Computer help forum: New PC - old Hard drive

Many will put the old drive into some USB case so it becomes a backup drive too. Let's be sure your plan is to add this as a second or data drive and not to boot from.
Bob

So no jumpers. As to file permissions and ownership, google that with words like.

Windows 7 TAKE OWNERSHIP OF FILES.
Bob

Hi again, just wondering, if I plug this HD into the new PC, it'll be running windows 8, so to access the files on the old HD, which ran Windows XP, will that make a difference, am I looking for ownership on files for XP or windows 8?

That's pretty much it, provided the proper connections and all. If required you will need to allow "possession of it or ownership, google the term, otherwise its seen as a 2nd HD and thus retrieve data. Excluding any true h/w fault, you can recover data. If you have an EIDE(PATA) type connection because you have an old HD, then consider using an adapter -OR- ext. USB enclosure to mount the old HD. Many newer PC are SATA type connections, so take that into consideration if such.

tada -----Willy

SATA drives don't fall for master/slave setups. There maybe a jumper but that's for speed grade, but even then you shouldn't need to move it, just try it as is. Your new PC should have SATA port connections so connect to the very next open one, or if a CD/DVD drive is there, make the HD drives 1 and 2, then CD/DVD drive 3. Of course, the support website for your new PC should explain any details on adding another HD, though "generic" in details its more than enough for any user.

tada -----Willy