Using my desktop harddrive with my laptop?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mart
  • Start date Start date
M

Mart

I would like to use my desktop HD with my laptop. I first thought of
restoring my backup image to the laptop HD, but a search here indicated
that I could run into problems with that approach. Now I'm wondering
if I could mount my HD externally and use it that way without involving
the laptop HD. So my questions are: First, is it feasable? If it is,
how would it be connected, USB cable? Could I switch back and forth
with the laptop HD. Both are using XP. Possible problems? Any
suggestions and/or advice would be appreciated.
 
Windows is not supposed to work (and cannot be installed) on an external
device. My guess is that removing the desktop drive and using an external
case with USB connection would tell Windows it is on an external device and
it would not work/boot.
 
Look for an external HD kit. You put the HD into it and attach it to the
laptop via a USB cable. It should be hot swappable. You boot to the HD in
the laptop and then can access files from the external drive. I don't know
if you can boot from the external drive.
 
Mart said:
I would like to use my desktop HD with my laptop. I first thought of
restoring my backup image to the laptop HD, but a search here indicated
that I could run into problems with that approach. Now I'm wondering
if I could mount my HD externally and use it that way without involving
the laptop HD. So my questions are: First, is it feasable? If it is,
how would it be connected, USB cable? Could I switch back and forth
with the laptop HD. Both are using XP. Possible problems? Any
suggestions and/or advice would be appreciated.
Click to expand...


Mart:
It's really not entirely clear what your objective is re your "desktop HD".
Are you planning to use it as an auxiliary storage device for your laptop?
Or is its primary or exclusive use intended to be a clone of your laptop's
HD via some disk imaging program? I ask this because you ask "Could I switch
back and forth with the laptop HD?", the inference being that you want to
boot to that "desktop HD" which would be installed as a USB external HD. If
that's your intention, then it's unlikely your objective would be realized
since (in our experience) a USBEHD is not bootable (although some have
reported success in doing so but I've never come across a single case that
confirmed this capability). But it would still be useful as the recipient of
the clone of your working HD since its contents could be later "re:cloned"
back to the internal HD for restoration purposes should the need arise.

On the other hand if your intention is to use the USBEHD as a storage
device, there's certainly no problem in doing so. In most cases that's the
primary use of this kind of device.
Anna
 
Anna said:
Mart:
It's really not entirely clear what your objective is re your "desktop
HD". Are you planning to use it as an auxiliary storage device for your
laptop? Or is its primary or exclusive use intended to be a clone of your
laptop's HD via some disk imaging program? I ask this because you ask
"Could I switch back and forth with the laptop HD?", the inference being
that you want to boot to that "desktop HD" which would be installed as a
USB external HD. If that's your intention, then it's unlikely your
objective would be realized since (in our experience) a USBEHD is not
bootable (although some have reported success in doing so but I've never
come across a single case that confirmed this capability). But it would
still be useful as the recipient of the clone of your working HD since its
contents could be later "re:cloned" back to the internal HD for
restoration purposes should the need arise.

On the other hand if your intention is to use the USBEHD as a storage
device, there's certainly no problem in doing so. In most cases that's the
primary use of this kind of device.
Anna
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. Here's what I'm aiming for: I want to take my laptop
to another location along with the HD (not the image backup HD) from my
desktop. I would install that HD in an external mount and connect it to the
laptop. I would boot the laptop from its own HD. Then I would want to be
able to see the other HD and use the programs and data it contains. Will
this work? If so, can I make the connection using a USB or other type of
cable?
 
Martin said:
Thanks for the reply. Here's what I'm aiming for: I want to take my
laptop to another location along with the HD (not the image backup HD)
from my desktop. I would install that HD in an external mount and connect
it to the laptop. I would boot the laptop from its own HD. Then I would
want to be able to see the other HD and use the programs and data it
contains. Will this work? If so, can I make the connection using a USB
or other type of cable?
Click to expand...


Martin:
I'm still not clear I quite understand what you're trying to do...

1. When you say you "want to take my laptop to another location", what
exactly do you mean? Take it to another computer?

2. Then you want to install a HD in a USB external HD enclosure? And connect
it to your laptop? To do what? To exchange data with another computer at
this "other location"?

Please try to be as precise as you can in describing your objective(s).
Anna
 
Anna said:
Martin:
I'm still not clear I quite understand what you're trying to do...

1. When you say you "want to take my laptop to another location", what exactly do you mean? Take
it to another computer?

2. Then you want to install a HD in a USB external HD enclosure? And connect it to your laptop? To
do what? To exchange data with another computer at this "other location"?

Please try to be as precise as you can in describing your objective(s).
Anna
Click to expand...
You will not be able to run "programs" off the external hard-drive that contains your old desktop
hard-drive unless your reinstall the programs onto the external hard-drive while using the laptop.
Program install software also puts critical support files in the Windows Systems folder (on the main
computer used during installation) and in the registry file of the main computer. Unless these
support files and registry lines are in the laptop, the program on the external drive will not work.
 
You will not be able to run "programs" off the external hard-drive that contains your old desktop
hard-drive unless your reinstall the programs onto the external hard-drive while using the laptop.
Program install software also puts critical support files in the Windows Systems folder (on the main
computer used during installation) and in the registry file of the main computer. Unless these
support files and registry lines are in the laptop, the program on the external drive will not work.
Click to expand...

I agree with Richard, Anna. The guy wants to take his desktop EHD,
which contains applications that are installed in his desktop O/S, and
connect via USB to his laptop and run the applications on the EHD that
are not installed in his laptop's O/S. That's what I think he means.

Colin
 
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