can you install winxp hard drive as slave

[sheryl]

One of my computers fried but I believe the hard drive is still working so I thought I'd install it on a different computer as a slave drive. The second computer is also running winxp with different software (obviously). Will winxp let me do this or will it get confused since the hardware won't match up with what's on the hard drive?
Is there any way to get around this if winxp won't let me do this? I really don't want to loose some files and programs on this hard drive and the computer isn't worth fixing so I'm hoping I can use it as a second hard drive.

[TwoRails]

Hi sheryl,

Welcome to PC Mechanic !!

Are you asking if you can dual boot from the second drive? or just use the data? If the latter, you should have no problems as the data will still be there, but the installed programs running on the second drive would not work.

HTH

TwoRails

[sheryl]

Thanks for the welcome.
I just want to be able to use the data from this second hard drive and I was hoping I could copy some of the files to my main hard drive, I believe that's called that master. I'm not too computer smart when it comes to terms. I just have a general idea how these things run.

[sheryl]

PS,
One mofe question.
Can you run two hard drives with 2 different winxp operating systems?
Once I get the files and or programs I wanted from this second hard drive, I was thinking of wiping it out and reinstalling winxp. The hard drive was just about full to begin with and really needed a tune up.

[Confused]

Yes you can but it will be very confusing. When you install the second XP it will see the first and if you reply right it will install another copy of XP and set up a boot loader. Then each time you boot you will be given a choice of which XP to boot.

I think you can see the implications that this can cause.
Chas

[sheryl]

Thanks again.
So basically if you want a second hard drive on a winxp operating system, you can't load an operating system on this second hard drive or at least not winxp?
How about installing windows me on it since the hard drive originally came with winme and I upgraded to winxp.

[colecifer]

you can just parition it, and format it. You will then be able to use the drive for storage, the opearting system need only be on one disk.

[Confused]

Originally posted by sheryl Thanks again. So basically if you want a second hard drive on a winxp operating system, you can't load an operating system on this second hard drive or at least not winxp? How about installing windows me on it since the hard drive originally came with winme and I upgraded to winxp.

I think I didn't make my answer clear. You can, but it can be confusing with two identical OS's on same PC. If you want to do that, they can be on different drives or on same physical drive but seperate partitions. Normally people that dual boot have different OS's such as WIN98 and XP or ME and XP.

Or if all you want to do is use the second drive for storage you can format it after you get your data off. You don't need a OS on it in order to use it as colecifer pointed out.

If all you want is to use it for storage you can do that thru XP after you copy your data. Right click My Computer, select manage, then select disk management. From there you can rename drives if desired and format them.
Chas