David_L6

I just ran across a deal on a Dell 8400 that I considered too good to pass up. I presently have a Dell 8300. (The 8400 has a 3.4GHz processer vs a 2.8GHZ n the 8300, DDR2 memory vs DDR, PCI-e vs AGP....)

Can I just swap the harddrive that's in the 8300 over to the 8400? The 8400 came with a 40GB hdd. The 8300 has a 120GB hdd, plus it has pictures, programs, short cuts, etc., etc., etc... on it that I'd like to keep using.

Sazar

call up the tech support and verify...

IIRC they are using different headers for the hdd, but I could be mistaken...

I have not dealt with the 8300's, but I have with the 8400's to an extent...

verify you can with the tech support, safest and best way and thats why they're there

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LeeJend

Maybe, but not as easily as you'd like.

The new machine may use different drives than the old machine. If it does the old drivers have to be removed while the disk is in the old machine then the new drivers installed when the old drive goes into the new machine. If the new machine uses the same MB chipset(s) and the same video & sound this is a very easy process.

Show stopper reality check:
Are the new and old chipsets both Intel (or the same brand as each other)?
If using built in video, is the new and old video the same OR if using a video board can you install the old video in the new computer when moving the HD?

If the answer is yes to both of the above questions the HD swap will be pretty easy. Though you may need to reinstall, modem, LAN, sound after the transfer if the new PC uses different hardware than the old one.

In any case. Make a backup of the data on the old HD then give the exchange a try. If instability results or the system seems laggy then you can always do a clean install.

Be advised swapping the HD's will probably void your Dell warantee. They get pissy about stuff like that.

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ElementalDragon

also, you may wind up having to wipe out the hard drive after swapping it anyway, since all the hardware that you are currently using is registered in windows and it'll really throw a hissy fit if it even boots after swapping it.

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David_L6

Uh oh....

I don't think there's much of anything in the 8400 and 8300 that are the same.


What's the best way to get the stuff that's on the 8300's harddrive over to the 8400?

lancer

Can i just say that the above posts are not necessarily correct, its true that if both computers chipsets hardware etc.. are different, its not the best course of action to just stick a preinstalled hard drive in. But having said that, when you do, you'll probably find that windows 98se and up will just install or try at least (make sure you have the right drivers handy on a cd rom) to install the new hardware drivers. Once it has you could just go to the system hardware manager and remove the old drivers section by section, and if you removed anything the new comp needed it'll reinstall them again. Then after that is done just make sure you have the most up to date drivers. How do i know this works, because i've done it many times before.

Although to be honest you'll get better system results from a formatted raw HD in the first place, with all the files you need backed up to a cd or dvd.

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Admiral Michael

The easiest way, of you want to install the 120 in the 8400, would be to install the 120 as the slave drive. You can then copy the files and such.

Im not sure if you want to keep the 8300, in terms of SWAPPING the drive (40 in 8300, 120 in 8400).

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Sazar

you can get adaptors and since you have atapi devices in there you probably might be able to squeeze in an IDE device...

if not the best way to get it going is simply get an external enclosure from dell's online store or a place like newegg... plug your old hdd in there and use it with a ieee 1394 or usb connection...

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