# Hot Swap HDD question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 27, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-swap-hdd-question/614190 "2012-02-27T21:42:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-swap-hdd-question/614190/1 "2012-02-27T21:42:29Z")
I am, as indicated in a previous thread, building a new PC. In my current PC, I have a drive installed, a 1tb drive that is purely for media… music, movies, pictures, etc. It was installed after the fact. Pretty straightforward, I installed it, turned on my machine, it found it and formatted it. when I have my new PC built, can I take the Media drive out of my old PC, install it in my new PC, and still retain all my data? Will it be able to just install it like it’s a thumb drive with existing information on it or something? Old OS - Vista New OS - Win7 ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-swap-hdd-question/614190/2 "2012-02-27T22:53:35Z")
> [@Tristan](#): > > I am, as indicated in a previous thread, building a new PC. > > In my current PC, I have a drive installed, a 1tb drive that is purely for media… music, movies, pictures, etc. It was installed after the fact. Pretty straightforward, I installed it, turned on my machine, it found it and formatted it. > > when I have my new PC built, can I take the Media drive out of my old PC, install it in my new PC, and still retain all my data? Will it be able to just install it like it’s a thumb drive with existing information on it or something? > > Old OS - Vista > New OS - Win7 yes, you should be able to do that. I would make sure not to install that drive in the new system until you have Windows installed, just in case. note: when you add that drive and try to access it, you’ll probably get a couple of prompts saying you need permission. It shouldn’t prevent anything; I think going through those prompts lets you take ownership of the folders on that drive. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-swap-hdd-question/614190/3 "2012-02-27T23:32:56Z")
You’ll have to mount it internally or inside a caddy, but yes, basically. One thing you’ll have to do is reset all the permissions on the drive. This is trivial, but may take a while. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-swap-hdd-question/614190/4 "2012-02-27T23:48:39Z")
Awesome. thank you. 1 more question that I will ask here, rather than open a new thread for… My MoBo has 2 4pin connectors for the chassis fans, and 1 4 pin connecter that says it is the CPU fan and a 3 pin connector that says it is the PWR\_FAN. (the mobo is an ASUS M5A97) My CPU cooler has 1 3 pin plug, and both of my chassis fans are 3 pin as well. (1 chassis fan is the stock one from the case, a Thermaltake Dokker, the other is a Cooler Master 120 MM fan, and my CPU cooler is a Cooler Master Hyper N520) I am REALLY hoping I don’t have to buy all new fans. I am itching to get this thing powered up, and I don’t want to do it without the proper heat solution. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-swap-hdd-question/614190/5 "2012-02-28T02:27:39Z")
no, you don’t need new fans. The “tab” on the 4-pin header should be offset such that when you plug in your fans, you’re properly connected to +12V, GND, and Tach (speed monitor.) The 4th pin is PWM so that the motherboard can directly control the electronic commutation of the fan motor- thus the fan speed. if your fans are 3 pin then they don’t have the PWM input, and will run just like they would if connected to a 3-pin header. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-swap-hdd-question/614190/6 "2012-02-28T06:23:21Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > You’ll have to mount it internally or inside a caddy, but yes, basically. > > One thing you’ll have to do is reset all the permissions on the drive. This is trivial, but may take a while. What would be the easiest way for him to do this? I would go into properties and take ownership as the admin? Would you use that or a different technique? thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-swap-hdd-question/614190/7 "2012-02-28T22:55:19Z")
Just a nitpick, this is not a “hot swap”. A hot swap involves changing a piece of hardware while the system is powered up and running. While doing this with USB drives is generally okay (so long as you follow proper procedure) it’s generally not okay with internal drives, and you definitely do not want to do that to a drive housing the currently running OS. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-swap-hdd-question/614190/8 "2012-02-28T23:40:27Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Just a nitpick, this is not a “hot swap”. A hot swap involves changing a piece of hardware while the system is powered up and running. While doing this with USB drives is generally okay (so long as you follow proper procedure) it’s generally not okay with internal drives, and you definitely do not want to do that to a drive housing the currently running OS. Serial ATA allows for hot-swappable hard drives, but the controller and driver have to support it. As well the system and backplane have to be designed to make it doable. of course, you wouldn’t want to just yank your system drive while it’s running 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-swap-hdd-question/614190/9 "2012-02-29T23:17:44Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Serial ATA allows for hot-swappable hard drives, That makes sense, E-SATA would be really annoying if you couldn’t hot swap!