Quote from: archonforest on January 06, 2016, 04:48:35 PM
Quote from: WASasquatch on January 06, 2016, 04:39:43 PM
Swapping HDDs with a Windows installation WILL WORK.
You will have to uninstall and reinstall drivers for the new system though. Expect numerous errors and prompts first boot.
I've done this on numerous occasions. (I do computer repair and management for a living)
The only real issues is if the Windows installation has specific Bios drivers installed for the system it was on. This hasn't really been a issue with newer systems and the bios are flashed to the board.
If you are swapping to the same-type dell workstation, you won't have issues. I've swapped HDDs from the same acer laptops with not a single error.
Hmmm...and the installed software will work?
The two station is not the same. They are both Dell Workstations but one is a T5400 and the other is a higher model.
As long as the software isn't specific to any device attached to the old computer.
If you are not installing the device as a "master" HDD then the software could all be pointing to the wrong folder (IE it was C drive, now it's E drive) but that can be fixed by editing the registry entries for the software to point to the correct place by swapping C for E.
But, a lot of software is intelligent enough to rewrite the registry when you launch it directly.
If you are planning to use it as a OS, then it should make itself C regardless and be just fine. But in order to use it as a slave you
may need to edit your boot to include the new OS and harddrive.
But again, most modern motherboards are intelligent enough to detect more then one OS and give you the option to boot into either. This I've seen as far back as 2001.