I'm getting a hard drive, but not sure if it is compatible with my motherboard. My computer is Emachines H2642, the hard drive I'm replacing is WDC WD400EB-11CPF0, and the hard drive I'm getting is Maxtor Diamondmax 160G SATA. How do I know if the hard drive works with the computer? Also, the hard drive I'm getting is used, how do I know whether it's corrupted or not? After getting the hard drive, how do I transfer the data on my old hard drive to the new one? Do I need to reinstall the system?
I don't think your motherboard can handle SATA. http://www.emachine-upgraders.info/dir1/motherboards/socket478/imperial.shtml I don't see Serial ATA (SATA) in the specs. If thats the case you'll need an IDE Hard drive. If the drive comes from a reliable source it shouldn't be corrupted.
