View Single Post
  #1  
Old January 23rd 16, 12:39 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10,alt.comp.hardware
>>>Ashton Crusher
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9
Default Moving HDD to new identical computer

My 2 week old Dell XPS developed some intermittent malady and even
with a new motherboard and power supply the Dell Tech was not able to
get it running again.

Background: (you can skip to Question if you want)

It was working perfectly, I had just finished all the major updating
and setting up of my programs. I had the new computer on the kitchen
table where it had been running and it turned it off, turned off my
old computer, and swapped the two, meaning I disconnected all the
wires from each, then moved the old computer out and put the new
computer in where the old one had been. Hooked up all the wires
(keyboard, mouse, power, speakers, Ethernet cable) and pushed the
power button. NOTHING. Computer would not power on. Pulled the
power cord out and used a different cord from a different outlet.
Still nothing. Disconnected everything, took the computer to the
table, pulled the side panel off, poked at the wires, put the side
panel back on, put it back in position, hooked all the wires back up
and pushed the button. Computer came on and worked perfectly. Shut
it down. Pushed the power button. NOTHING.

Called Dell and set up a tech to come and fix it. He arrived, pulled
the side panel, poked some wires, pushed the button and it fired up
and worked. Then turned it off and tried to restart.. nothing.

So he put in a new motherboard. Hooked all back up. Pushed the power
button.. Nothing. He put in a new power supply. Nothing.
Disconnected the HDD I had put in that was a Storage drive that had
been in the old computer. Pushed the button. It started. So he says
"maybe your drive is bad". He power cycles. Tries to start it and
NOTHING. So he disconnects ALL the drives. Still nothing. So he
gives up, too many other things and he doesn't have every possible
part.

Question:

So Dell is supposed to send me a brand new computer. Here's my
question. The first computer had a regular 2T Hard drive as a "D"
drive. It had a M.2 form factor SSD as the "C" drive.

Since I have already installed all my programs on the original new
computers C drive, and all my data on the original new computers D
drive I'm thinking I should just swap in the drives from the original
new computer that broke into the new one Dell is sending. The
computer is supposed to be identical.

I'm not worried about the D drive but If I do that will it somehow
cause a problem with the C drive since the "asset tag" numbers, which
the tech said get "put into the motherboard" are going to be
different? Also I presume my Win10 was validated on the original
computer and now it's going to be in a different computer. I hate to
reinstall all the software on the new C drive but I don't want to
create some other problem either.