2 laptops 1 hdd...

Chicken #16 · 19 Jul 2010 at 14:09

Hi,

I have two fujitsu laptops bought at the same time (same model and mobo)

One's motherboard is dead but the other lives. How would I get the HDD to boot into windows happily on the other? Is it as simple as putting it into the working laptop or am I just going to have to recover data and waste time doing installs.

I haven't tried yet so please let me know if it's possible (if with any complications) or whether it simply cannot be done.

Cheers

xBLiNG · 19 Jul 2010 at 14:13

Should be basically a straight swap, try it, if you have any problems then come back here for help.

Chicken #16 · 19 Jul 2010 at 14:19

should have mentioned....the other laptop will need to be "borrowed" from sister. She's not worried about her data as its just used for youtube/facebook etc

Does mean a bus trip to collect though so would like an idea if it will work before I make the effort.

Thanks

xBLiNG · 19 Jul 2010 at 14:32

So they are the same laptop, but the mobo on yours is broken? You want to put your working HDD in the other laptop? Then yes it will work, assuming it has an OS on it.

Chicken #16 · 20 Jul 2010 at 01:32

cheers

will let you know either way

Chicken #16 · 26 Jul 2010 at 12:18

Ok,

Just got hold of the second laptop and put the hdd in. It booted up first time absolutely no probs and it was a different brand hdd

JamesTuc · 26 Jul 2010 at 15:27

The hdd brand won't matter, doesn't matter if it's a different size even. As long as the hardware it's running on is the same then you shouldn't ever have any problems.

Chicken #16 · 27 Jul 2010 at 08:01

the only other thing is the operating system licence.

The hdd is working fine in the new laptop but will I get problems from Microsoft. There is a valid licence on the new one but the install of XP has the licence from the old laptop. Just thinking of the Genuine licence thingy

J.B · 27 Jul 2010 at 11:34

I think you will probably get away with it from MS. You have what you need to be a legal (a license) but whether you'd technically need to reinstall I do not know.

It would tell you quite early on if it needed you to reregister though so you should be fine.