Move Hard Drive to other PC for frugal install ?

Forum: HD Install
Topic: Move Hard Drive to other PC for frugal install ?
started by: setecio

Posted by setecio on Dec. 05 2006,19:11

I have an old thinkpad 560z laptop with no way of booting from anything except the hard disc. It has win98 on a fat32 first partiton.

Can I move the HD to another PC, then boot DSL from a live CD and do a frugal install to the HD? I was going to repartition it when connected to the other PC using Gparted and then try this with DSL frugal install.

When I move the HD back to the laptop will it boot up DSL OK ? Since it is a frugal HD install does this mean that it will work, because it will fresh detect the hardware of the laptop ?

Posted by roberts on Dec. 05 2006,19:21

Yes, hardware detection occurs upon each reboot.
Many users do this. Just pick a boot loader that you feel comfortable editing, as you may need to edit a boot option. Grub seems to be the favorite of most.

Posted by setecio on Dec. 05 2006,23:04

Great

solves my problem.

Posted by setecio on Dec. 15 2006,13:21

I'm trying to do this now, but before I do what I think, I just want to check something, so i don't lose or get locked out of my win98 permanently.

I moved the HD to the desktop, but can only get the desktop to recognise it as a secondary drive (hdc). If I attach it to where the desktop HD is attached, it is not recognised, if I attach it to the second IDE cable it is recognised, allbeit as hdc, even when I disconnect hda. I have it partitioned with win98 on 1st 1GB primary FAT32 partition, 800MB FAT32 primary partition, 800MB EXT3 primary partition, and 400MB linux swap.

So I tried to install DSL from the live CD.

During DSL install it asks whether I have windows on hda1. No I have it on what shows as hdc1, but what will be hda1 when I plug it back into the laptop. If I answer no, then I presume grub boot will take over and show only DSL on the 3rd partition.

Is it trying to write grub to hda ? in which case I will have no grub, or can I make it write everything to (what shows as) hdc ?

If I do this, and move the HD back to my laptop, can I easily edit grub to include the windows98 option on the first partition.

Thanks - hope you understand what I mean.

Posted by kamaradski on Dec. 15 2006,14:57

try to unwire the hd thats already in your desktop now. and then plugin the laptop drive.
so hda will be hda, if you follow me

greets

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Dec. 15 2006,14:59

Currently, the bootloader is written to the mbr of device that DSL is installed on. When it asks you about the windows thing, that is just a menu entry.

Depending on how grub points itself to stage 2, you may be better off taking off your windows hard drive while you install it on your desktop.

Posted by setecio on Dec. 15 2006,15:50

Success

Thanks

I had the other HD unwired and had replaced it with the laptop's HD, but it wouldn't detect it, but I persevered and eventually got bios to recognise it. It must be a problem with this HD, but it took 3 or 4 boots before bios detected the drive - strange

Anyway, once it was appearing as hda then it was plain sailing, I have it now back in the laptop as a dual boot - win98 or DSL

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Dec. 15 2006,16:16

great

Maybe your bios has those hdd settings saved and only cleared them then.

Posted by setecio on Dec. 15 2006,17:45

Unfortunately DSL is a bad yellow tinted screen, can't read the text at all. I guess it is a display setting, so I will search the forums but if anyone knows how to fix it it would be much appreciated.

> DSL 3.1 on an IBM thinkpad 560z 300Mhz 128MB (display in belarc shows as NeoMagic MagicGraph 128XD display adapter)

EDIT - All working fine - just needed fb800x600 boot option and xfbdev choice.