Urgent help required - IDE DRIVE

[Slotback]

Hello - short on time.

My friends computer stopped working. He needs sensitive files OFF his desktop ASAP. So he's coming to my place tomorow and I'm plugging his DRIVE into my PC... However, his drive is IDE... my DISK DRIVE is IDE... I have ONE IDE CABLE... it would be possible just to temporerily swap the IDE SEATBELT CABLE to his DRIVE....right? Would there be any problems?

I understand I cannot boot from his drive, I'm booting from mine, then accessing his drive from my computer. How do I access files on Windows XP home, that are on another admin user account, on another drive? The files are on his desktop btw.

[NickN]

you can NOT hot swap that cable with power on as it may fry the drive or the motherboard port

IDE cables have 2 connectors on them. You could place his drive on the 2nd connector (dissconnecting it from the CD drive or other hard drive you may currently have it on) and boot your hard drive, then read his as a data drive assuming the hard drive is not the problem on his system

You must make sure the hard drives are MASTER (boot) /SLAVE (his) or alternately both drives are set to CS (CABLE SELECT) to be sure the drive is seen in Windows and the BIOS

Do NOT disconnect or attach anything with the tower on or powered

[Slotback]

Thanks Nick!

But the genious decided to bring his CD-ROM drive.