ndbrad said:
Hi,
I currently have an old PC that came with Windows ME. Several years ago, I
upgraded to XP Pro. After getting XP Pro, I added a slave hard drive. I
want to buy a new PC and have two questions...
1) I want to reformat the hard drive on the new PC (which will probably be
Vista) and get a clean install of the XP Pro that I already bought. Is this
possible? How can I do it?
It's your computer, so the choice is, ultimately, yours.
However, there could be a couple possible adverse repercussions of
which you should be aware. First and foremost, if the specific computer
model in question was designed specifically for Vista, there may well be
no WinXP-specific device drivers available to make the computer's
diverse components work properly. Consult the computer's manufacturer
about the availability of device drivers. Secondly, removing an
OEM-installed operating system and replacing it with another will almost
invariably void any and all support agreements and, sometimes, even the
warranty. You would, at the very least, have to re-install Vista before
getting any support from the manufacturer. Again, consult the
computer's manufacturer for specifics. Thirdly, there may be the
additional cost involved in purchasing a WinXP license for this new
computer, if the version you have on the old computer is either OEM
(i.e., permanently bound to the first computer on which it's installed)
or an Upgrade (requires the existence of an earlier, qualifying OS on
the target computer) license.
After backing up any data you wish to transfer to the new OS
installation, simply boot from the WinXP installation CD. You'll be
offered the opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as part
of the installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the order of
boot devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)
HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
Then, assuming you were successful in obtaining WinXP-specific
device drivers so that the computer can be made to work with WinXP, the
backed up data can be restored and applications (those that are
WinXP-compatible, that is) re-installed.
Wouldn't it be simpler just to buy the new computer with WinXP already
on it, instead of Vista?
2) After I get XP Pro working on the new PC, is it possible to simply use
the slave drive of my old PC as a slave drive on the new PC? I only need to
have access to the files on the slave drive.
Yes, that shouldn't be an issue, at all.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375
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safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin
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The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
