How-do: Re-installing XP w/new motherboard

[Will]

Can anyone help me with re-installing XP Pro? The
situation is this:
* New motherboard but with used 20gig HD.
* The HD already has XP Pro installed on it.
* When trying to boot up, computer does not find a MBR. I
can only assume this is Master Boot Record. How can that
be? XP is already on the HD.
* I've tried to re-install a fresh copy but haven't been
successful.
* Setup gets to the point of listing the partitions on the
HD and only shows one partition of 7.8gig. How can that
be? The HD is 20gig.
* Checked the BIOS; the BIOS sees all 20gig.
* I try to delete the partitionduring setup; that seems to
work; NOT!
* Setup tries to reformat the 7.8gig it does see
available. BTW, I can't change this value; it won't allow
me to. It goes through the process only to show at the
end "unable to format HD" or something like that. I know
this HD is good because it works in the original computer.

It's been off and on for two weeks now. I'm just about
ready to give this thing the 'ol heeve ho out the window
of my 10th floor apartment. Look out below!!!!!

Thanks in advance,
Will

 

[Jim]

Can anyone help me with re-installing XP Pro? The
situation is this:
* New motherboard but with used 20gig HD.
* The HD already has XP Pro installed on it.

Sounds like you're trying to mate another system's installation to your
mobo. This is only going to work (perhaps) if you do a "repair" install.
Every installation is unique, some mobo's have USB, firewire, SATA,
different CPU (e.g., if the prior install had a Hyperthreading model, and
you don't, that a difference that has to be accounted for!). A repair
install will cause the hardware to be re-examined and adjusted. So anytime
you're moving an installation to new hardware, a repair install is a
necessity.

* When trying to boot up, computer does not find a MBR. I
can only assume this is Master Boot Record. How can that
be? XP is already on the HD.

I've never seen a direct reference to the MBR, only indirect, such as
"missing operating system", or "non-system disk, insert...", etc. Are you
getting these types of messages?

* I've tried to re-install a fresh copy but haven't been
successful.
* Setup gets to the point of listing the partitions on the
HD and only shows one partition of 7.8gig. How can that
be? The HD is 20gig.

I have my suspicions now about this HD. Is it possible this HD had an "OEM"
version of XP on it?! OEM versions are "tied" to a specific PC system, and
can't be installed on a different system. I'm suspicious now this is the
case since OEM versions often have a hidden, reserved partition to store the
recovery image. When or if the original installation needs to be restored,
you use the recovery CD, which then deletes the old installation (on the
7.8GB) using the stored image on the remaining 12.2GB partition (for
example). Since the restore copy is typically hidden, when the XP install
runs, it doesn't recognize the partition and only reports the 7.8GB. Of
course, the BIOS would report the 20GB since it is partition independent.

I'm speculating here, of course, but given everything you've said so far, it
all fits.

There's no way you're going to get an OEM release of XP to run elsewhere,
not easily anyway. You need to be more clear about the origins of this HD,
and the environment it was originally running under. Moving a HD with a
preinstalled version of XP to another system cam be problematic, just
depends on the details, whether OEM vs. retail, etc. We need more facts.

Jim

 

[Guest]

Yes it is the original HD from a Compaq Presario 5000 that
originally had Windows Me. Of course, I promptly changed
that to Windows 2000 when I got the chance; then finally
to XP. In other words, this HD has had several OS's
installed on it with the final OS being XP.

Hope this answers

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM licenses are not
transferable to a new motherboard), unless your motherboard is
virtually identical (same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS
version, etc.) to the one on which the other WinXP installation was
originally performed, you'll need to perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place
upgrade) installation, at the very least:

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q315341

As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any
important data before starting.

This will also require re-activation, unless you have a Volume
Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. If it's been more than 120
days since you last activated that specific Product Key, you'll most
likely be able to activate via the internet without problem. If it's
been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone call.


Bruce Chambers

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