Newer HD into older crappy Emachine PC. Help?

[grrr12]

Sorry if this is the wrong place.

I once had an Emachine computer, dating about 1999-2000. Then one day I got a Gateway, it was about 2002. I've been using the same computer(gateway) until now. The Gateway's motherboard burnt, and I now consider it dead, so for a while now I've been using the old Emachines. The problem? The piece of crap HD that came with it only has 4 friggin' GB.

The real question here is: How in the heck can I take my HD from the Gateway, and put it into the Emachines and have everything be okiedorie?

Is it even possible? I asked someone and they said they doubted it would work. Also, don't bother suggesting I buy a new computer or something, I am broke. And keep your opinions about Emachines to yourself. I know it's a worthless piece of crap!

ps. I took my (gateway) master/slave ribbon, and the HD and simply swapped them into the Emachines, but that didn't work at all. You probably know why, but I'm clueless about computers. It said it didn't recognize the hardware or something and eternally reset.

Please please please tell me I can somehow get that HD to work in it!

I don't actually have the internet, haha, so I'm at a library. I'll have to reply tomorrow. Assuming anybody responds.

 

[Trifid]

You will need to format the larger hdd for it to boot. How big is the hdd? As you may also need to partition it for windows to accept its size.

Glad my PC from 1999 has a 10gb hdd.

 

[grrr12]

Okay! What is a hdd, and how would I go about formatting it? Also, what is a partition and does it help if I only have windows 98 on this thing? The gateway hd has XP.

I am gonna assume hdd is harddrive..

I can in no way configure or fool around with the gateway HD before putting it into the Emachines, if that helps. The gateway is dead. Reply to me as if you are talking to an 8 year old.

edit: The gateway hd is about 80gbs I think. That wasn't a great computer either..

 

[Trifid]

Hard Disk drive (HD)

Ont he 98 pc put a floppy disk in, go to DOS, type 'format' and the letter the floppy drive is assigned with ':/' at the end. and then shut down the PC with the disk in. Put new hdd in and boot up, go into dos and check that it has the floppy disk as first boot. The pc will ask you if you want to boot off disk, say yes. It will go to DOS, here you type in 'format C:/' when it is done, put in the windows 98 disk and type in 'd:/' and then I think it is 'run' to get into setup (or setup haven't done this in a long time.)

I hope that is clear enough, and remember don't include the ' ' in what you type. You may find a better more indepth guide on the internet. Also make sure you have the 98 COA number and all the disks for programs.



EDIT: make sure you have the new hdd on the master IDE cable.

 

[grrr12]

Okay, thanks for writing that all out. Gonna try it when I get home.

 

[talldude123]

my old emachines from 1999 had a 15 GB HD and a DVD-ROM