Transfer HDD to a new computer

[BH2]

Hi Guys,
advice please, I am running windows XP, intend to transfer my hard drive to
another computer I am going to build, If I use this drive as the new C
drive will it boot up ok, or will I need to reinstal windows Xp. A couple
of questions please, will windows XP allow me to instal the same register
version of XP on a new computer? Also would it be better to use a software
probram and transfer the contents of the existing drive to the new drive
in the new computer. Ok, if the later is the better option, what would be
the best program to do it with ?
Thanks guys for your advice
Regards
Bob

 

[John Doe]

Hi Guys,
advice please, I am running windows XP, intend to transfer my hard
drive to another computer I am going to build, If I use this drive
as the new C drive will it boot up ok, or will I need to reinstal
windows Xp. A couple of questions please, will windows XP allow me
to instal the same register version of XP on a new computer? Also
would it be better to use a software probram and transfer the
contents of the existing drive to the new drive in the new
computer.

Do you have a removable media copy of important files from your hard
drive?

 

[Paul]

Hi Guys,
advice please, I am running windows XP, intend to transfer my hard drive to
another computer I am going to build, If I use this drive as the new C
drive will it boot up ok, or will I need to reinstal windows Xp. A couple
of questions please, will windows XP allow me to instal the same register
version of XP on a new computer? Also would it be better to use a software
probram and transfer the contents of the existing drive to the new drive
in the new computer. Ok, if the later is the better option, what would be
the best program to do it with ?
Thanks guys for your advice
Regards
Bob

A repair install is one option. If the new motherboard has some driver
requirement for the disk, you'd install that by pressing F6 when prompted,
then offering drivers on a floppy diskette. The basic procedure is
described here.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

A repair install allows you to keep your programs and settings. But for
safety sake, make a backup anyway. My procedure before doing the
repair install, is to clone the old boot disk, to a new drive. Then I
have two copies of the same info. If I run into trouble during the
repair install, I still have my disk with all the files on it.
I use an old copy of Partition Magic for the cloning, but there
are probably other better solutions out there. Even the disk manufacturers
offers utilities on their web sites.

Paul

 

[PeterC]

Hi Guys,
advice please, I am running windows XP, intend to transfer my hard drive to
another computer I am going to build, If I use this drive as the new C
drive will it boot up ok, or will I need to reinstal windows Xp. A couple
of questions please, will windows XP allow me to instal the same register
version of XP on a new computer? Also would it be better to use a software
probram and transfer the contents of the existing drive to the new drive
in the new computer. Ok, if the later is the better option, what would be
the best program to do it with ?
Thanks guys for your advice
Regards
Bob

I've just done this. After putting the old HD in, I removed the drivers
that were for the old mobo and installed the new ones and it ran OK.

 

[BH2]

Hi JD,
I would back my files up to an external hdd using the XP folder and setting
transfer wizard
Regards
Bob

 

[John Doe]

Hi JD,
I would back my files up to an external hdd using the XP folder and
setting transfer wizard

You would?

If you have important files, do it now and keep it that way.
If your files are worthless, don't worry about it.

 

[JAD]

Hi Guys,
advice please, I am running windows XP, intend to transfer my hard drive to another
computer I am going to build, If I use this drive as the new C drive will it boot up
ok, or will I need to reinstal windows Xp. A couple of questions please, will windows
XP allow me to instal the same register version of XP on a new computer?

Yes if your have done this just once every 120 days (or something close).

( in regards to: transferring a HD from one system to and entirely different system)

The system MAY boot however you may have problems with hardware drivers.
after HDD transfer, booting the first time with the XP CD and doing a repair install will
give you better results.

Also would it be better to use a software

 

[Strobe]

Hi Guys,
advice please, I am running windows XP, intend to transfer my hard drive to
another computer I am going to build, If I use this drive as the new C
drive will it boot up ok, or will I need to reinstal windows Xp. A couple
of questions please, will windows XP allow me to instal the same register
version of XP on a new computer? Also would it be better to use a software
probram and transfer the contents of the existing drive to the new drive
in the new computer. Ok, if the later is the better option, what would be
the best program to do it with ?

The way I did it was to install the HDD in the new box, then boot from the
XP CD and do a repair install.

Unless your new MB is the same as your old one (and what's the point of that!),
your old drive won't boot properly. Booting from the CD ensures that the new
hardware is recognised and the correct drivers selected and loaded.
Of course, you'll need to locate drivers for any new HW that isn't included in
XP - check the CD that came with your new MB.

This method isn't foolproof, but if it works it can avoid having to reinstall
all your applications. In my case I had a spare HDD and time so I first did a
test install of XP onto a blank HDD in the new box - this showed which HW needed
me to provide the drivers.

It worked for me...

 

[BH2]

Thanks Guys for all the help and advice it is really appreciated
Regards
Bob

 

[DaveW]

You HAVE to reformat the harddrive and do a fresh install of the OS whenever
you change the motherboard that it will be used with. Otherwise you can
look forward to ongoing Registry errors and data corruption.

 

[BH2]

Thanks Dave
Regards
Bob

You HAVE to reformat the harddrive and do a fresh install of the OS
whenever you change the motherboard that it will be used with. Otherwise
you can look forward to ongoing Registry errors and data corruption.

 

[JAD]

You HAVE to reformat the harddrive and do a fresh install of the OS whenever you change
the motherboard that it will be used with. Otherwise you can look forward to ongoing
Registry errors and data corruption.

GD Dave will you shut the hell up with that cut and pasted nonsense