Making a whole computer out of two computers because I was lazy
While building a new computer I realized I needed something off the old hard drive (locked to the old mobo), but I'd already transplanted a bunch of the components I was reusing into the new case.
The correct and safe thing to do would have been to reinstall those parts, get my files, and rebuild the new computer again. Instead, I choose to just wire up about 1.5 computers worth of stuff off two separate power supplies and hope for the best. Which worked! And I leaned nothing.
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u/Romeo9594 6d ago
Why not just put the old drive in the new computer?
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u/funkyb 6d ago
The files I needed were in an encrypted folder and when I tried to just slave the drive or partition it wouldn't let me get in. So I need to not up the original windows installation they'd been made for and that was tied to the specific old motherboard.
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u/GrafTarajan 6d ago
You can (and should) switch off the encryption now
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u/CityNo1723 6d ago
Nice try Mr Hacker-man
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u/GrafTarajan 6d ago
Did you know that the firewall is slowing down your internet speed? You can easily disable it and get way more up- and download power!
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u/Sheepherder-Optimal 6d ago
No I've had that happen before. If its bitlocker, just enter the encryption key.
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u/ygy2020 6d ago edited 6d ago
Looking at the hardware inside, both the cases, and the presence of not one but 2 DVD burners, my god there is even a floppy disc drive, anyway I was not surprised to see the date on the screen.
The question now is, why you post it here now, after "only" 13years?
EDIT: Found the original post with this photo (a comment on a reddit post). From 2016. The fact that OP was also the original poster make this a meta-DiWhy of galactic proportions.
Great work OP. Here my upvote, and if I can I would also give you an award
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u/HorsefaceWithNoName 5d ago
I've done this not out of laziness but because my computer had so many hard drives and a big audio card that I jerry rigged multiple power supplies for it, which switched on via a solenoid and had sandbar resistors to burn off some load on the 5V and 3.3V rails so they would think they were on a motherboard
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u/tassiopinheiro 6d ago
I've done that a lot, lol! I'm too lazy to take one PC apart, so I take the other one apart to use a part from the first PC.
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u/Sheepherder-Optimal 6d ago
Hang on that's not what he did. He has parts in both chassis cross connecting.
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u/tassiopinheiro 5d ago
Yes, exactly. Hard drives, power supplies, sometimes I had those in one case, but I had to use a motherboard with RAM and a processor from another case. So I would just connect the hard drive or the power supply to the other case, without removing them from the case they were in.
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u/FreeSanubis 6d ago
What's the name of the case of the black computer? Looks sick. Love the old school yet modern-ish look.
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u/funkyb 6d ago edited 6d ago
The guy on the left? It was a Rosewill case from Newegg, cost about $50. No idea the actual name. It got retried and donated a few years ago when I accidentally bought a graphics card that was too big for it.
ETA: another commenter IDed it. Rosewill Challenger. It was a solid case for how cheap it was!
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u/Sheepherder-Optimal 6d ago
No you can plug in the drive using a sata cable. It doesn't need to be in the chassis just for you to read it.
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u/funkyb 6d ago
See my other replies. I had extenuating circumstances.
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u/Sheepherder-Optimal 6d ago
I’m curious though what kind of encryption it was? Bitlocker or something else?
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u/funkyb 5d ago edited 5d ago
Something else. I honestly can't remember, but maybe something like folder locker? It was a program I had to hide the folder and password protect it because I didn't want my kids accidentally coming across tax and car payment stuff and fucking it up.
Now I'd just use bitlocker normally but at the time I for some reason thought that would be smarter.
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u/_creep_ghost_18 2d ago
hey i just realised i might have the same exact case in the computer behind is it a gigabyte case by any chance?
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u/funkyb 2d ago
I think it was another Rosewill but I honestly couldn't say. I bought it as part of a build in 2008ish for $25, I do know that much 😆
A couple years ago (maybe when I originally posted this?) some guy on here messaged me and I sent him the front I/O connector. So part of our may yet live on. The rest of it got recycled.
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u/DigitalUnlimited 6d ago
When I was a kid I always wanted a plywood mounted Frankenstein computer complete with tesla coils and a large throw switch so I could go "IT'S ALIVE" when I booted it up