X-Ternal Hard Drive Question

#1 notsosavvy

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Posted 10 March 2013 - 08:41 AM

My hard drive is malfunctioning.It is connected to the computer running windows 7. I have ordered a new drive.I have another computer running windows XP.My question is, can I connect both hard drives to the one with XP and move my files to the new hard drive and still be able to view them on the computer with windows 7?The windows 7 is the one I use most,but is will not hold the X-ternal open long enough to transfer the files.So I need to use the one with XP. Does this all make sense?Thanks for any help.

#2 Becster

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Posted 10 March 2013 - 12:29 PM

I don't see why not, if you're only using it to store files. It should pop up a dialog box when you plug it in to the other computer and give all sorts of options (mine does this): view files, view as slideshow ... etc.

#3 BarbaraC1977

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Posted 10 March 2013 - 01:20 PM

If you can actually get the files to copy, then you should be able to read them on another computer later. However, you still need to do the "install" of the new drive and put an operating system on it first. I'd do that before I copy files to it; I don't know that you can install Windows 7 or any other operating system without overwriting what's on the drive.

#4 notsosavvy

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Posted 10 March 2013 - 02:01 PM

I only have photos and scrapbooking supplies on the hard drive.I don't want to put an OS on there.Would I need to do that?

#5 JenniferZ

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Posted 10 March 2013 - 02:57 PM

No, you can't (at least as far as I know) run an OS off of an EHD. If you just want to access your files off of your EHD's on another computer while you are getting your primary computer's internal hard drive replaced, you should be able to do that with no problem. I think Barb means that you shouldn't copy files to your new hard-drive (on the computer that needs repaired) until after you have re-installed the OS on it. Since, pretty much the HD gets reformatted and (usually) you will lose all of your files with an OS install/re-install.

HTH!

#6 BarbaraC1977

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Posted 10 March 2013 - 06:08 PM

Sorry, didn't realize it was an external only. Just copy if you can--good luck. You may also want to check out a local place that recovers contents from disk drive that are failing. Often there are geeky tools to get more from the drive.

#7 notsosavvy

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Posted 10 March 2013 - 06:26 PM

Thanks to all. I think I have it. I can plug both X-Ternals to my XP and copy the files from the old one on to my new drive and then plug it into my computer with windows7 and I will be good to go? Right?I just wanted to be sure I could still view them and not be told windows 7 could not "read" them. I still get files there that it cannot open.

#8 JenniferZ

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Posted 10 March 2013 - 06:47 PM

The files themselves (.jpg, .png, .doc, etc.) should work on any platform. If the files don't open from Windows XP to Win7 or vice versa, there may have been some corruption when downloading them or copying them over. I have had programs act up when switching to new Operating Systems, but have never had problems with the actual files not opening.

Also, when you switch to the new OS, you may have to reset your preferences of what programs open what files. Does this make sense? In Win7 if you go to the Windows icon in the lower left corner and then click on "Default Programs," which is on the gray, right-side menu just above "Help and Support." That opens a menu where you can tell the computer what programs to use when you click on a file. (For instance, associating Microsoft Word to open a .doc file, or using Adobe Acrobat when opening a .pdf, or PSE to open .jpg files, and so on...)

HTH!!