Preserving data when installing another harddrive

[tiggerfanatic]

My friend has a HP computer (don't know what model yet) and it wouldn't boot. After attempting to do a sfc scan and it wouldn't complete, I then did a chkdsk and it seemed to repair as best as possible because it booted up to screen. When it booted up to screen, though it said low disk space so checked and there is only few MB available out of a 74 + GB hard drive. Also got a memory message and it's Windows 7 Professional and only 1 GB memory installed so was going to suggest getting more memory and bigger hard drive, but what should I do first to not lose their data and also will they be able to put OS back on w/out purchasing it again (I did see under the system info a product key)? Just want to help them, but don't want them to lose their data.

Thanks!

 

[Kasper Jorgensen]

1. Changing Hard drive and adding more ram would still allow them to use their current Windows License.
2. Installing a new hard drive and doing a fresh Windows install on that still leaves you with the option to keep the old drive as a second drive in their computer. That way you can still access the data.
3. What to do first, well, both is heavily needed. By todays standard a min. of 8GB ram is the way to go and look for a 1 TB HDD.

 

[tiggerfanatic]

1. Changing Hard drive and adding more ram would still allow them to use their current Windows License.
2. Installing a new hard drive and doing a fresh Windows install on that still leaves you with the option to keep the old drive as a second drive in their computer. That way you can still access the data.
3. What to do first, well, both is heavily needed. By todays standard a min. of 8GB ram is the way to go and look for a 1 TB HDD.

Thanks so much for your quick response! Do you know how I can tell what type of RAM they have w/out actually opening the box to look? I read somewhere on Windows 8 and above you can see it in task manager and I saw that on my Windows 10 computer, but theirs is Windows 7 Professional? I have added memory before so don't think I should have issues w/ that - just need to find out what they have, but also about the hard drive? So it sounds from your response you're advising to just keep existing hard drive in there and add an additional hard drive? Can you explain about fresh install? I just haven't had a lot of experience in this matter? I did before wipe a hard drive and boot to a USB before to put an OS on a machine, but was awhile ago! Just don't want to mess anything up! Thanks again and have a great night!

 

[Kasper Jorgensen]

I cannot tell without knowing the system specs.
For a fresh install..
-Download the Microsoft media creation tool which will download Windows installer to a usb stick.
-Then to make it bullet proof remove existing drive and replace with new drive.
-boot from usb stick and install Windows
-add the old drive again and it should now shoe up as a second drive.

 

[tiggerfanatic]

I cannot tell without knowing the system specs.
For a fresh install..
-Download the Microsoft media creation tool which will download Windows installer to a usb stick.
-Then to make it bullet proof remove existing drive and replace with new drive.
-boot from usb stick and install Windows
-add the old drive again and it should now shoe up as a second drive.

I have still not been able to find out the model of this PC as couldn't even get it on Internet to do a Crucial scan, but think I have figured out some more info that may help.

It appears this is the motherboard as I saw inside box > MSI G31M3-F with Intel ICH7 microATX Motherboard - LGA775 Socket
$70 online > https://www.google.com/shopping/product/7700814614597965713/specs?q=g31m3-f&biw=1920&bih=950&dpr=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOh__s1KzWAhUDQyYKHXebC8kQuC8ImQE

Based on this would it be able to handle this hard drive? Seagate BarraCuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAAEE4BH2890&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC-_-pla-_-Hard+Drives-_-9SIAAEE4BH2890&gclid=CjwKCAjwuvjNBRBPEiwApYq0zoinDh_ycz42MEIIIiT9fF9lVERe-p3oZUvdnsqWXns9KYbmh0fGQhoCee4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

the hard drive in the box is only an 80 GB HITACHI HDS721680PLA380 DESKSTAR 7K160 80GB 7200RPM 8MB BUFFER 3.5INCH SATA-II 7-PIN HARD DISK

 

[ArtPog]

1. We'll assume that at the moment the system can boot to the Win 7 OS Desktop and there are no error messages other than some indication of the boot drive virtually empty of any more usable disk-space. If that is NOT the case, so indicate.

2. Assuming no significant problem booting to the Desktop, can you (together with the users) delete as much unnecessary data from the drive at least for the moment in order to at gain a reasonable amount of additional available disk-space to gain some temporary "breathing room"?

2. It's a virtual certainty the system will support a 1 TB HDD; that's not a problem.

3. AFAIK the motherboard will NOT support memory > 4 GB, so check that out. In any event I seriously doubt whether the system could profitably utilize RAM > 4 GB. Again, if the users are engaged with only light-duty operations, e.g., accessing the net, email, and the like, 2 GB of memory should also suffice.
Something like this should more than suffice...https://www.amazon.com/PC2-5300-DESKTOP-Modules-240-pin--Tech/dp/B00C53DK3E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1466547731&sr=8-3&keywords=2gb+5300+desktop+memory
(NOTE: I'M ASSUMING THE BOARD IS POPULATED WITH DDR2 MEMORY. CHECK THIS.)

4. IN THE MEANTIME, ENSURE THAT WHATEVER IMPORTANT FILES ARE CONTAINED ON THAT 80 GB DRIVE ARE COPIED TO WHATEVER MEDIA IS AVAILABLE TO THEM. THAT'S THE CRUCIAL THING AT THIS POINT BEFORE YOU GO ON. CAPICHE?

 

[tiggerfanatic]

1. We'll assume that at the moment the system can boot to the Win 7 OS Desktop and there are no error messages other than some indication of the boot drive virtually empty of any more usable disk-space. If that is NOT the case, so indicate.

Btw since my very first posting on this system it no longer will boot at all and in fact the bios shows no hard drive at all at this point for sata 1-4 shows none detected all of a sudden? If I can't save anything and at this point not sure I can will I be able to get them Windows 7 version they had by using what I see under Windows activation as the product ID?

2. Assuming no significant problem booting to the Desktop, can you (together with the users) delete as much unnecessary data from the drive at least for the moment in order to at gain a reasonable amount of additional available disk-space to gain some temporary "breathing room"?

2. It's a virtual certainty the system will support a 1 TB HDD; that's not a problem.

3. AFAIK the motherboard will NOT support memory > 4 GB, so check that out. In any event I seriously doubt whether the system could profitably utilize RAM > 4 GB. Again, if the users are engaged with only light-duty operations, e.g., accessing the net, email, and the like, 2 GB of memory should also suffice.
Something like this should more than suffice...https://www.amazon.com/PC2-5300-DESKTOP-Modules-240-pin--Tech/dp/B00C53DK3E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1466547731&sr=8-3&keywords=2gb+5300+desktop+memory
(NOTE: I'M ASSUMING THE BOARD IS POPULATED WITH DDR2 MEMORY. CHECK THIS.)

4. IN THE MEANTIME, ENSURE THAT WHATEVER IMPORTANT FILES ARE CONTAINED ON THAT 80 GB DRIVE ARE COPIED TO WHATEVER MEDIA IS AVAILABLE TO THEM. THAT'S THE CRUCIAL THING AT THIS POINT BEFORE YOU GO ON. CAPICHE?

 

[ArtPog]

1. Obviously it's likely the HDD is kaput. If you want to confirm this the only reasonable option is to install the drive in a working PC as a secondary drive to determine if it's detected in that system. If it is detected you could test the drive with one of the HDD diagnostic programs. But the likelihood is you're (they) are dealing with a defective HDD. If so, there's little possibility of accessing any data on that drive.

2. There should be little, if any, problem with reactivating the OS as long as you (they) have a valid product ID (as issued by HP) and the only modification to the system is a new HDD to replace a defective HDD. You may have to pursue the activation process with a MS rep; usually they're very liberal in these types of cases involving a replacement of the HDD. The process is always a bit of a crapshoot with these OEM machines.