hello, I will give you a more flexible response than carey did...
(as
always)
I will give you the BEST answer.
you have 2.5 solutions: (you will understand why im saying two and a half
solutions later)
Only the first solution is supported normally, the others I give just in
case you want to try them.
Solution 1) Basically all you need is a CD of the same TYPE of your XP
installation.
What matters is the type of install for example if you have retail, if its
home or pro, you need to find a retail cd of that same type..
And then of course you have your product key.
In other words you can install from ANY cd as long as if its the same TYPE
of XP
and you use your product key. If a friend has a cd with XP retail *same
version home or pro* as you do, then you can use that, along with YOUR
product key.
If you dont have your old product key written down you can find it via the
old installation via a small free program called magic jelly bean
get it here
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
this will find the product key if you dont know it from your XP install..
write it down and keep it somewhere in a safe place.
you can also ORDER the Media from microsoft, with a minimal cost here:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326246
Solution 2) You can try GHOSTING the current install, writing the IMAGE on
dvd, then gosting it back on the new drive.
This method MAY OR MAY NOT WORK, but you really dont have anything to lose..
since if it doesnt work you just format the drive again.. lol
What will happen (if it works) is that XP will struggle to adjust itself to
the new hardware trying to find the correct drivers in order for it to
function.
If it works the working windows may not be that stable...
But I HAVE done this a few times with success and a few times it just gave
me a blue screen.
In order to make an IMAGE of the install you can use a nice product like
ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE (thats what I use) but there are others too..
basically what happens is that you use this ghosting software to create an
identical COPY of the old install and you put it on a DVDs... then with that
same
ghosting software you restore the install on the new hard drive... then you
boot widows and pray that it will work
Solution 2.5) I named this 2.5 because I know MVP's will whine and ALEXB
will come along saying that Im a crook lol.. but who cares about them
really?
My intention is to give you more flexibilty and options... and from then on
YOU decide whats best.
You CAN FIND the xp ISO IMAGES on TORRENT intact (not cracked) if you know
how to search, so you can download the ISO of the XP that corresponds to
your version, burn it into a CD and user YOUR PRODUCT KEY to activate. So
you are just getting the installation media from torrent and you are using
your product key to actiave.
WARNING (and this is why I call it solution 2.5) if you DONT know what you
are doing you MAY fall into some cracked version of XP or even worse some
that has a virus in it...
so be warned ...
Im only offering this last solution just in case you are very good with
search in on torrents and you can understand what is good or not there.
Tell me if any of this helps
