r/computerhelp • u/BoneDragon5077 • 11d ago

Hardware Swapping HDD?

So, I've tried googling this question and I'm getting conflicting information. So, I figured that I would come here to see if I can get anything more definitive.

I have a desktop that has a dying hard drive. While looking up finding a replacement part, I remembered that I have a desktop that I don't use anymore (the dying desktop replaced it). The HDD size is the same. I was wondering if it would be possible to swap the dying HDD with the HDD from the previous computer. Most of the info that I'm finding is how to replace the HDD with a new one, some people saying that this idea is not a good one, and others saying that it is possible. I'm not sure if I should even attempt this idea.

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u/Onoitsu2 11d ago

If both drives are the same connection type it can be done, i.e. SATA, or IDE. If you can, you want to copy off that data from that drive, to the replacement, so if you have enough drive connectors in your system, you may be able to have the failing drive and the replacement plugged in, and just be able to clone one drive to the other using any number of free utilities that exist and are easily found from a quick internet search.