General Question - Swapping out boot HD, affect Bios?

marmasatt

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2003
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Hi all. Quick question here.

I just finished a new build about 2 weeks ago on my current system. As luck would have it for my cousin, her system just died. (Its an older Dell w/ either a PSU or mobo issue but that's neither here nor there I suppose). If I unplug my current HD from my system, and remove hers just so we can dangle it for a day or two (everyone likes to dangle it once in awhile don't they? :D) can I just go back to my own HD when we're finished w/ no repercussions whatsoever? I plan on using her own OS/HD as the boot drive so she can see her system as it was....not as a slave or secondary if that matters. I say this just because I may give her the system for a few days w/ her own HD to tie up her loose ends.

My main concern is for my system's stability w/ mobo/bios issues, etc. I seem to remember having no problems w/ this before but should I reset the CMOS or anything? Is my system going to be trouble free when I remove her HD and reattach mine? Please advise.

Thanks.
 

krnmastersgt

Platinum Member
Jan 10, 2008
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BIOS won't pose an issue, it's the data stored on the hard drives that'll give you problems. Make sure you clear ALL the drivers from your cousin's HD, especially the motherboard drivers or your system will see it (and quite possibly cause it to be) a corrupted HD that can't be read under normal conditions. Switching back to your drive won't cause any problems as far as I know of.
 

marmasatt

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2003
6,576
22
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Hmmm. I actually hadn't thought of that. Well I need her to be able to see her stuff.....Maybe I ought to use it as a secondary just to get her pics and stuff first just in case?
 

krnmastersgt

Platinum Member
Jan 10, 2008
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That would probably be the easiest way of going about this, or getting an enclosure and just making it an external so you can quickly swap files between them without having complications from drivers among other things. Either way should work, I just prefer the enclosure method since I have 2 lying around, all up to you. Hope it works out alright. :thumbsup:
 

marmasatt

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2003
6,576
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81

I actually don't have any enclosures around. And I recall doing something similar to this on another system. So the plan is to get her pictures/docs as the slave secondary. Then let her *see* if she can boot up (she started like Turbo tax or something). So mine will be ok on the switch back?