Hard Disk Swap Problem/Query

jg2005 · External Since: Sep 12, 2009 Posts: 5

I have a friend's computer here that has died. There is data and one
program on the hard disk that he needs ( & is not backed up ! ) I have
taken the hard disk out to try it on old computer I have.

When I start my computer up with his hard disk in it, it fires up for
a couple of seconds & then turns off again. With my computer's
original hard disk in it it works OK & if I turn it on with no hard
disk connected it stays on too.

The dead computer runs Windows 2000 server, my computer has Windows XP
Professional.

Wondering if I could get some advice on what is happening please.

Cheers

DL · External Since: Apr 17, 2009 Posts: 46

If you cannot access the HD when its connected to another working PC as a
slave, or your PC wont boot when connected this way, the HD is dead (ensure
you have set any jumpers on this hd correctly)
You are left with paying a third party data recovery specialist to attempt
to recover data on a no recovery no fee basis
Its extreamly unlikely that any Program could be recovered, unless you have
the actual installation file if it was an internet download.

"jg2005" <jamiesong2005 RemoveThis @yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:8a8567b6-a293-45f9-8892-e61e52ced864@t11g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
>I have a friend's computer here that has died. There is data and one
> program on the hard disk that he needs ( & is not backed up ! ) I have
> taken the hard disk out to try it on old computer I have.
>
> When I start my computer up with his hard disk in it, it fires up for
> a couple of seconds & then turns off again. With my computer's
> original hard disk in it it works OK & if I turn it on with no hard
> disk connected it stays on too.
>
> The dead computer runs Windows 2000 server, my computer has Windows XP
> Professional.
>
> Wondering if I could get some advice on what is happening please.
>
> Cheers

John John - MVP · External Since: May 02, 2009 Posts: 54

You can't move a hard disk from one computer to another and expect it to
boot, this would only work if the computers were identical (or nearly
identical). When you install Windows it installs itself to suit the
hardware onto which it is being installed, if you move Windows to
different hardware it will not have the proper drivers for the different
hardware and it will not have been configured to use the different hardware.

You can mount your friends drive as a slave or data drive on your
computer or you can mount it in a USB drive enclosure and retrieve his
data. As for the program, unless he has the programs installation
package (on CD or that he would have downloaded from the Internet) you
can't just copy program files and move them to another computer,
programs need to be installed on the computer on which they will be
used. This would be possible if it were a small program that doesn't
write anything to the registry, otherwise when programs are installed
they write all kinds of data to the registry and they register all kinds
of files so that they can work on the computer onto which they install,
you can't really do this by hand, this is done by the program's
installer during the installation routine.

John

jg2005 wrote:
> I have a friend's computer here that has died. There is data and one
> program on the hard disk that he needs ( & is not backed up ! ) I have
> taken the hard disk out to try it on old computer I have.
>
> When I start my computer up with his hard disk in it, it fires up for
> a couple of seconds & then turns off again. With my computer's
> original hard disk in it it works OK & if I turn it on with no hard
> disk connected it stays on too.
>
> The dead computer runs Windows 2000 server, my computer has Windows XP
> Professional.
>
> Wondering if I could get some advice on what is happening please.
>
> Cheers

jg2005 · External Since: Sep 12, 2009 Posts: 5

On Nov 3, 10:24 pm, John John - MVP <audetw....TakeThisOut@nbnot.nb.ca> wrote:
> You can't move a hard disk from one computer to another and expect it to
> boot, this would only work if the computers were identical (or nearly
> identical). When you install Windows it installs itself to suit the
> hardware onto which it is being installed, if you move Windows to
> different hardware it will not have the proper drivers for the different
> hardware and it will not have been configured to use the different hardware.
>
> You can mount your friends drive as a slave or data drive on your
> computer or you can mount it in a USB drive enclosure and retrieve his
> data. As for the program, unless he has the programs installation
> package (on CD or that he would have downloaded from the Internet) you
> can't just copy program files and move them to another computer,
> programs need to be installed on the computer on which they will be
> used. This would be possible if it were a small program that doesn't
> write anything to the registry, otherwise when programs are installed
> they write all kinds of data to the registry and they register all kinds
> of files so that they can work on the computer onto which they install,
> you can't really do this by hand, this is done by the program's
> installer during the installation routine.
>
> John
>
> jg2005 wrote:
> > I have a friend's computer here that has died. There is data and one
> > program on the hard disk that he needs ( & is not backed up ! ) I have
> > taken the hard disk out to try it on old computer I have.
>
> > When I start my computer up with his hard disk in it, it fires up for
> > a couple of seconds & then turns off again. With my computer's
> > original hard disk in it it works OK & if I turn it on with no hard
> > disk connected it stays on too.
>
> > The dead computer runs Windows 2000 server, my computer has Windows XP
> > Professional.
>
> > Wondering if I could get some advice on what is happening please.
>
> > Cheers

Thanks for the replies.

I bought a Ritmo USB drive enclosure and can now access the hard disk.
All the data is safe, the program even appears to be working (seems to
be a pretty small program but vital to my friend's business) although
I don't have the password to be totally sure, but the database is safe
& still accessible. So all is good.

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.