Should I add an old hard drive to my new computer?

[bartthecartoon]

I have a brand new emachines computer with an 80 gigabyte hard drive and I was wondering if I should install the hard drive from my old Dell PC (5 gigs)? Also, my old HP PC came with a 5.25" hard drive (3 gigs), I took that computer appart a long time ago, so now i have the hard drive sitting around gathering dust and I was wondering if there was anything I could do with it since it isn't the normal size for a PC hard drive?

 

[timmer]

well u could wipe the 80 gig and wipe the 5 gig and install windows on the 5 gigs then make the 5 gig primary then just put ur main apps on the 5 gig and use the 80 gig as data or whatever the hell u want everything will boot very well like that

 

[Elbatrop1]

I recommend leaving that 5GB out of your system. It would be especially risky to use it for your OS.

This 5GB HD must be pretty old, and has seen its fair share of wear and tear (haha, that rhymes). Now, if you go to put it in your computer, you run the risk of the drive dying on you sooner than would be a new drive or the one you already have. Imagine installing Windows on that drive, and it dies... That would be rather frustrating...

 

[bartthecartoon]

I recommend leaving that 5GB out of your system. It would be especially risky to use it for your OS.

This 5GB HD must be pretty old, and has seen its fair share of wear and tear (haha, that rhymes). Now, if you go to put it in your computer, you run the risk of the drive dying on you sooner than would be a new drive or the one you already have. Imagine installing Windows on that drive, and it dies... That would be rather frustrating...

Would there be any possibility of the 5 gigabyte hard drive hurting my computer? Because if it causes damage, my warrenty wonn't conver it.

 

[Elbatrop1]

Nah. It wont harm any hardware, but it might hurt software if you put software/files on the 5GB and it fails.

 

[bartthecartoon]

well u could wipe the 80 gig and wipe the 5 gig and install windows on the 5 gigs then make the 5 gig primary then just put ur main apps on the 5 gig and use the 80 gig as data or whatever the hell u want everything will boot very well like that

I don't have a Windows XP disk, and I was wondering how I can get it onto the smaller hard drive, all I have is 3 back-up CDs that I made when I first bought my computer. Will all of the software fit onto the 5 gig hard drive. Also can you give me exact step for installing it, so that I don't do anything wrong? P.S. it still has a lot of stuff on it that I want to get rid of including Windows 98. (the opperating system for the computer i want to install it on is Windows XP service pack 2.

 

[aliasaid]

5gb hd is most likely slower... 5400rpm.. and your 80gb is most likely 7200rpm..but could be 5400... if it is slower than the 80gb.. then you might not want to use it for your windows since it'll probably take longer to load

 

[Nitestick]

this is true. either way the 80gb is almost guaranteed to work better than the old one. leave the old hdd out when you have an 80gb the extra 5gb is pretty insignificant. however in older systems setting it up in the same way i.e. 5gb for windows/apps+ secondary for storage is very effective

 

[360Man]

You can ghost your OS partition to the 5 gig drive and if your main drive OS fails or becomes corrupt you have an easy restore point. Otherwise it serves no purpose any more.