Hard Drive Imperil

[jon15n]

Just a quick question, and I feel dumb asking it--

I have this hard drive.

It's got crap on it, but I want to delete it all and re-partition everything, install an OS and what not.

If, perhaps, I were to switch out the HD's in the comp I'm using now and perform operations on this HD, after I have successfully partioned the drive and installed an OS on it, would I be able to switch it out and put my old HD's back in (the ones I'm using now)...

Or would I not be able to boot up?

Thanks!

 

[ekÆsine]

switch out? what do you mean? you can take it out and put it into another computer, you won't damage it. all IDE hard drive setups are basically the same:

to partition the hard disk you would either boot up with the winXP/ win2k CD to use the partition/ setup utility. or you would use DOS and fdisk, this would be done by making a win98/ winME startup disk and booting with that diskette.

help on fdisk is at computerhope.com search for fdisk. winXP/ win2k CD setup is much easier. btw, i don't think imperil is a word

 

[jon15n]

I meant to say that if I take out my current hd's and did stuff to this new hd, would I be able to put my old one's back in and go on as usual?
thanks

 

[jon15n]

ha... oops on the word

 

[ekÆsine]

as long as you don't take a sledgehammer to the old one that its okay

it doesn't matter what happens to that drive when you move it. doing that does not alter it in a way as to make it unusable in another machine.

think of it this way: when you put files onto a floppy disk from your home computer and take it to a friend's computer to use it, you can still use that same floppy on your home computer.