windows xp setup question

[m a]

Dear all,
I have a computer that has XP installed on it and it is working find. I
have some softeware on it that configured and tested and I have a demo for
the software. I want to show the demo in a conference far from here so I
should send my computer to my friends there so they can show the demo. what
I was thinking is to send only the HD and not the complete computer system.
Now my questions are:

1- Can I do this? I heared that the XP doesn't boot on the new computer (
the two computers aren't the same)
2- Is there any way to solve this problem?

Regards

 

[purplehaz]

No you can't do that. Putting your drive in another system and just booting
is not a good idea. Repair installs would have to be done. Why not just send
him the demo on a cd-r?

 

[m a]

Thanks for your help. Would you please tell me how can I do a repair
install?
Does this install remove all of the soifteware that I insatlled and
configured?

I can't send software with a CD wince it is bigger than a CD and in the
other hand, I configure the system so the software and demo work well, If I
send software on CD, the other person should do the configuration which he
can't do!

Regards

 

[purplehaz]

Wow, in fifteen years of computing I never saw a program that couldn't fit
on a cd. A cd holds 800mb of data. Even the whole windows oerating system
fits on a cd.
If this is an oem version of xp(meaning it came pre-installed), then sending
your drive isn't going to work cause 1- your xp may be bios locked and 2 -
you won't be able to activate it on the new computer as MS will not activate
an oem version that was moved to a new computer as it is not allowed by the
oem eula.
If it's a reatil install of xp, I still wouldn't send my drive, but if you
must, try just popping it in, it might boot, if not:
Boot from the XP cd, and when prompted hit enter to begin setup. Press F8 to
accept the license agreement. It will then search and find your existing XP
install. Select it, and choose R for repair. Back up any important data
files in case something goes wrong.

Then he will have to activate xp during the repair cause of the hardware
change. If it doesn't go thru the internet then he will have to call ms and
tell them what he did and hopefully they'll activate you. This would now
mean that he has a legal working xp and you have nothing. When your drive
comes back, you would have to run a repair install at the worst and then
hope MS will reactivate you.

For me that's to many what if's. There has to be a better way than sending
your drive. Span multiple cd's if you have to and write and install program
that configs the computer for the user.