Can a desktop SATA HD be connected to a laptop internally?

chrstrbrts

Senior member
Aug 12, 2014
522
3
81
Hello,

I was wondering whether or not it's possible to connect a desktop SATA HD to a laptop motherboard SATA connector internally.

I know that I can connect an HD externally with a SATA to USB converter.

But I want to run the OS stored on the desktop HD on the laptop, and as far as I know an external USB connection won't support the required data transfer rate.

So, I want to know if there is some sort of female SATA to male SATA cable that will let me attach the desktop drive to the laptop's SATA connector.

Thanks.
 

LurchFrinky

Senior member
Nov 12, 2003
305
59
91
Well, you can't start Windows 7 from a usb, but not because of the 'bootablilty' of the connection. It's because Windows doesn't want you to use the OS on more than one machine.

That being said, it isn't likely that the desktop OS will boot in the laptop anyway, because the hardware is completely different.
I think it was assumed that you were using a linux distro which is a little more lenient on both of these points.
 

chrstrbrts

Senior member
Aug 12, 2014
522
3
81
Well, you can't start Windows 7 from a usb, but not because of the 'bootablilty' of the connection. It's because Windows doesn't want you to use the OS on more than one machine.

How does the OS have the sense to know what type of connection is being used to boot it?
 

tynopik

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2004
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500
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How does the OS have the sense to know what type of connection is being used to boot it?

not the type of the connection, the hardware drivers installed in windows

so you have a windows 7 install on your desktop and then you move the drive over to your laptop, the drivers will be all wrong as it's expecting your desktop's hardware

otoh windows is getting better at not completely dying when the drivers are wrong, so you may get lucky, but it's not recommended

(this will of course break the activation so you'll have to reactivate soonish)

now if you attached a blank drive to your laptop's usb and installed windows onto that, that would certainly work
 

LurchFrinky

Senior member
Nov 12, 2003
305
59
91
It's a little more complicated than this, but basically, the motherboard BIOS starts first, initializes all of the hardware, detects where to boot from, and then passes this information and control to the boot drive and OS.

But, as far as your original question, yes, it is possible to connect a desktop HD to a laptop. They both use SATA connections nowadays, and there is no difference between the SSDs in laptops and desktops*.

*Some newer laptops, especially ultrabooks, chromebooks, netbooks, or anything thin & light, tend to use the M.2 interface which is for gumstick-size SSDs.

If your laptop has a standard 2.5" HDD or SSD, then you can just swap it out with a same size drive and be done. If you are trying to connect a 3.5" drive, you may or may not need a gender change in your cable, it depends on if you have access to the motherboard connector or just the end of the cable in the laptop. Of course, getting power to the 3.5" drive will likely be trickier and need an external power supply. It wouldn't be a good long-term solution anyway. But, yes, it could be done.