A couple of questions before I remove my hard drives from my old computer.

1. I have 2 hard drives in the old computer - will both fit into my new
computer or is there some way I can tell they will both go in the new
computer?

2. How can I tell if the drives will be compatible (will work) with the
components/motherboard of the new computer?

3. The programs that are on one of the hard drives in the old computer -
how do I get rid of those - before installation or after installation of the
drives into the new computer?

4. What is the best way to approach ensuring all programs and other
non-data files/folders are deleted from the hard drives in the old computer?
All I want is the my personal data left.

5. Should I back up my data on the hard drives before I remove the drives
to put them in the new computer?

Any other info would be appreciated.

Hi Yvonne,

>A couple of questions before I remove my hard drives from my old computer.

Ok.

> 1. I have 2 hard drives in the old computer - will both fit into my new
> computer or is there some way I can tell they will both go in the new
> computer?

You need to determine if a) there is sufficient drive bay space to mount
them in the new pc and b) ensure that the appropriate connectors are
available. Newer models may have both IDE and SATA connections, older models
will be mainly just IDE. If the old drives are IDE, then you will need the
same number of available connectors in the new machine (most support 4 IDE
connections).

> 2. How can I tell if the drives will be compatible (will work) with the
> components/motherboard of the new computer?

As long as the connections are available, most should be supported. You will
also need two power connections in addition to the data cables.

> 3. The programs that are on one of the hard drives in the old computer -
> how do I get rid of those - before installation or after installation of
> the
> drives into the new computer?

Before or after, doesn't matter. You wouldn't be able to use the programs on
the new system without reinstalling them anyways.

> 4. What is the best way to approach ensuring all programs and other
> non-data files/folders are deleted from the hard drives in the old
> computer?
> All I want is the my personal data left.

Delete everything you don't want before moving them.

> 5. Should I back up my data on the hard drives before I remove the drives
> to put them in the new computer?

Of course, as you never know when something can go wrong despite the
relative ease of the transfer.

> Any other info would be appreciated.

Make sure to discharge any static on your body before handling the
components. Keep your fingers off the electronics and stick to the edges of
the drive casings. Do not used magnetized screwdrivers.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Yvonne" <Yvonne@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CA0E918F-591E-41CD-9688-6C628D980B61@microsoft.com...

"Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:uq1KMguDGHA.740@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Hi Yvonne,
>
>>A couple of questions before I remove my hard drives from my old computer.
>
> Ok.
>
>> 1. I have 2 hard drives in the old computer - will both fit into my new
>> computer or is there some way I can tell they will both go in the new
>> computer?
>
> You need to determine if a) there is sufficient drive bay space to mount
> them in the new pc and b) ensure that the appropriate connectors are
> available. Newer models may have both IDE and SATA connections, older
> models will be mainly just IDE. If the old drives are IDE, then you will
> need the same number of available connectors in the new machine (most
> support 4 IDE connections).
>
>> 2. How can I tell if the drives will be compatible (will work) with the
>> components/motherboard of the new computer?
>
> As long as the connections are available, most should be supported. You
> will also need two power connections in addition to the data cables.
>
>> 3. The programs that are on one of the hard drives in the old computer -
>> how do I get rid of those - before installation or after installation of
>> the
>> drives into the new computer?
>
> Before or after, doesn't matter. You wouldn't be able to use the programs
> on the new system without reinstalling them anyways.
>
>> 4. What is the best way to approach ensuring all programs and other
>> non-data files/folders are deleted from the hard drives in the old
>> computer?
>> All I want is the my personal data left.
>
> Delete everything you don't want before moving them.
>
>> 5. Should I back up my data on the hard drives before I remove the
>> drives
>> to put them in the new computer?
>
> Of course, as you never know when something can go wrong despite the
> relative ease of the transfer.
>
>> Any other info would be appreciated.
>
> Make sure to discharge any static on your body before handling the
> components. Keep your fingers off the electronics and stick to the edges
> of the drive casings. Do not used magnetized screwdrivers.
>
> --
> Best of Luck,
>
> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>
> "Yvonne" <Yvonne@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:CA0E918F-591E-41CD-9688-6C628D980B61@microsoft.com...
>
Good advice. In addition, I use a wrist strap to help with the static
electricity problem.
Jim

Rick "Nutcase" Rogers wrote:
>
> Make sure to discharge any static on your body before handling the
> components. Keep your fingers off the electronics and stick to the
> edges of the drive casings. Do not used magnetized screwdrivers.
>
Excellent summary, Rick, so this is a mere quibble - I've always used a
magnetised screwdriver and I've never had any problems. Magnetised
screwdrivers are such a boon when getting screw into and out of tight
situations.

Cheers,

Cliff

Yes, and if used carefully it's fine. If not, then it can have an effect on
the drive and any other sensitive device. I find it better to avoid using
them rather than taking chances. You can find screwdrivers with screw holder
clamps in most hardware stores for the tight places.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Enkidu" <enkidu.com@com.cliffp.com> wrote in message
news:43b86b2c$1@news2.actrix.gen.nz...
> Rick "Nutcase" Rogers wrote:
>>
>> Make sure to discharge any static on your body before handling the
>> components. Keep your fingers off the electronics and stick to the
>> edges of the drive casings. Do not used magnetized screwdrivers.
>>
> Excellent summary, Rick, so this is a mere quibble - I've always used a
> magnetised screwdriver and I've never had any problems. Magnetised
> screwdrivers are such a boon when getting screw into and out of tight
> situations.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Cliff

Rick "Nutcase" Rogers wrote:
> You need to determine if a) there is sufficient drive bay space to mount
> them in the new pc and b) ensure that the appropriate connectors are
> available. Newer models may have both IDE and SATA connections, older models
> will be mainly just IDE. If the old drives are IDE, then you will need the
> same number of available connectors in the new machine (most support 4 IDE
> connections).

Good advice. Just to clarify, the "4 IDE conenctions" are likey to be
2 IDE busses, each supporting a master and a slave. As stated, if
there is also SATA, and the new drive C is already connected on SATA,
then it will be easy.

DOn't forget that one IDE device will already be connected - the
optical drive. If you don't have SATA you will be able to set the old
drives up as slaves behind drive C and the optical one, but the one on
the same bus as the optical drive will be limited to ATA-33 speeds.


> As long as the connections are available, most should be supported. You will
> also need two power connections in addition to the data cables.
And will need to ensure that the PSU is large enough for the extra
load.