Computer hdd

I didn't know where to put this. Here or general chat????

John please put it where it belongs.

I'm thinking of getting a new computer and wondered if any of you Computer gurus/ computer wizz kids can help me.
Will it be possible to take the hard drive out of my old computer and put it in a case and be able to run my PS 5 CS and my Lightroom 5 and all my other progs. DXO etc, from there and possibly even Windows 7 alongside Windows 10 ( I suppose that's what the new one will have) HELP HELP HELP an old codger (Silver Surfer)
CHEERS Vic.

Hi vic
Do you mean a external caddy if so
I think you will be able to run your programs but I don't know about windows
Neil

The problem you will hit, Vic, is that the HDD in your present PC is Drive C: and stuck in an external box it would become something like E:, or F:, or G:.
This would mean:
a - all your shortcuts would point to the wrong place.
b - any internal calls to the files on your present HDD would now point to the wrong place. Just to give you an idea, there are 114 files or folders in Lightroom 4.1 alone.
If you have a local computer shop that builds their own machines, it might be better to buy a new machine but with your present HDD installed.
This would mean that you would retain Win 7 (if that is what you use at the moment), and all your present software, and would not have to learn the PoS that is Win 10. You could have the displaced HDD stuck in an external box and use it for a backup drive.

Geoff

The short answer Vic is 'yes', but as usual there's a bit more to it. A better option rather than sticking your Hard Drive in an external box would be to stick it inside the PC. To do this you either need a Desktop PC with a decent sized case, or a higher-end laptop that has dual hard drive bays. I have an Asus N750VJ which has two drive bays and I run Win10 on one and Win 8.1 on the other. The Win10 drive is from my previous PC which got damaged and was paid out on insurance; they allowed me to buy back the hard drive which I simply installed in the new PC and used it as my main (C) Drive with all my previous software installed and working as normal. You may however need Microsoft's assistance to validate the Windows installation as most are only licenced for the PC they came pre-installed on, so might be reported as 'not validated' in a different PC.

With the system I now run I can choose to boot the PC to Win10 or Win 8.1. I use Win10 as the default, the alternative is reserved for emergency use, in case of hard drive failure etc. The other thing you may find is that some software and drivers don't work in Win10 and the vendors haven't yet got around to providing updated ones. Common issues arise with Bluetooth, Touchpads and High Definition Audio Drivers, so it's always useful to be able to switch to an older operating system if you have problems.

Hope this is not too technical.

Cheers
David

Unless you have a very expensive FULL Retail copy of Windows 7 it can't be moved to a new machine. If it's an OEM version it's up to the OEM and their agreement with MS. The new machine would have to be the same make as the old one for any chance of this being even considered. Then you have the problem of finding new drivers for everything.

It's easier to just get a new PC and reinstall all the software. You might have to de-register it on the old PC first.

The old drives probably worn out and slow so buy an external USB 3.0 drive and transfer all important files to it or copy the full drive and then delete what you don't want.

The old drive might be IDE which is now obsolete and causes problems on new PC's when you also have SATA drives.

--

I bought my computer in 2010 with Windows 7 preinstalled. Windows checked all my "apps" and said it was ready for Windows 10.
When the day arrived Windows 10 was installed and all my "apps" work.
Unless you have to buy a new computer, leave it alone and install Windows 10 and everything should be fine, otherwise, do as Algernon says above.

As far as I'm aware the only way to do this would be to have a "Dual Boot" system whereby you choose which operating system to use when you start up your PC, I don't think you can run photoshop installed on the hard drive under windows 7 if your running a separate drive with WIndows 10, as far as I know when you install (most) software it puts something in the windows registry.

As for putting the Hard Drive into the new PC that will depend on available space and the type of connection it has, it may also affect the warranty on the new PC,

To be honest I think you'd be better off re-installing the lot on your new PC and keeping the old hard drive as storage.

I would go a step further and suggest if Windows 7 is running well, and it is generally very stable, don't bother running the risk of upgrading to Windows 10.

When i get a new computer I get the current operating system and stick with it.

Hi all, the excellent Windows 10 is an open ended OS now unlike previous versions no longer supported. I find it excellent as a free upgrade from window 8.1 I agree the logic, if you can to upgrade with a new computer.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/lifecycle

There is no risk with updating the OS. My computer started with W7, and has been updated to W8, W8.1 and now W10.
As W7 user you will probably feel more at home with W10 than a W8.1 user does.
W10 is fast and very stable. Bsod is a thing of the past.
You can move your Adobe software across to a new machine. The Adobe website tells you how to do it.

Both the Adobe and the Microsoft helpdesks are excellent btw, and have helped me out of holes very quickly and efficiently.

Thanks to one and all. I've read, and will read all again, and again.
Thanks to Gwyn for the heads up on advice about the Adobe website. I will look that one up and maybe ask them for some help when the time comes.
I'm not fussed about which I use, W7 or W10 as I have W10 on my laptop and I'm slowly getting used to it. It's mainly PS, Lightroom, and all the other prog's. that are on HDD "C" that I want to keep and still use.
I have a good local PC shop and I would most likely buy the same make of computer so running a dual boot system with the old HDD in the new computer alongside the new HDD seems like a good idea.
Once again thanks to you all.
Happy New Year to all.
CHEERS Vic.