adding HD without losing info on it

[rae_rae]

Here's my issue. I am trying to install a hardrive with data on it, to another computer without losing the data in it. The computer it was on crashed so I took it out and am putting it in another one. I'm adding it as the slave drive. I get to the point where it asks me to format the drive, but doing so will delete all the data in it. Am I doing something wrong. Is is possible to install the hardrive without losing the information in it. I never backed up the data in it so i'm in a tough spot.

 

[EricB]

don't format it. say no

 

[rae_rae]

I did that and it will not let me boot up. I end up with the black screen and "A:/", which at that point, I don't know what to do. At that point I did the FDISK, went through the prompts and ended at the Formatting question, which I pressed NO and I'm back where I started again.

 

[willsko87]

i dont understand y it would ask you to format it if it is a slave.
is it trying to first boot from your slave...and you 100% sure ur set it to slave?

 

[rae_rae]

so, if the drive is the slave, it shouldn't ask to be formatted? i'll double check to make sure I set the jumper correctly to set it as the slave drive. other than that, are there any other common troubleshooting steps that I should check?

 

[EricB]

for some reason windows isn't recognizing it. you might have to format it

 

[rae_rae]

Thanks for the your help. Turns out I did have both drives set as Master. Once I switched one to the slave drive, everything worked beautifully.