Talal said:
Hello,
I want to build a PC, yet I want to transfer everything that my current PC
has, data and applications. I thought I make an image of the old HDD into
the new HDD, then I install the new HDD inside the new PC. I have two
concerns: Can I purchase a copy of XP, and simply plug the registration
number into the new PC? The second question: will the new HDD operate in
the new PC, knowing that the hardware and drivers are different?
Thanks,
T.I.
There is the "repair install" procedure. With new motherboard, old
boot drive, Windows install CD, you can use a repair install, to
set up the old drive, to work with the new hardware.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
Another version of the instructions, here.
http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/windows/instructions/repairinstall.htm
Using the repair install method, your programs and user data files will
be preserved. You will still need to connect to Windows Update, and
install any Service Packs which were delivered later than the version
on the Windows install CD. Also, you'll need to get any Security Updates
and Patches from Windows Update as well. If you previously had Internet
Explorer 7 installed, then chances are, the Windows installer CD and
the repair install, will remove it. So you'd have to put any IE7
update back in as well.
There is some cleanup to do - and the amount of downloading necessary,
will depend to what extent you have kept some of the updates, on
your disk, for a rainy day.
If you have access to the release version of WinXP SP3, then that would
help a lot. See if someone at work has a copy on CD for you. Otherwise,
just work with SP2 and Windows Update, as that might be marginally
safer. It really depends, on where the original Windows install came
from. If it was my computer, I'd stick with SP2 for now. If you find
a Windows CD, it might even have SP2 already on it.
Paul
