Can I switch hard drives w/o losing data?

[ran...@yahoo.com]

The Windows XP is not working properly in my Compaq Presario laptop.

I was wondering if it was possible to take the Hard drive out of that
Compaq laptop and put it in another Laptop brand such as a Toshiba
without losing it's data, then copy it all onto DVD?

Then I could put the Compaq hard drive back into the Compaq Laptop &
restore Windows XP from scratch since I don't have any way of restoring
Windows XP without losing it's hard drive data.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks
:)

[toomeys]

you wont be able to boot windows if you move the disk but you will be
able to read the disk and copy data from it (providing you hadn't used
any encryption on the broken machine!)

[weasel]

when you move a hard drive the info on it is not touched you can put it in
any machine and it will work as it did in the old machine<ran...@yahoo.com>
wrote in message
news:1143024019....@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...