Switching Hard Drive From a Broken to a Working Computer?

[Triquetra51]

Currently, I have a working laptop, but it runs very slow. The hard drive is old and only 500gb. I have another laptop that will not boot on (problem with the battery or something). I want to switch the hard drive from the broken computer to the working computer. When I do that, it won't boot. I've heard to do sysprep or to check encryption and things like that, but I can't do this because the computer won't turn on... How can I fix the hard drive from the broken computer to be able to work in the working computer as the boot drive?

If you would like more information about the laptops or anything, just ask

 

[boosted1g]

You need to format the hard drive and reinstall windows, plus install the drivers (will have to download from laptop website). Then you can use the hard drive in the working laptop

 

[Rogue Leader]

By won't boot it gets to the bios but won't go into windows?

You can't just swap a hard drive from 1 computer to another and expect windows to work. That sysprep crap doesn't work either and even if it did you need to do it on the old system. If it gets through the bios to the hard drive you need to re-install windows.

 

[Triquetra51]

By won't boot it gets to the bios but won't go into windows?

You can't just swap a hard drive from 1 computer to another and expect windows to work. That sysprep crap doesn't work either and even if it did you need to do it on the old system. If it gets through the bios to the hard drive you need to re-install windows.

I can go into the bios if I need to in order to make it work. If I just boot up the computer normally (with the new hard drive) then it just says "No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key." Any ideas? If you do know how to fix this please give me something I can understand.

 

[Triquetra51]

You need to format the hard drive and reinstall windows, plus install the drivers (will have to download from laptop website). Then you can use the hard drive in the working laptop

So I should just put it into my desktop or something and then format it? And will I have to pay to reinstall windows?

 

[Rogue Leader]

By won't boot it gets to the bios but won't go into windows?

You can't just swap a hard drive from 1 computer to another and expect windows to work. That sysprep crap doesn't work either and even if it did you need to do it on the old system. If it gets through the bios to the hard drive you need to re-install windows.

I can go into the bios if I need to in order to make it work. If I just boot up the computer normally (with the new hard drive) then it just says "No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key." Any ideas? If you do know how to fix this please give me something I can understand.

It should at least recognize the hard drive as bootable. Check that its connected all the way and that the BIOS sees the drive. Then you need to get yourself your windows disc thats installed on that PC, boot into windows setup, format the drive and install windows.

 

[Triquetra51]

It should at least recognize the hard drive as bootable. Check that its connected all the way and that the BIOS sees the drive. Then you need to get yourself your windows disc thats installed on that PC, boot into windows setup, format the drive and install windows.

I don't have the windows disc, its an asus laptop that we bought with windows pre-installed. As far as the hard drive not being bootable, I read somewhere about the hard drives being encrypted to only work with certain motherboards in some laptops. Could this be the reason that it isn't bootable?

 

[Rogue Leader]

It should at least recognize the hard drive as bootable. Check that its connected all the way and that the BIOS sees the drive. Then you need to get yourself your windows disc thats installed on that PC, boot into windows setup, format the drive and install windows.

I don't have the windows disc, its an asus laptop that we bought with windows pre-installed. As far as the hard drive not being bootable, I read somewhere about the hard drives being encrypted to only work with certain motherboards in some laptops. Could this be the reason that it isn't bootable?

Thats not true. But Windows does match itself to your hardware, which is likely your current issue. Go here you can download the install media for Windows:

http://www.howtogeek.com/186775/how-to-download-windows-7-8-and-8.1-installation-media-legally/

Then I hope you still have the license key label for that laptop, you'll use that during installation.