I have a compaq comp.has bad hard drive, but i have a hard drive formatted with windows 98 se, it was formatted on a dell optiplexgx1. how do i get it to work in the compaq.could someone help me with this

Hi,

it jus doesn't work like that! When you "format" a HD on a computer, I suspect you mean that you installed the operating system as well? Well the installation of the OS will set the computer up with the correct drivers for a number of different things:

Processor type, Memory type, Motherboard, display adapter etc. This hard disk can ONLY be installed on an IDENTICAL computer in order for it to work.

You could try installing it on the Compaq but I suspect that all you'd propably be able to get at the max is a safe-mode boot with no network-support.

The only way to go is take a HD and install WIN on the CPQ with the new HD in place.

It might be possible to change all the different settings for the Compag using the Dell HD but in my opinion you'd have to be a rocket-engineer and still you'd propably fail...

Sorry!

If it was only formatted, there's no problem with it ,as long as you install the operating system on your compaq since it will search plug and play devices and install it's drivers.

If you have the Operating System disk from the computer you are installing the HD into, try doing an operating system repair...I did this once with a hd drive from another laptop that I had...put the disk in the cd-rom and let it run and it should tell you "Operating system installed but it has problems" "Would you like to repair this Installation" or something like that...Click whatever it tells you to click to do the repair and then follow the prompts from there and you should be OK....