How to install a primary HDD of a Dell with Windows XP to another Dell with windows XP as slave

[zhijunzhong2005]

My desktop Dell does not start up with windows XP but I believe that the hard drive is working. Can I take it out and add to another Dell Windows XP as a slave disk to recover the files? If it is possible then how to do this? Many thanks.
By the way, the computer I have is Dell Optiplex 745

John

 

[USAFRet]

My desktop Dell does not start up with windows XP but I believe that the hard drive is working. Can I take it out and add to another Dell Windows XP as a slave disk to recover the files? If it is possible then how to do this? Many thanks.
By the way, the computer I have is Dell Optiplex 745

John

Yes, probably.
This other system is a desktop?

If so, power off and connect the drive with the SATA power and data cables.
Power up, and it should be seen as just a secondary drive, with its own drive letter. D or E probably.

 

[zhijunzhong2005]

Thank you for your quick reply
Yes other system is a desk top and the Dell with windows XP.
I dont have this with me at the moment and will probalby try on Monday and I hope to get your instant help by then. Many thanks

By the way, when I connect the HDD to the desktop, and start up the computer, do I need to press F2 to alter something in order to get the drive to show up?
John

 

[USAFRet]

Thank you for your quick reply
Yes other system is a desk top and the Dell with windows XP.
I dont have this with me at the moment and will probalby try on Monday and I hope to get your instant help by then. Many thanks

By the way, when I connect the HDD to the desktop, and start up the computer, do I need to press F2 to alter something in order to get the drive to show up?
John

Shouldn't have to do anything special.
It should just 'appear' in MyComputer, as another drive letter.

Accessing the specific files in it may be an issue with permissions. But try it, and see what happens.

 

[zhijunzhong2005]

My desktop Dell does not start up with windows XP but I believe that the hard drive is working. Can I take it out and add to another Dell Windows XP as a slave disk to recover the files? If it is possible then how to do this? Many thanks.
By the way, the computer I have is Dell Optiplex 745

John

Yes, probably.
This other system is a desktop?

If so, power off and connect the drive with the SATA power and data cables.
Power up, and it should be seen as just a secondary drive, with its own drive letter. D or E probably.

Thank you for your quick reply
Yes other system is a desk top and the Dell with windows XP.
I dont have this with me at the moment and will probalby try on Monday and I hope to get your instant help by then. Many thanks

By the way, when I connect the HDD to the desktop, and start up the computer, do I need to press F2 to alter something in order to get the drive to show up?
John

Shouldn't have to do anything special.
It should just 'appear' in MyComputer, as another drive letter.

Accessing the specific files in it may be an issue with permissions. But try it, and see what happens.

Many thanks.
Will try and let you know the outcome.
John

 

[zhijunzhong2005]

Thank you for your quick reply
Yes other system is a desk top and the Dell with windows XP.
I dont have this with me at the moment and will probalby try on Monday and I hope to get your instant help by then. Many thanks

By the way, when I connect the HDD to the desktop, and start up the computer, do I need to press F2 to alter something in order to get the drive to show up?
John

Shouldn't have to do anything special.
It should just 'appear' in MyComputer, as another drive letter.

Accessing the specific files in it may be an issue with permissions. But try it, and see what happens.

I tried but it does not seem to work.
What I did
1. remove the HDD from old computer which is Dell Optiplex 745 Win XP
2. insert it int0 DellOptplex 760 Win XP
3. Attach power to one of spare SATA 2
4. connect data cable which is extended from the premium HDD
5. Switch on

It did not pick up the drive.
I tried twice and the same results

Next I disconnect CD Rom power cable which is connected to SATA 1
I used another power cable and connect HDD to this points
and switched on.
This time, applying computer setting for very very long time

and I dont think this works either,

Then I made it to the original connection and try to start and Press F2, I found SATA 1 was connected to CD Rom and SATA 2 is not connected to anything...

Any other adavice, please to make this HDD show up?

Thanks
John

 

[USAFRet]

You connected both cables...power and data, to the drive?

 

[zhijunzhong2005]

You connected both cables...power and data, to the drive?

yes, I did connect both power and data cables...

after long time “applying computer setting", I force the computer switched off and then switch on again, and press F2 to check the set up.

When I checked the drives, I found that the computer picked up the correct name of HDD (which I connected power to SATA 1 (used to connect CD Rom).

Setting is changed : used to be the CD Rom drive and now the HDD.

But applying computer setting takes forever. So the setting is not correct. But how to set this?

I searched online for "why applying computer setting" takes so long, there are many answers and different causes. In my case, it is because of mismatch - the HDD attached (instead of a CD ROM).

How to correct this?

 

[USAFRet]

Personally, to investigate old drives like that, I have a USB dock.
Much, much easier.

 

[zhijunzhong2005]

Personally, to investigate old drives like that, I have a USB dock.
Much, much easier.

How does that work, Please.
I just want to backup the files in the HDD....

 

[USAFRet]

Personally, to investigate old drives like that, I have a USB dock.
Much, much easier.

How does that work, Please.
I just want to backup the files in the HDD....

One of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Docking-Supporting-Capacity/dp/B0099TX7O4

Plugs into a USB port.
Plug the drive into it.
No messing around in the BIOS, no worries about the other OS.

Start up the PC, plug a drive into it, turn that dock on after your system is up and running.

 

[zhijunzhong2005]

Personally, to investigate old drives like that, I have a USB dock.
Much, much easier.

How does that work, Please.
I just want to backup the files in the HDD....

One of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Docking-Supporting-Capacity/dp/B0099TX7O4

Plugs into a USB port.
Plug the drive into it.
No messing around in the BIOS, no worries about the other OS.

Start up the PC, plug a drive into it, turn that dock on after your system is up and running.

Thank you for your replies.

However I managed to day to find another Dell computer with windows XP and made a big progress:
The HHD is recognized and no issue of long time "Applying computer setting up". The Window starts up normally.

But when I click on my computer, it says this program is not responding after long time search and the windows for my computer is empty. None drive shows up. I then click Start button and Run, and using Browse to get my computer, all drives shows up. The HDD is shown as local drive F:. I checked local drive C:\, all files are there but When I checked the drive F:, it say this drive is not formatted and asked me if I want to format it. I click no as this will erase all files...

So it proves that the HDD is not damaged but the this compter does not recognise the data. This computer is also Dell and model Optilesx GX280 and it runs Win XP as well.

Please advise me what setting is wrong and how to make the files in the disk to be backed up...
Many thanks

 

[USAFRet]

Thank you for your replies.

However I managed to day to find another Dell computer with windows XP and made a big progress:
The HHD is recognized and no issue of long time "Applying computer setting up". The Window starts up normally.

But when I click on my computer, it says this program is not responding after long time search and the windows for my computer is empty. None drive shows up. I then click Start button and Run, and using Browse to get my computer, all drives shows up. The HDD is shown as local drive F:. I checked local drive C:\, all files are there but When I checked the drive F:, it say this drive is not formatted and asked me if I want to format it. I click no as this will erase all files...

So it proves that the HDD is not damaged but the this compter does not recognise the data. This computer is also Dell and model Optilesx GX280 and it runs Win XP as well.

Please advise me what setting is wrong and how to make the files in the disk to be backed up...
Many thanks

From your original:
"My desktop Dell does not start up with windows XP but I believe that the hard drive is working."

It may well be that the drive is not, in fact, working.

 

[zhijunzhong2005]

Thank you for your replies.

However I managed to day to find another Dell computer with windows XP and made a big progress:
The HHD is recognized and no issue of long time "Applying computer setting up". The Window starts up normally.

But when I click on my computer, it says this program is not responding after long time search and the windows for my computer is empty. None drive shows up. I then click Start button and Run, and using Browse to get my computer, all drives shows up. The HDD is shown as local drive F:. I checked local drive C:\, all files are there but When I checked the drive F:, it say this drive is not formatted and asked me if I want to format it. I click no as this will erase all files...

So it proves that the HDD is not damaged but the this compter does not recognise the data. This computer is also Dell and model Optilesx GX280 and it runs Win XP as well.

Please advise me what setting is wrong and how to make the files in the disk to be backed up...
Many thanks

From your original:
"My desktop Dell does not start up with windows XP but I believe that the hard drive is working."

It may well be that the drive is not, in fact, working.

Thank you for your answer.

Do you think that the hard disk is completely gone or we could try something else to recover the files inside it?

As the computer still pick up the HD name in set up showing by pressing F2, and ask to format when the window starts up, I thought that the hard desk may still work. Computer recognise it but could not read the files. Could you think a way to overcome this?

Also in this computer there are another two powder points cal PATA1 and PATA2. Do you think I can connect the HD to one of these instead SATA 1?

Another update:
I checked drive by press F12 to get boot device menu and select Hard drive diagnostics. It says that the HDD Fail with return code: 7.

I also checked in open box the program called disckmgmt.msc, the drive is there called F: with correct the volume around 208.37GB. But when I checked property or the open, it does not response. Does this mean that the HDD is still working?

Thanks
John