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Q: I have 2 Dell Dimension desktops, both running XP. In the 4100, I have a hard-drive that has alot of info on it that I want to keep as well as pics, games, etc. In the 8250, I have a master and slave drive. The slave drive doesn’t have much of anything on it and is old. Since the master is already set up to recognize a second drive, can I simply swap the slave drive for the drive that is in the 4100 and have everything on one computer? The wiring connections are the same in both computers. Is there something I would have to do from a software standpoint such as remove XP from the “new” slave drive?

– Crystal G.
Baker, Florida

A: The short answer is no, Crystal.  But I never give the short answer, or my Geek minions out there wouldn’t learn anything from the column.  So, of course, let me elaborate.  The designation of master or slave has nothing to do with the actual contents of the drive, although for a master drive to perform its intended purpose it must be bootable, and contain an operating system.  The designation is really more for the computer, as you’re telling it which drive is in control of the data bus channel that it’s plugged in to.  If both drives are master, then they will constantly compete for control.  If both are slave, the system will not boot from the hard drive, and it’s possible neither drive will work.  The only 100% correct solution for multiple drives is one master and one slave.  The master drive is the one the computer will boot from when you power it on, and the slave drive will simply be mass-storage.  It’s fairly easy to set a drive as either master or slave, though doing so requires good eyes and a steady hand.  Before handling a drive, dissipate any static electricity you’re carrying by touching a good ground point, such as a metal railing, or a metal screw on your computer (while it’s still plugged in).  The master/slave setting is performed through small jumpers that are usually located on the edge of the drive where the cables plug in.  Most hard drive manufacturers print the jumper settings right on the drive itself.  If yours doesn’t have a sticker showing the jumper settings, consult the documentation or check with the manufacturer. You may need tweezers or needle-nose pliers to remove and insert the jumpers.  Double-check your configuration before installing the drive.  As far as removing XP, if you’re moving the slave drive from one computer to another, it doesn’t have an operating system on it, so you’re good to go.  If you were to move the old master drive over, and reconfigure it as a slave, you’d probably want to simply format the drive to clean it completely off.  At a minimum, you’d want to delete WinXP to free the drive space it is using.  You don’t really uninstall it in the classic sense of the word, because once the drive is configured as a slave drive, there is nothing “installed” anymore – it’s just data.

Q: I read in your last issue that anyone can browse your website without signing up. I would like to sign up but I can’t find where.

– Judie D.
Navarre, Florida

A: Whoops!  My bad, Judie – still my one and only “Official Geek”.  I usually only see the site as the administrator, and it looks totally different from the way it looks to a user.  Also, I’m still learning how to use WordPress, which is the engine behind my site, and I haven’t quite figured out how to link the sign-up page the way I want to yet.  Until I do, about the only way to sign up is to go to any of the articles, and at the bottom it will say “You must be logged in to post a comment.”, and the words “logged in” are a hyperlink that takes you to the login page, where you can click the “Register” link.  I’ve rigged up a shortcut for anyone who wants to use it.  Go to tinyurl.com/IGTM-Signup and follow the instructions.  It will look like you’re signing up for WordPress, but check out the address bar – you’re on ItsGeekToMe.co.