Swapping HDD on Dell Dimension E521

DAC

Hi,
I have a Dell Dimension E521 & I need to access data on a 2nd HDD (that will plug into Dell), I've disconnected the existing drive & connected the new one but I get a blue screen telling me that the BIOS setting are a problem so rather than proceeding I simply reverted back to normal in case I do damage -
Q - Can I damage the PC if I try to get this 2nd drive working on the PC? & can anyone tell me how I go about getting this second drive to work with my PC - I only need to get some data off it & then I can go back to working with my old drive.
Thanks

DAC

gamer

IF the hd pcb is damaged it would be safer to buy usb drive caddy 15euro.
IS THE hd ide or Sata type drive.DO NOT Touch the hd pcb,if the pcb is damaged theres a small chance it could damage the pc motherboard.DO NOT LET the hd pcb touch the new caddy metal case.Theres a risk of short circuiting the hd board.
SOMETIMES i,d plug in an old faulty hardrive as drive d slave ,it would crash the pc,or stop drive c from loading windows.Use a hd caddy usb type, or set it up as a slave drive d or e.
You need to go 2bios settings advanced , set AUTODETECT all drives.
OR put electrical tape over the hd underside,covering the pcb board.There,s usb caddys 4 sata or ide harddrives.

byte

Why are you disconnecting your existing drive, which presumably is the one with your OS on it? Or are you replacing an existing secondary drive with another?

On the Dell BIOS you'd find some of the SATA ports are disabled by default, and need to be enabled (assuming you're using a port not currently used).

DAC

byte wrote: »

Why are you disconnecting your existing drive, which presumably is the one with your OS on it? Or are you replacing an existing secondary drive with another?

On the Dell BIOS you'd find some of the SATA ports are disabled by default, and need to be enabled (assuming you're using a port not currently used).

Thanks for both reply's
I'm disconnecting the existing because I have only 1 SATA cable - the 2nd drive has an OS on it as well but the M/B or the PSU is dead on it's PC it won't power up - so on my good PC is it possible to swap one HD in for the other get what I need off the disk then swap back to the original HD again?
Thanks

gamer

YOU can download active bootdisk demo,install it ,register it,burn image to make boot cd.Get it at www.ntfs.com .Set bios boot from cd 1st, cd is drive 0,cd boots first.install imgbrn program free,burn image to cdr.Connect old hardrive boot from cdr, it loads a mini VISTA os ,lets you copy to a usb drive or 2nd ide hd.You need a windows os eg windows xp, on the working hd to make the active bootcd and a cdburner drive.Free version has ten day time limit.
CAN you take the sata cables from the old pc.
THAT demo has all the file copying systems that windows xp uses,mouse drag and drop to folder or usb drive.Reads fat32 or ntfs hardrive formats.
IT loads the os from the cdr disc.
Switch off pc,take power pc plug from the esb socket be4 taking out the hd or putting in the old harddrive.IT would be easier to get a sata usb hd caddy.WHEN you register they send a serial no 2your email adress , have 2 put in code be4 you are allowed to make an image file,which you then burn 2 a cdr.

byte

DAC wrote: »

Thanks for both reply's
I'm disconnecting the existing because I have only 1 SATA cable - the 2nd drive has an OS on it as well but the M/B or the PSU is dead on it's PC it won't power up - so on my good PC is it possible to swap one HD in for the other get what I need off the disk then swap back to the original HD again?
Thanks

But what are you gonna save onto?

I don't think your idealogy will work too well, but I'm open to correction.

TBH, I think it'd be easier to ge anohter SATA cable and transfer what you need from the 2nd drive onto your existing primary drive.

docmol

I'd assume your optical drive is sata as well? Why not just plug in cables from optical drive (I wouldn't even bother closing the case), boot, and let the bios pick up the other hdd automatically? As already said, don't let the hdd circuit board touch anything metal. You shouldn't have to do any more than agree when the bios finds the new hdd and when windows boots, copy your info over.

gamer

First switch off pc,take out pc plug from esb socket.Disconnnect the sata cables from dvdrom drive,plug in old hd to sata cable 2,reboot go to bios,set old hd as drive d,or e,slave drive,nonboot drive.Cos when you switch off a pc theres still power going the the pc motherboard.
IF pc does not see the old hd then either theres something wrong with it ,or its 2big eg the bios may not detect a 500gig hd.
GO to bios set autodetect all drives ON.
Do not touch the hardrive pcb.

DAC

Thanks Everyone -
Gamer as you suggested I got this sorted by disconnecting the cables from the DVD drive & plugging them into the 2nd HDD (on the "good" PC), powered up the PC & the 2nd HDD up as the drive, I didn't need to mess with the Bios settings.