Question Master & Slave Computer Systems

[Master Bear]

I have two i7 computers that share a common keyboard, mouse, and an 256 GB SSD by way of a dedicated 3.0 switch sold / bought for such a purpose. The first computer I hooked up was the newer of the two computers, a 2019 Acer TC-865. It has a Windows Experience Index (WEI) Score of 6.2, 16 GB RAM, a 1 TB SSD Boot Drive, and a 1 TB external HDD for programs and data. The second computer I attached was a just recently bought refurbished Hewlett-Packard EliteDesk Pro 800 G1 SFF. It has a WEI Score of 6.8, 32 GB RAM, a 1 TB SSD Boot Drive, and a 1/2 TB external SSD for programs and data.

Both computers also have Silicon Power Armor A60 1 TB HDDs dedicated to 24 hour backups using Genie9 / Zoolz software, external stereo speakers, hardwired Ethernet hookups running @ about 350 bps 24 / 7, and independent, good quality IPS monitors without any issues. As part of the matching process, both computers also have identical software, including versions (upgrades and patches) for email (Thunderbird), file managers (xplorer2), browsers (Opera), desktop organizational software (Start Menu X), etc. .

So why the second, shared computer? Simple really: the Acer computer had so many 3.0 USB Hubs daisy chained off of it that its performance (speed) was noticeably degraded, that calling up programs took noticeably longer to execute, and that even occasional "out of memory" errors would appear. And the cost to upgrade the Acer versus the deal / cost of the HP made getting the HP a no-brainer.

So now to the problem. Despite the HP having twice the RAM, an SSD program drive, and the significantly higher WEI score, the Acer computer has taken over as the primary computer. All emails go to it, all files downloaded go to it unless I first babysit the download process and manually redirect the file to the HP file manager. It reminds me of the 'old' days when computers internal drives were setup, designated and run as Master and Slave. What I want / need to know is how did I get into this situation, and much more importantly, how do I reverse the situation so that the more powerful HP is the Master computer and the Acer follows quietly behind in its footsteps?

All help is greatly appreciated, and if I've left out any salient detail, just ask!

Thanks,
Master Bear

 

[CompTIA_Rep]

You must work in the government or military. You have so much detail that is completely worthless to your stated problem. And I mean that in a kind way... im impressed!

Nothing you describe sounds particularly taxing. Why so many USB 3 hubs? Maybe your problem is a failing/cheap hub. Sounds like you should ditch one of the system or repurpose it for something else.

I really don't have more to say. But I am amused. Maybe you can be clearer and more direct in your use-case for having two machines and we can be more helpful. Either way, it sounds like a headache!

 

[Master Bear]

I've been an independent consultant in the public sector my entire working life - nearly 50 years worth, and proud of my service, awards, and accomplishments. The detail I provided was to prevent the usual (legitimate) gripe of help sites that, "Well you didn't specify whether or not the drive you hooked up was an SSD or an HDD.", or "Are you sure the software was the same version?", or similar such quires.

At any rate, I'm glad you found "amusement" in someone else's headaches, especially on a site with a reputation for helping people posting legitimate questions . Before your next posting, I strongly advise you to get your attitude upgraded.