Can I install a external hardrive that is from a old computer

[dubs89]

Hi,

I recently bought a new computer and have a external hard drive case.

My current internal hard drives are full and I want to move some things onto my old computers internal hard drive.

My current computer has Windows Vista and my old computer had Windows XP.

QUESTIONS:

1) Can I just unscrew my old computers hard drive and hook it up to the external drive case?

2) Do I have to partition the drive before I connect it to my new computer? ( I cant get my old computer to run so this wont work )

3) Will there be any risk of losing my current information my current hard drives?

4) Can I keep windows xp on my external hard drive? How would this work?

5) Is there anything else i should know? i am clueless on how to do this....

Thank you in advance!

 

[lawson_jl]

1 You can use any hard drive in a external case you want.
2 Partition no, but you should format the driver to be sure its okay.
3 If you format the drive from your old computer you will lose the data on it, your current drive no.
4 No
5 You want your OS and programs on your main interal drive. Exteranl USB drives do have a tendency to fail corrupting data on them. In most cases you just reformat the drive and start again but there will likely be data lose. It may be a better idea to install the drive in your PC as a slave drive.

 

[dubs89]

Thank you for the reply,

What is a slave drive? I already have 2 hard drives in my new computer:

- One was a for the OS (vista)
- The other one has all my other stuff on it

I don't know if there is enough room for a third...