Haven't posted in . . . a while - but it seems like ages! Hope everyone is in good health and had a good Christmas and New Year celebration.
Right, down to business:
I'm having rather annoying PC problems and am thinking of some drastic action - like reformatting my HDD and starting again. Thing is I don't want to loose all of my date (which is backed-up) so I thought "what about a second HDD with a newer OS?" Well?
I can get one (HDD & OS), that's no problem - my questions are:
1) When I've plugged the new HDD in and installed a different OS to my Win Me (yeah I know, it's crap), will it interfere/be compatible with my other HDD?
2) With two HDDs, can I choose which one I boot up to/which is primary?
3) Can I transfer "My Documents" from the old HDD to the new without having to copy to CD first?
4) Will there be a problem with having both HDDs capable of accessing the Internet with modem drivers installed on both?
Please forgive me if these questions sound dumb and pathetic - I'm not technically minded. Provided my PC boots up, lets me play games and access the Net I'm a happy boy. Your expert advice is greatly appreciated!
-AK Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
1) No/Yes 2) Yes/Yes 3) Yes 4) No
Posted by Styrofoaman (Member # 706) on :
Quick and simple advice:
1) Reformat. 2) Reboot. 3) Reinstall.
Repeat untill the problem goes away.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Although if you do that, you have to make sure that you have all the CDs to hand with the software on that you need.
And all the drivers for your hardware.
And all the tools, bits & bobs that you've downloaded from the internet.
And make sure that you've backed up all your documents, and emails, and stuff.
Of course, if you don't want to waste a weekend, and you have the means:
1/ Get Windows XP. There really is no other operating system you should even consider for a PC.
2/ Get a new hard drive. Plug it in as the secondary one. Make sure the jumpers are set to primary on your current one, and secondary on the new one, and make sure they are on the same ribbon.
3/ Boot up ME. Put in the XP installation disc. Run it. It will offer to install XP to a different partition/hard drive. Do so.
4/ Go and make tea or something while XP installs.
5/ When it's finished, it will autoatically set up a boot screen for you, so that when the computer loads up, it will ask if you want to use ME or XP.
6/ Load up XP, and just drag the "my documents" folder across to the new hard drive. Do the same for every other file that you use, since the new hard drive (should) be quicker. Reinstall all your software.
7/ Sit back and enjoy a (relatively) stable operating system.
The only problem with this is that your new hard drive will be unaccessable from ME, since you will have (should have) formatted it as NTFS, rather than FAT32. XP can still see the ME hard drive. And it doesn't matter anyway, since you will never ever use ME again, and in a few months you will wonder why you've kept it, since all it's done it cause the XP hard drive to be called "D" instead of "C".
Posted by akb1979 (Member # 557) on :
Thanks everyone! I knew that I could count on my fellow Flare members for technical assistance, although Styrofoaman - I want to avoid your suggestion as I don't want to loose the data, fart about with making CDs and want to upgrade the HDD and the OS to the XP that I have ::cough:: purchased.
Cartman - just the short answers that I was hoping for - nice one!
PsyLiam - just the slightly more detailed answers that I was hoping for - now at least I won't destroy my PC in the process of installing the shiny new HDD!
If I have any more problems be sure that I'll be back, but I think that an OS upgrade might just solve my modem connection problems (here's me crossing my fingers) as my sister's XP laptop doesn't have the same troubles as mine (just different ones ) and my parents Win 98 PC.
Cheers! Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"Get Windows XP. There really is no other operating system you should even consider for a PC."
What are you, a Microsoft commercial?
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
No, a realist. Although I was talking in terms of MS only operating systems there, in case there are crazy people who still think that 98 is better, or something.
Yeah, I know of Linux. But let's be serious for a minute, eh? The lad thinks that having two hard drives with modem drivers on could destroy the world. Giving him Linux would be like giving anti-immigration nukes to Daily Mail readers. Besides, I assume that he actually wants to run software.
Posted by akb1979 (Member # 557) on :
Well just a little note to let you know I'm back up and running!
I actually ended up reformatting the HDD as I couldn't be bothered to get a second one (but still plan to). Found out that my problem was a dying modem - now replaced. Hey-ho! I get to start afresh and my PC is healthier for it.
Thanks for all your help and advice - I'll keep it for when I do get a new HDD. Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :
Modems. Who uses them anyways?
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Erm, everybody? B)
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Not John Conner.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
I hope you typed that with an Austrian accent.
quote: like giving anti-immigration nukes to Daily Mail readers.
Have you had a bad experience with a daily Mail reader recently? Given that you're still alive, I assume you didn't make his house price fall...
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Your expert advice is greatly appreciated!![[Wink]](wink.gif)
) and my parents Win 98 PC.