Old HD to new computer

[justaguy1]

Help-Old HD to New Computer

7 yr old Canon that just went south (motherboard,power supply) with a still good, 9 month old 10 gig Maxtor HD running Win95B.

Have just bought a Dell Pentium 4, 1.8GHz running Win XP.

Is there any way I can add this HD to the Dell and use a dual boot program so that I'm still able to use the Win95? ( I use quite a few Dos Programs )

If not, what would be the best way to transfer programs,files,etc to the new computer?

I have removed said HD from the Canon and also have a Sony Vaio,12 Gig HD with Win95B that has a USB port that I run a external HD on.

Can I remove the HD from the Sony and install the Maxtor just to copy to the external drive and then re-install the original Sony HD back without a lot of problems?

I also have the need for two serial ports and the Dell has only one. What is the procedure for adding another?

[bailey]

I would format both drives and start with a clean install, the way you want.

[justaguy1]

Bailly, thanks for your reply. I know I could go this route but it would not help me in saving what I have on the old HD.

[glc]

Unless you use a 3rd party boot manager, to dual boot XP and 95 you would have to install 95 first, then XP. Try this - slave your old drive into the new machine (it will become the D: drive) and try to run your DOS programs, you may be pleasantly surprised. I believe XP has a compatibility tool to fool programs into thinking they are running on Win9x.

You can buy addon serial port cards, we use SIIG for these, they make plug and play PCI models.

[inspectaneck]

To add to Bailey's response, I would format both drives (you WILL have problems if you don't).

To save data, you could backup your data from the 10GB and then format that drive, install Win95.

Then you could boot Win95 and backup files from XP. Then format the XP drive and you will have saved all data.

[justaguy1]

glc,
Thanks for your reply, I believe I'm going to install a Promise Ultra 66/100 controller card first and then put both HD's on this card. I will also try SllG for the serial port card. What third party software would you reccomend for the boot manager?

[glc]

Why do you want a controller card? The onboard Dell controller is ATA100.

[justaguy1]

glc,

2 HD's, CDRW, DVD, 250 Zip. Unless I just warehouse my Zip.

[glc]

Gotcha. Well - if you want to put a card in, the boot hard drive needs to be on it, and I would put the other hard drive on it on the other channel......and it's best to start from scratch if you do this with a fresh OS load - and not with the Dell restore CD. Install multiple OS's from oldest to newest is the general rule.

[justaguy1]

glc,
Again, thanks for your help. My Dell with WinXP is due to arrive today, it's new, still in the box. I'm assuming the installation was with NTSF and not Fat32. Reading the MS info on XP I see the ability to boot to different OS's but I'm a little confused, as usual with Microsoft. Using a controller card and putting both HD's on said card, each on different channels, will I be able to boot to my Win95B OS? and do I have to re-install XP , not only beacuse of the HD configuration change but also the NTSF/Fat32 situation. I'm a little concearned with even plugging this machine in until I get all my eggs in the same basket. ( I don't want to screw up the activation process) And I wiil have to go with the card, I remembered that I have about 10 250Zip disks with files that I would like to keep. (old machine did not have a cdrw or USB capability) At my age it takes me awhile to remember things, so please bear with me. I started with the Tandy Color ll and then graduated to an IBM XT with a giganic 10mb HD (1982 and I was almost 50) Again, thank you, I really appreciate your assustance.

Ron

[glc]

I think to do what you want to do, you will have to redo everything - and its gonna be tough when all you have is a restore CD and not a full standard copy of XP. Why don't you just fire it up the way it comes - get it working, then temporarily install the Zip drive, copy everything you want into a folder on the new hard drive - then do the same with your old hard drive? Then you will just have to get all your stuff reinstalled the way you want it, and run it all under XP? You can leave either the Zip or the second hard drive installed to take up the 4th spot.