Harware movement

[funxus]

This friday we'll get a new computer, which is really good. We allready have one laptop and two older computers. I thought we'd throw away the old one, but before we do that I'd like to take the harddrives, RAM, network card and put it in the newest of the two old computers. I'm not an expert at this and wonder what I should think about. Few questions:
Can I add RAM memory to another computer without any problem? It's probably not the same type of memory and probably not very much I want to add (32Mb I think).
Where to add two harddrives? I allready have one hd size 8,6 Gb, but want to add one 2Gb and one 800Mb.
I have linux on the 2Gb hd, how do I format that drive to a windows drive?
I also got a better graphic card from a friend (Voodo something I think), and can I just change it with the old one? Where is the old one? Anything I should think of?
My only experience inside computers is adding a network card, so I'd like a little help to not screw the computer up Thanks

 

[Grisu]

Originally posted by funxus
Can I add RAM memory to another computer without any problem? It's probably not the same type of memory and probably not very much I want to add (32Mb I think).

I wouldn't do this, first if the RAM fits at all it's propably slower RAM, so it would slow down (or even crash) your system. And then there's the question whether your your board has free memory slots left (you should find this information in the motherboard-manual, or just check your motherboard yourself

Where to add two harddrives? I allready have one hd size 8,6 Gb, but want to add one 2Gb and one 800Mb.

if you don't have SCSI you usually have 4 IDE-Channels: two of these are already used by your CD-ROM and your new HD, one more if you have a CD-RW. so that leaves only 1-2 channels open. I would use the 2GB-Drive but leave the others out. most cases have room for only two HD's anyway. If you add your old HD make sure it's not set to master-mode (jumper-setting) or your computer might boot up.

I have linux on the 2Gb hd, how do I format that drive to a windows drive?

delete all partitions and create a new fat or ntfs partition. how to do this depends on your windows-version. what version do you have? in w2k, you can use the diskadministrator(hope this is the correct translation) for that.

I also got a better graphic card from a friend (Voodo something I think), and can I just change it with the old one? Where is the old one? Anything I should think of?
My only experience inside computers is adding a network card, so I'd like a little help to not screw the computer up Thanks

the graphic-card is fairly easy to find, it's the card where the monitor is plugged in if it's a AGP-Card make sure your computer has an AGP-slot, or you won't be able to use is.the rest is pretty much like adding the network-card, just take the old one out and insert the new one, make sure you have drivers, of course you will have to install them the next time you boot.

hope this helps a bit

 

[funxus]

Yes it helps Thank you
I'll check this tomorrow

 

[Rheinmetall]

That 32mb module won't slow down your computer if you put it there. but if that computer already has, say 512mb it won't make much difference. And if there's not printed instructions on those HD:s how to set them to master/slave: make a google search with the model number printed on the HD.

 

[munzy76]

Originally posted by Rheinmetall
That 32mb module won't slow down your computer if you put it there. but if that computer already has, say 512mb it won't make much difference. And if there's not printed instructions on those HD:s how to set them to master/slave: make a google search with the model number printed on the HD.

If it is a slower speed it will clock all the other RAM down to that speed or cause system stability problems as stated by KaeptnOvi.

KaeptnOvi gave a lot of good information. The only thing I would add is to get a friend that has done this kind of stuff a lot and have them watch and help you.

 

[Rheinmetall]

I think the worst case scenario is that the 32mb module is PC66 and the new machine runs at 133MHz fsb. If however that 32mb module is PC100 it'll run at 133MHz nicely if you force it from BIOS. So far I've not seen a PC100 module that didn't work at 133MHz.

I also noticed an tiny error in KaeptnOvi's description of IDE channels. Normal motherboards have only two ide channels both capable of hosting two devices. But i don't want to stick on that. he gave good instructions

-this is getting way offtopic-

 

[funxus]

delete all partitions and create a new fat or ntfs partition. how to do this depends on your windows-version. what version do you have? in w2k, you can use the diskadministrator(hope this is the correct translation) for that.

I use win98, and I have windows on the small drive, and linux on the large drive. This means I can't find the large drive with linux from windows. I tried to run fdisk, but it said it couldn't find any non-dos partitions.
I have absoultely no idea where to do it. Any program? in windows or linux?

I have also checked some specifications:
There are 5 slots,
1 5,25": CD-Writer (I might give it to a friend for a while, since I won't need it)
2 5,25": Probably C:\
3 5,25": CD-ROM
4 3,5": Floppy disk (cannot take a harddrive apparently)
5 3,5": This one seems empty, and can take a HD.
So I'll have one or two slots two add harddrives to.

The old computer turned out to have 24 MB RAM, and the new 64 MB ram, so it's proportionally quite much. If it doesn't work, we might buy new RAM to speed it up. My father wants to wait with the upgrade until the new computer is ready though, so I'll have to leave it until next week.

 

[Rheinmetall]

I'm don't know much about Linux, but maybe you could try Linux's fdisk or similar to remove that partition. I know from experience that NT/2000 and probably XP too can remove such partitions with ease.

That old computer judging from that amount of memory probably uses old 72 pin SIMM modules so that single 32mb module won't fit there. and if that new one has only 64 and is new enough to accept that 32mb module, then stick it right in. You'll see it noticeably speeds up that computer.