two WD hard drives that I would like to put into a Windows 7 upgrade using an ASUS MoBO with an Athlon 3700+, 939 pin CPU. both ran ATI GPUs. They had different chipsets I'm sure. Is it possible to just switch hard drives and away you go again?

Thanks for any help.. Pooka

[Jabo]

Not sure what you're trying to achieve here m8. Are you wanting to add the new HDDs in while retaining the existing one? If so, then yes, that should be fine, although removing the windows install from the new HDDs would be a good idea (I'd use ubuntu and gparted for this as it doesn't use the windows folders at all and you can delete them easily)

If on the other hand, you want to replace the HDD in your wifes machine then, no (short of some serious technical jiggery-pokery - which doesn't always work in any case). The best solution is to get all the data onto one of the two disks, then format the other and install windows again. If it's an upgrade version of 7 that you've bought you'll probably need to install an old version of windows first.

Jabo

[DD_Brando]

One way which you can try is the 'agnostic' install. This involves uninstalling all third-party drivers from the donor o/s and allowing Windows to run those devices. It's then possible to transplant the disc and then re-install the drivers as required after the boot-up. It's worked for me several times.

[B16Enk]

Mileage can vary but..

I have found Win7 to be much more tolerant of hardware changes than it's predecessors.

If I'm reading you right Pook, you are hoping to install a disk containing a Win 7 install from the old 'box' into a new one.

It should work, you will find it needs re-activating though.

[Pooka]

I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't to exact on what I'm trying to accomplish.

Maybe I'll just get the new computer up and running, then stick one of her old HDs in it and Xfer what I want onto a flash drive. I also just remembered that I copied her system onto an external HD using "Macrium". I think it will be best and easiest just to transfer what I need after its up and running smoothly.

I'm so confused, but I think I know how I want to do this. Again sorry I wasn't more specific on what I was trying to do, but I wasn't all that sure myself. We'll fly tomorrow and think about this on Wednesday.

Pooka