[tjmcs]

I need help clearing up a few things. If I am in the wrong forum, let me know. This kind of a software/hardware/OS question.

The mobo on my XP system died. I want to convert the hd into an external drive and use it on a new Win 7 system so that I can access the data and possibly use some of the programs, like Money. My questions are, is there a compitability issue with Win 7 accessing XP data and is there a compatbility issue with Win 7 running an XP program?

This is my first adventure with external drives. I am still learning so please bear with me. Like my teachers used to say, "The only dumb question is the one not asked".

joe

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Hi joe,

No, there are not typically compatibility issues with Windows 7 accessing data saved from Windows XP or Windows 7 running a program designed for Windows XP. However, you cannot simply take the hard drive from your XP machine, make it external, and assume that Windows 7 will run the programs installed on that hard drive. The programs you have installed have registry settings and other program settings that are set up for the drive on which the operating system resides at the time the application is installed. The short answer: Windows 7 can access the data, but will not be able to run the programs until you reinstall them on the Windows 7 system.

That may not be exactly the answer you were anticipating, but I hope it helps.

Regards,

Ax

[Ax238]

Hi joe,

No, there are not typically compatibility issues with Windows 7 accessing data saved from Windows XP or Windows 7 running a program designed for Windows XP. However, you cannot simply take the hard drive from your XP machine, make it external, and assume that Windows 7 will run the programs installed on that hard drive. The programs you have installed have registry settings and other program settings that are set up for the drive on which the operating system resides at the time the application is installed. The short answer: Windows 7 can access the data, but will not be able to run the programs until you reinstall them on the Windows 7 system.

That may not be exactly the answer you were anticipating, but I hope it helps.

Regards,

Ax

[tjmcs]

Thanks, Ax.

That answer definately throws a kink in my plan but it is what I needed to hear. Not a problem (unless I can not run a 2003 Money program on Win 7), I still have the program disk.

I am the treasurer of my civic organization. One of the things I was trying to do, was take the hopefully newly created external hard drive and my laptop to meetings so that the treasury records would be viewable to all. When my pc went out, I came up with a crazy idea. I am the first treasurer in the club to do records on computer. Instead of transfering a ledger to the next treasurer, I wanted to transfer an external hd. Load my Money 2003 on the/an external hd and transfer it; just let the next treasurer usb it to their computer, regardless of OS, and not worry about transferig data. This does throw a kink into that plan. Time to rethink.

Thanks for the time.

joe

Edited by tjmcs, 04 March 2012 - 08:28 AM.