2 hard drives question

[gospel]

I really didn't know if this is the right forum to post this or not but here goes. I am building a new pc that will have two hard drives. One of the HDs is out of my Compaq pc. This is the reason for two drives. I have been told two different things: 1. I can build the new pc and put the HD from the Compaq in it and it will work. 2. This will not work and it will be a total mess. I am more inclined to believe #2. So I will purchase a new HD. I would like to have all my files and such from the old drive so I thought I would have it as the 2nd drive. However, it has the OS (XP) from the compaq disk on it. How do I save my files and such but do away with the OS on this drive?
Any answers or advice is appreciated.

 

[intercodes]

gospel,

After you connect your new HDD and finish installing your OS, add your old HDD as a slave .So now you have 2 hdd's. Os will boot from the new one and the old one gets detected and you can simply delete the OS folder in the old hard disk. You will loose all your intsalled programs thou , you can manage to keep the data.

To connect your 2nd HDD as slave,follow this link ,scroll down a bit...
http://www.techist.com/showthread.php?threadid=33049&highlight=hard+disk

 

[gospel]

gospel,

You will loose all your intsalled programs thou , you can manage to keep the data.

To connect your 2nd HDD as slave,follow this link ,scroll down a bit...
http://www.techist.com/showthread.php?threadid=33049&highlight=hard+disk

That is the problem, I don't want to lose my installed programs. Some of them I don't have the setup files for.

 

[intercodes]

gospel,
Then use 'Norton Ghost'. It solves your problem. You will retain the exact structure in your new HDD with Norton ghost

 

[gospel]

How much does Norton Ghost cost?

 

[TheMajor]

U need an imaging program like DriveImage, V2i, Ghost or Acronis trueimage. Check www.powerquest.com and www.acronis for the prices.

You can experience some problems running your "old" windows installation on a completely differnt computer.

 

[Smokin-A.I.]

no matter what you do , you will still have to reinstall windows xp. this is a must and then your drivers for your new mother board. when you do that you will need to reinstall most if not all your old files ! sorry xp doesnt like new mobo's .

 

[TheMajor]

Its not a must. Sometimes it works without problems.

 

[intercodes]

Yup , just take a ghost , put it in new drive, uninstall your old mobo,or whatevr drivers, reintsall the new one's. Now you got back all you need.