Dell Dimension 9100 parts interchangeable with 8400?

And the main part I am trying to save is the HDD

  GMoreno94 

Both the SATA hard drives and optical drives from the 9100, can be installed into the 8400.

To use the 9100 hard drives, you need to reinstall windows and load the Dimension 8400 drivers.

Bev.

If you reinstall Windows on the drive from the 9100, you're going to lose all your files. So it might be better to intsall this hard drive as a secondary drive in the 8400, assuming the 8400 currently has a functional drive. And then just use the 9100's hard drive as storage space in the 8400, or at least until you can copy your files off of it.

Alternatively, put the hard drive from the 8400 into the 9100,  reformat that drive and install Windows and use the 9100's hard drive as backup in the 9100 box.

Do you know what's not working on the 9100? Might be easier to fix it, assuming it's not a major failure like motherboard or CPU.

Ron

No and Yes.  

If both hard drives are installed in the 8400 - No. The software is installed into Windows that's using drivers for the 9100, and not into the version of Windows that's booting the system from the 8400's hard drive. You'd have to install the software into Windows on the 8400's drive.

If both hard drives are installed in the 9100, you could set up a dual boot, and boot from whichever drive has the software needed. But that depends on what's wrong with the 9100, and then there's probably no point to installing the 8400's hard drive unless you want to have 2 drives in the 9100.

You still haven't said what's wrong with the 9100. Maybe somebody can help you solve that problem so you won't need the 8400, unless you really want another toy.

Ron

If I do use the 9100 hard drive as a backup... is their any way to access already installed apps from the 9100 hard drive?

The thing is, is that we've tried bringing it to a shop and their estimated price to fix it was over our budget. I do know that it's a power problem and that the PSU isn't the only faulty component. I did know power was surging because I did see that the motherboard LED light was on, but the power would not turn on. We bought another PSU, same model as the original, and put it in the computer just like the original but this one wouldn't even light up the motherboard light. So we come to believe that something else is destroying the power supplies, and the main suspect is the motherboard. So our solution was to buy a used computer, put in the 9100 HDD, and possibly interchange some parts.

That assumes the 'new' PSU actually worked when you got it...  

It's also possible the front power switch failed (we've seen that happen on some systems recently) or the front panel in the 9100 either isn't connected to the motherboard correctly or its own circuit board failed.

You can install the old hard drive in any system you choose, either used or brand new, as long as the replacement system has an available SATA port and available PSU power connector.  

The best thing might be to install the 9100 hard drive as a secondary in the replacement system.  Copy off all your files on to the system's boot hard drive. Then reformat the 9100 hard drive to get rid of all the windows files and use it as back up hard drive.

Ron

...and you will have to install all your software onto the replacement system's hard drive. You can't just copy application files over from the 9100's drive because the apps won't run.

Ron

Is there a way to check if the front panel circuit is working correctly?

Is there a way to check if the front panel circuit is working correctly?

 GMoreno94

Are you refering to the Dimension 8400, or the 9100?

Only by replacing Front Bezel Assembly, as all the connections are proprietary and are not documented by Dell.

Bev.