Can I load games from a different Hard drive with same OS?

[bushwickbill]

I know that isn't the best title, But I am wondering if this is possible.
I have a Hard drive that has lots of Games installed on it with WIN XP 32.
Now I am wondering if I take a new Hard drive with a fresh Install of WIN XP 32 on it and put it in my Sig Rig, Can I still load the games that are on my original hard drive?
I have a bunch of games that I have not quite finished yet on my Sig rig 320GB hard drive. So instead of Reformatting my 320GB hard drive, I just want to take it (320GB HDD)out of my Sig Rig for the moment. Then take the other hard drive with the Fresh install of WIN XP 32 and make that my main Hard drive. Then I would like to Reconnect my Original Hard drive back up along with my new one to load my half finished games from.
Does that make any sense to you guys?
I have two computers going right now as I am still in the middle of doing the CPU swap. So in my Server case I just installed a fresh WIN XP 32 on one of the hard drives. Now is it possible to take the Hard drives out of the server case and put it into my Sig rig. Then I will have a fresh install of Win XP 32 on my Sig rig without wiping out all my unfinished games that are on my old hard drive. I did install the new Win XP 32 from my Server case. So is it possible to switch hard drives and have them work in my Sig Rig.
Sorry if i am sounding confusing, But it is a very simple thing I am trying to say. Just hard to get it into a small amount of words.
Thanx.

[Satsumomo]

Some games will run fine, but other games save their configuration information on the windows registry, so some games will run but your savegames won't be available, and some games won't run at all.

You'll have to reinstall them on your new OS, and transfer the savegames into the new install, most games allow that. Gears of War doesn't.

[SiDiX007]

Easiest way is to install the games on your new HDD then transfer over the saved game info... so you can pick-up where you left off.

[enaberif]

Originally Posted by SiDiX007

Easiest way is to install the games on your new HDD then transfer over the saved game info... so you can pick-up where you left off.

Wrong.

Read the previous post.

Some games store data in the registry and if you do what the OP wants that registry data will no longer there and the game will not work.

[SiDiX007]

Originally Posted by enaberif

Wrong.

Read the previous post.

Some games store data in the registry and if you do what the OP wants that registry data will no longer there and the game will not work.

What game puts your "saved games" files in the reg?

[SugarJ]

In XP, a lot of the save games end up in your Documents and Settings folders. (make sure you enable seeing hidden and system files). These can usually be copied over to your new HD. Install the game on the new drive, copy over Documents and Settings sub-folders, and bango, save games are there. Some games store save games in the actual program folder. E.G. Crysis uses a folder called "LogBackups" in the actual Crysis directory.

In Vista, they usually end up in \users\Gord\Appdata(hidden) or in c:\ProgramData (also hidden).

What I do is re-install the game (puts all correct info into registry) and then replace the program with the contents from the old drive or just copy save folder if I know where it is. Works about 80% of the time.

Good luck.

[SiDiX007]

Originally Posted by SiDiX007

Easiest way is to install the games on your new HDD then transfer over the saved game info... so you can pick-up where you left off.

Originally Posted by SugarJ

In XP, a lot of the save games end up in your Documents and Settings folders. (make sure you enable seeing hidden and system files). These can usually be copied over to your new HD. Install the game on the new drive, copy over Documents and Settings sub-folders, and bango, save games are there. Some games store save games in the actual program folder. E.G. Crysis uses a folder called "LogBackups" in the actual Crysis directory.

In Vista, they usually end up in \users\Gord\Appdata(hidden) or in c:\ProgramData (also hidden).

What I do is re-install the game (puts all correct info into registry) and then replace the program with the contents from the old drive or just copy save folder if I know where it is. Works about 80% of the time.

Good luck.

This what i was trying to say just put into better terms

[bushwickbill]

So I need to start all over again? That really sucks cause some of the games I installed are from friends DVD's. And this friend and I are no longer friends.
And what about movies that I have stored on my Original Hard drive? Will I be able to just open the Hard drive from 'My computer' and load them up if I want to watch them?
I am just being lazy, I know I can copy the movies to a Portable HDD then copy them to my new HDD.
Thanx for the help guys:)

[ipaine]

As for the movies that is not an issue, they will work fine.

But the games as most people have said really work better with the reinstall. That said you can just give it a try and like was said some will work and others will not. On the ones that don't lots of the time all it takes is to run the setup/install directly from the folder that it is in to re-register it in the registry and then it will work. I say your best bet is to just give it a try, really the worst that can happen is that they won't work, but you will still be able to copy the save game files and use them so you don't have to start from scratch if you do have to reinstall the games completely.