How to stop new PC from accessing an Old PC's Files & Software stored @ Ext Hard Driv

Here's the background:
My old XP laptop basically died because it was unable to startup, it just kept restarting. Maybe it was a virus. I took it to Circuit City so they transferred all the hard drive files (XP programs, software, windows, all files) to an external hard drive.

I bought a new VISTA laptop. I connect the external drive to it, which starts automatically when this new laptop is turned on.

Now I am having startup problems with the new VISTA! I could disconnect the old external drive before bootup, but can someone please TELL ME if my new laptop is incorrectly accessing those old PC files (in ext. drive) at startup? Even if I connect the ext. drive after my new PC is turned on--(I have other media files I use in that ext. drive)--will the new PC get confused and access the old drivers, files, etc. of the old XP files (maybe even virus files) found in ext. drive?

If I need to delete some files in the ext. drive that has the old XP hard drive, WHICH files or programs do I need to remove so that my new VISTA won't get confused (if it is indeed being affected)? I don't want to delete everything from my old computer files. Can I also make the Old PC files "invisible" or inaccessible so that it can't be accessed by my new VISTA PC?

THANKS!

 

Re: How to stop new PC from accessing an Old PC's Files & Software stored @ Ext Hard

Go into the laptop's BIOS and make sure that USB devices are not in the boot order at all. That should prevent start up problems. The easiest way, however (and probably the safest), would be to let Vista load completely to the desktop before you plug the external drive into the PC. Vista will try to auto-play the drive unless you tell it otherwise. I know that XP has an option where you can tell it what to do when external drives are plugged in: auto open, auto explore, auto play, or do nothing (among other things). In XP, this window will open when a new external device is plugged in and there's a little box to check for 'do this each time...'. I'm pretty sure Vista has something very similar, only I'm not 100% sure because I'm not fluent in Vista (yet ).

 

Re: How to stop new PC from accessing an Old PC's Files & Software stored @ Ext Hard

Thanks for the reply. I guess I'll have to do that.

One more problem -- I think my Windows Media Player 11 is getting info from the WMP 10 that used to be on my old laptop (files which are now in the external hard drive). Vista also asks what to do with the files. But is there anyway I can specify that the Folder containing files from old laptop not be usable or seen? Will making it invisible work? How do I do that?