salvage hard drive

[ljcb]

A "thermal event" disabled the motherboard of my 5-year-old Dell Optiplex ///gx270T.  Hard drive is OK, and my life is on it. I've ordered a Dell Inspiron 530 to replace the CPU--both the Optiplex and the Inspiron run Windows XP Professional.

How can I salvage the hard drive from the Optiplex? Can it be installed as a secondary in the Inspiron? Repackaged as an external HD?

thanks

ljcb

[ljcb]

I forgot to mention: the HD in the Optiplex is a 120 GB SATA, 7200 RPM drive.  HD in new Inspiron is also SATA.

[devlin]

You can use it either way since it's an SATA drive. either as a secondary internal drive or by buying a drive enclosure (usually starting around $30.00 retail).

I've done both and neither is rocket science.