GAWD, I love linux!

[lunoob]

My cruddy old garage computer pooped out on me.  Download speeds were 1/10 normal, while up speeds were normal.  After a little troubleshooting, I determined that only that one computer had the problem, so I swapped out the NIC and got NO connection.   
So out of frustration and uncertainty, I pulled the HD out and slammed it into the computer I had in my bedroom - along with the HD it already had in it.  Booted it up and BANG!  Problem solved.   

Then I took it out to the garage and ...
... no internet ...   
My mistaken assumption was that since other computers running off of the switch in the garage were unaffected, the switch wasn't the problem.  Turns out I have one bad port on that switch.  So I moved the ethernet cable to an open port and all's well.  And now I'm running a 3 GHz dual core instead of a 1 GHz P3. 

I tried moving a Windows HD to a different computer once. 
Once.     

[Jaws]

I'm with you lunoob.

If I'm not mistaken, you can't just swap hard drives in and out of different computers running Windows. That's why software companies who make backup software stay in business. I think they call it bare metal backups.

Hell, I can go from a liveCD to a hdd install in 20 minutes with everything working in Linux. Try that on Windows with install disk and it takes me the better part of a day to get a running system and that if you got all the drivers you may need.

[lunoob]

Yeah.  I never really understood the ridiculousness of drivers that aren't included in a Windows install.
But I suppose that millions of dollars are made every year because the average person can't or won't figure it out on their own.

[rnojonson]

Windows was designed as a one computer OS, you install it and it owns "that" computer. It's the only OS you will ever need......and you only need one PC per user or one per household. lol!

You could technically swap the hard drive to another PC if it is the same make, model and spec, but I think perhaps the Registry records hardware MAC address numbers. "Flint is that you? You shouldn't have come back, you can't load me on this PC! I'm afraid (you won't pay me)!"

Business IT folks will Ghost the hard drive image to install on their entire similar fleet. The version of Windows they buy under a group license allows them to do this. Then they race around tweaking anomalies and quirks and squashing bugs (even similar PCs are different). All fixed by Linux!!

[rji]

I've actually had more problems with Linux when swapping hard-drives, than with Windows.  I upgraded a cpu and motherboard on an old XP install that didn't need me to do anything after re-booting, everything just worked properly.  The same procedure on a Linux PC needed several edits to /etc/fstab to even boot and several more edits of various configuration files in /etc to boot properly.

Of course booting properly in Linux now means my graphics card is recognized as a sound card, thanks Red Hat... 

[Gozzin]

Yeah.  I never really understood the ridiculousness of drivers that aren't included in a Windows install.
But I suppose that millions of dollars are made every year because the average person can't or won't figure it out on their own.

Oh yeah...That brings back memories of hunting down drivers in Windows..WHAT FUN!!!!
You mean I could have paid someone to install the drivers? I had no idea!

[lunoob]

Yeah.  I never really understood the ridiculousness of drivers that aren't included in a Windows install.
But I suppose that millions of dollars are made every year because the average person can't or won't figure it out on their own.

Oh yeah...That brings back memories of hunting down drivers in Windows..WHAT FUN!!!!
You mean I could have paid someone to install the drivers? I had no idea!

It's especially fun installing a driver for a new NIC.  Ever try to install a driver when you can't get internet connection?
Wheeeee!!!

[Gozzin]

Nope.never had that experience. Wowzie!

[rji]

It's especially fun installing a driver for a new NIC.  Ever try to install a driver when you can't get internet connection?
Wheeeee!!!

Been there, done that, called myself stupid for doing it.