Question Installing old hard drive with windows 10 on it, to newer pc that already has a hard drive with windows 10.

May 16, 2019
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As the topic title is, i recenently scavenged my old hard drive from my old pc. It has windows 10 on it already and I would like to install it as a 2nd hard drive in my new pc. Preferablly with the abbillity to access the files that is on it and move them to my main hard drive. After that I wish to reformat it and order to make it just a blank usable hard drive. My guess is though the files on it may be protected by windows 10 password. The computer it came out of is non functional so there is no means to access the from the old pc. If the files are locked behind the user account thats fine I can just reformat it with them on there. Is there any specifics steps I will need to take to install it. My current pc already has a hard drive with windows 10 on it as well. (my main boot drive) Hope you guys understand what I am asking.

PS those little tabs on the pins on the back of the hard drive where it connects (dont know what they are called). What postion will I need to set them to for a secondary hard drive that will not be booting windows from. Thanks in advance guys.
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
The hdd has master/slave pins? How old is this drive?

new sata drives don't have master/slave pins

when you put 2nd hdd into PC, look in bios and make sure its not added to boot order

You should be able to access the files on the old hdd, you may need to take ownership of the folders but windows should pop up a box when you click on an old folder asking if you want to take ownership.

Some of the folders like the Users folder might give you some trouble since win 10 recognizes those folders for what they are. You should be able to copy out of them though.
 
May 16, 2019
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I totally was looking at my really old hard drive when i asked the question. It does have the pins, the one I plan to install does not. It was made in 2011 so it should connect up fine. Thanks for the information on the files, the account on it is the same account as on my newer pc. different product key though. Thought that may make a difference when trying to access the files.

PS. i know its off topic, but that older hard drive with the pins. is there any form of adapter that would allow me to connect it to a modern pc to simply recover its files as well. (not to keep it in the pc, simply temporally connected to get the files)

PS 2. Sorry for the newbie questions, been a long time since i have had to deal with hardware so im quite out of date and my info on this has left me. Ya know the old phrase, use it or loose it. Well Iv lost it lol. (tho what I knew about was from when hard drives had pins lol)