Using one computer to fix another

[pigface]

I have a relatively recent PC which runs XP but now fails to boot windows (have tried startup disks and no windows disk was supplied with the computer - this appears to be typical for HP computers).

Is there any way in which I can remove the hard drive from the computer and install it into my older computer (runs Windows ME) so that I can use the older computer to boot the hard drive?

[commoner]

I don't know the answer to your question about removing the HDD, but many computers these days, including HP, now have the files in a seperate special partition and don't come with OS discs..........your manual should have told you how to make Recovery discs and how to use them in emergency...........better look at your manual before you get the knives out.....commoner.

[ian.miller]

Yes you can is the short answer. If you install it then you need to check your boot sequence to keep it on the ME drive.

However ME uses Fat32 file system and XP (normally) NTFS, I'm not sure is ME can read NTFS though, never tried it going backwards but I've done it the other way adding a 98 drive to XP.

[pigface]

So, practically speaking, I can remove the HDD from the XP comp and put it in the ME comp, installed as a slave wtih the ME HDD as the Master?

[oldbob]

Windows ME uses the FAT32 file system and it is most likely that the hard drive with WinXP on it is formated to use the NTFS file system. WinME cannot read the NTFS file system so no, it is most unlikely that you could just bung the WinXP drive into your WinME machine and expect everything to work. There are options. An IT expert could use a program such as Partition Magic to convert the WinXP disk to the FAT32 file system but I would suggest you concentrate on repairing the operating system on the WinXP disk.