How easy is it to move my HD?

Ian_in_Vancouver wrote :

"How easy is it to move the 80 GB drive over to the new system to use as a secondary HD.  Is it just a case of physically moving it and letting Win XP P figure it all out?"

Basically, yes. 

Instructions for installing a secondary HD in a D4600, are here

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim4700/sm/parts.htm#wp1053797

Set the HD's jumpers to "Cable Select" and install on the middle connector of the primary IDE cable. Check the setup/BIOS to make certain the drive is enabled, then partition and format it using XP disk management, generic instructions for this, are here 

http://www.seagate.com/support/kb/disc/howto/install_xp_disk_mgmt.html

Bev.

You're welcome, glad to have helped.

Bev.

Having read up on all the details of doing this, and then getting to the point of installing the 2nd hard drive, I notice that the existing HD on the new computer does not have one of those 40 pin IDE cables.   It's connected by a much smaller blue-coloured cable to the motherboard.  This blue cable has no second socket.  There is no 40 pin socket on it - just the socket for the blue cable which looks like (but isn't) a USB socket.  I'm wondering if I can just connect the 2nd HD to the motherboard with an IDE cable.

Further details on the two HDs:

Primary HD on new computer is WD 1600 WD Caviar Serial ATA Hard Drive

Secondary HD from old computer which I want to install as secondary HD on new computer is WD 800 WD Caviar Enhanced IDE hard drive.

Any hints or is it a case of the WD 800 not being compatible with the new system?

Any help would be sincerely appreciated. 

Ian

Ian_in_Vancouver.

As the SATA HD uses a different cable to a IDE/ATA HD, you will have to buy rt a local store, a 80 wire ribbon cable to connect the old drive. Always try to remember to differentiate between Serial ATA and Parallel ATA  [IDE/ATA] hard drives when posting.

Bev.  

Ian_in_Vancouver.

Yes, and connect the old HD to the end connector, as the HD was removed from a Dell computer, the jumpers should already be set to "Cable Select" but, check the drive to make sure.

Bev.

Bev:

I already have an 80 wire ribbon cable.  Do I just connect it between the old HD and the motherboard?  There is a slot on the motherboard which will accept the blue end of the cable.