Re: installing a SATA harddrive on an IDE laptop computer
Hi Pentazoid, this is a bit of a challenge but it may be possible.
First though you need to determine if the laptop will work with that size of a drive, often with laptops there is a limitation to the maximum size the chipset can recognize (ie: 128GB, 250GB, etc).
If thats okay then you will need a Serial ATA TO IDE Converter Board like this one
2.5" SATA Hard Drive to IDE 44 Pin Adapter For Laptop Drives
the problem now is will the drive and adapter fit the compartment as it is typically a snug fit for a drive alone.
Assuming that goes well, there is the matter of Windows OS (and Linux for that matter) builds itself during installation to use the hardware of the computer it is installed on. Which means you can't just take an OS installed on one computer and use it on any other computer.
Fortunately, there is a method to migrate your currently used Windows XP to work on new hardware. You can find a guide on this webpage, skip down to the heading
Migrating to a Clean Installation Of Windows XP