How to Move a Formatted Windows XP Hard Drive to a New Computer Without Reinstalling

A second hard drive may be an ideal data storage solution.

You don't have to reinstall Windows XP to a hard drive to put it on a new computer. You can move the hard drive itself to the new computer and use it as a secondary drive. This drive can serve as a storage medium (effectively adding several gigabytes of storage to your computer at a relatively low cost) or as a backup, allowing you the security of knowing that, if one hard drive fails, you still have a spare (and if you keep up with the backups, your data is protected).

Things You'll Need

• Phillips screwdriver
• IDE ribbon cable (for an IDE hard drive)
• SATA cable (for a SATA hard drive)

Instructions

1. Power down and turn off your old computer. Open the old computer and/or remove the side panel (following your manufacturer's instructions). Unplug both the power supply cable and the data connector cable from the hard drive.

2. Remove any screws bolting the hard drive into the computer, then remove the hard drive.

3. Power down and unplug the new computer. Open it per the manufacturer's instructions.

4. Bolt the hard drive into place in the new computer. Most computers have a place for a spare hard drive.

5. Attach the data cable to the motherboard. Attach the other end of the data cable to the hard drive. Plug the power supply connector into the hard drive as well.

6. Close the computer or replace the side panel as appropriate.

7. Plug all peripherals (power cord, monitor, keyboard, mouse) into the computer and turn it on. Access the BIOS (generally by pressing "F2" on your keyboard when the computer first turns on) and open the boot order options (the exact method will vary depending on your computer; check your instruction manual if unsure how to do this).

8. Change the boot order so that the hard drive belonging to your new computer boots before the hard drive you just installed, if necessary. Save and exit the BIOS, then continue loading as normal.

Tips & Warnings

• Newer model computers may not be able to use IDE hard drives, and older model computers may not be able to use SATA hard drives.

• If your new power supply/motherboard is not compatible with your old hard drive, adapters are available for IDE-to-SATA and vice versa. However, they don't work very well and thus are not recommended.

• IDE hard drives have jumper settings that you may have to change. As every manufacturer has different settings, check your hard drive's manual for how to set it from "master" to "slave."

• Failing to unplug the computer before following these steps could result in shock or hardware damage.

• Opening your computer could invalidate your consumer warranty; consult the appropriate documentation to see if this is the case.

References

• PC Mech: Installing a Hard Drive - Step by Step