[SOLVED] Old drive, new system?

[nbartolo7]

Hey all,

I have a desktop pc and I'm going to be travelling soon, and will need my PC (hard drive) to be with me.

I don't want to have to buy a laptop, and the whole rig is too big for me to put into luggage. GPU alone is too big.

My question is, I know that if GPU or CPU are different, your system (HDD) will always boot up correctly regardless, but does the same apply when it's the hard drive (or ssd) that is being put in a completely different system? Will Windows and all my files boot up as I left them in the other rig? Is there a way for that to work? Maybe if I take the motherboard with me?

Basically, can I just take SSD and motherboard and make a new system there?

Thanks for your help.

 

[USAFRet]

but does the same apply when it's the hard drive (or ssd) that is being put in a completely different system?

Change the motherboard, and a new install is usually required. Always recommended.

Keep the motherboard and change...what else?
Keep the same motherboard, CPU, RAM, SSD...should be fine. But that is hauling most of the PC anyway.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Basically, can I just take SSD and motherboard and make a new system there?

Keep motherboard, cpu, ram, ssd. They don't take much more space than motherboard alone.

 

[tecmo34]

Are you wanting to be able to access the hard drive and files while traveling or will you be putting the "PC" together when you get to where you are going (moving to one place to another)?

I would recommend taking the hard drive out and get a cheap or decent external enclosure for the hard drive. This will allow you to access the hard drive a laptop or another PC while still making it easy for you to travel with the information. Not sure what type of traveling you are doing but this is an option.

 

[nbartolo7]

Are you wanting to be able to access the hard drive and files while traveling or will you be putting the "PC" together when you get to where you are going (moving to one place to another)?

I would recommend taking the hard drive out and get a cheap or decent external enclosure for the hard drive. This will allow you to access the hard drive a laptop or another PC while still making it easy for you to travel with the information. Not sure what type of traveling you are doing but this is an option.

Just when once I get there.

 

[nbartolo7]

Keep motherboard, cpu, ram, ssd. They don't take much more space than motherboard alone.

So, if I take all that, you're saying the system will boot just the same as last time in the previous rig?

 

[USAFRet]

So, if I take all that, you're saying the system will boot just the same as last time in the previous rig?

Possibly.

Right now, try it.

Power OFF
Disconnect the HDD
Power UP
Does it boot properly?

 

[SkyNetRising]

So, if I take all that, you're saying the system will boot just the same as last time in the previous rig?

Exactly.

You'll just need a new pc case, psu, cpu cooler and graphics card. If cpu has integrated graphics, then graphics card can be skipped.
And your system is ready to be used.

 

[nbartolo7]

Possibly.

Right now, try it.

Power OFF
Disconnect the HDD
Power UP
Does it boot properly?

Yes it does. So, motherboard is really the key figure here.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes it does. So, motherboard is really the key figure here.

That was to verify that the System Reserved partition (what it actually boots from) did not reside on the HDD.
That is fixable, but better to find out now rather than when you're on the road.

For all the other stuff? It is the same system...it will work.

 

[nbartolo7]

That was to verify that the System Reserved partition (what it actually boots from) did not reside on the HDD.
That is fixable, but better to find out now rather than when you're on the road.

For all the other stuff? It is the same system...it will work.

Thank you so much.