Read data from an XP drive on a Vista PC

JCLANEY · 03-26-2008, 06:30 AM

I have an old PC that was running Windows XP which had a major failure (motherboard and/or CPU). I purchased a new computer that is running Vista. In an attempt to salvage my files I took the harddrive from the old XP PC and insatlled it as a slave in the new Vista PC. The slave drive shows in My Computer on the new PC as Drive F. However, when I try to open it I get a message that the drive must be formatted first. How can I get the data off this old drive and on to the new Vista PC?

TheShadowFl · 03-26-2008, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCLANEY

I have an old PC that was running Windows XP which had a major failure (motherboard and/or CPU). I purchased a new computer that is running Vista. In an attempt to salvage my files I took the harddrive from the old XP PC and insatlled it as a slave in the new Vista PC. The slave drive shows in My Computer on the new PC as Drive F. However, when I try to open it I get a message that the drive must be formatted first. How can I get the data off this old drive and on to the new Vista PC?

Hi Claney,
I don't see Vista being the problem since it can read many formats including NTFS and FAT-32.

I'd rather suspect it's all in the way you have the old drive connected to your new PC.

Your Vista HD should be on the end connector of the data cable and the Vista HD should be jumpered as "Master". (NOT cable select)
Then the old XP drive should be on the center connector on the data cable and it MUST be jumpered as "SLAVE".
Then the old drive should read properly.

Give that a try,
The Shadow

JCLANEY · 03-26-2008, 10:30 AM

That might be the problem. The drive from the old PC requires a ribbon type cable where the drive in the new PC is a thinner red cable. Therefore, I connected the old drive to the cable coming out of the DVD/CD in the middle connector. Am I running into a new technology versus old technology drive problem?

bosozoku · 03-26-2008, 03:34 PM

Your old HD is probably IDE, and the new PC uses SATA, I'll bet.

This may work for you: http://www.satacables.com/html/sata-acessories.html

I'm about to get a Vista PC, and will have the same situation- migrating data from an XP install to the newbie.

Does anyone know if the Vista O/S will need anything like the "take ownership" function of XP?.

TheShadowFl · 03-27-2008, 06:06 AM

JClaney,
That's another case where you didn't give us all the information about your problem so we're left guessing and making WRONG assumptions.

Sorry about the wrong assumptions.

OK, so the new drive is SATA and the old drive is IDE.
NO problem, , , same answer.

First re-jumper the old drive to Slave and put it on the center connector on the IDE cable going to your DVD drive. Then make sure the DVD drive is jumpered to Master. (they usually come out of the factory set to "Cable Select") Usually that's the Right hand set of two pins in the jumper block, just to the left of the data cable.

Then boot up the system and the bios should see the old hard drive.
Unless the drive was also damaged when the old system gave up the ghost, it should now read.

Good Luck,
Shadow

03-26-2008, 06:30 AM	#1 (permalink)
JCLANEY Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2 OS: Vista	Read data from an XP drive on a Vista PC I have an old PC that was running Windows XP which had a major failure (motherboard and/or CPU). I purchased a new computer that is running Vista. In an attempt to salvage my files I took the harddrive from the old XP PC and insatlled it as a slave in the new Vista PC. The slave drive shows in My Computer on the new PC as Drive F. However, when I try to open it I get a message that the drive must be formatted first. How can I get the data off this old drive and on to the new Vista PC?

03-26-2008, 10:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
JCLANEY Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2 OS: Vista	Re: Read data from an XP drive on a Vista PC That might be the problem. The drive from the old PC requires a ribbon type cable where the drive in the new PC is a thinner red cable. Therefore, I connected the old drive to the cable coming out of the DVD/CD in the middle connector. Am I running into a new technology versus old technology drive problem?

03-26-2008, 03:34 PM	#4 (permalink)
bosozoku Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1 OS: XP Home, SP-2	Re: Read data from an XP drive on a Vista PC Your old HD is probably IDE, and the new PC uses SATA, I'll bet. This may work for you: http://www.satacables.com/html/sata-acessories.html I'm about to get a Vista PC, and will have the same situation- migrating data from an XP install to the newbie. Does anyone know if the Vista O/S will need anything like the "take ownership" function of XP?.

03-27-2008, 06:06 AM	#5 (permalink)
TheShadowFl Retired PC Builder Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Central Florida Posts: 237 OS: XP-SP3, Vista Ult.	Re: Read data from an XP drive on a Vista PC JClaney, That's another case where you didn't give us all the information about your problem so we're left guessing and making WRONG assumptions. Sorry about the wrong assumptions. OK, so the new drive is SATA and the old drive is IDE. NO problem, , , same answer. First re-jumper the old drive to Slave and put it on the center connector on the IDE cable going to your DVD drive. Then make sure the DVD drive is jumpered to Master. (they usually come out of the factory set to "Cable Select") Usually that's the Right hand set of two pins in the jumper block, just to the left of the data cable. Then boot up the system and the bios should see the old hard drive. Unless the drive was also damaged when the old system gave up the ghost, it should now read. Good Luck, Shadow __________________ A person with experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument.