How to put Toshiba mk8034gsk 2.5 HDD into a Dell Dimension B110

[YancePants100]

Hi so my girlfriend's mom has a Dell Dimension B110 and the HDD may be fried, and i want to take my Toshiba mk8034gsk HDD and boot up the desktop to see if i can teel if the Dell HDD is fried or has a virus. I need any help i can get. If you can help me or need to see the two items you can email (i'll send my email in private messages only) with the pictures of the desktop and laptop HDD.
Thanks in advance.

[JorgeM]

An easier, more common approach is to remove the hard drive that you think is "fried" from the system, and plug it into another working computer via an external USB connection. If you do not have the PATA/SATA to USB device, they run about $20.00 at the local computer store. These devices are handy to have around and they allow you to connect desktop and the smaller laptop drives to the same USB connection.

When connected in this manner, you can copy the important pictures and other files safely before you continue to troublehsoot the failed drive.

[YancePants100]

is it possible to have the dell run from the Toshiba HDD?

[rubberman]

Are you asking if it can run using the Toshiba drive, or are you asking if you can boot from an operating system already installed on the Toshiba drive? In the first case, probably, as long as they use the same interface (PATA or SATA). In the second situation, maybe, though most manufacturer installed Windows operating systems are configured to only run on the same hardware.

[JorgeM]

Yes the dell can run from another hard drive assuming the hardware had an interface for the incoming drive. The bigger issue is the the OS loaded will detect new hardware (the dell hardware). It will do its best with regard to plug in play, but it may not be able to detect all components. Worst case, Windows will crash.

Usually when drives start acting flaky, te best approach is to get the data off, plug a another drive in and either install a clean Windows instance or run the vendor's recovery CDs.

[YancePants100]

I was going to Install windows xp sp3 on the toshiba after wiping it clean but my laptop doesnt work so i cant do that and i cant do it from the desktop. cant i hoot it up via usb and run it off as a hdd?

[JorgeM]

As long as the computer allows you to boot from a USB drive, then yes. You will need to check the BIOS settings.

[YancePants100]

Thanks ill check when i can get the part