Moving HD with XP to Brand New Computer with no HD

  • Thread starter Thread starter invinceable104
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invinceable104

I am building a new computer from scratch and want to keep my hard
drive from my old desktop that had Windows XP installed on it and
transfer it into the new computer, which has no hard drive. I'm
wondering if I'll need to reinstall Windows and if I do, it'll wipe
everything on the hard drive.

I've read multiple articles/blogs and they all seem to say different
things; some say that I can transfer it and have Windows XP on the new
computer with no problem, with all my data intact; while others say
that I have to install Windows XP again and my data will be gone; and
yet others which say that I have to install Windows XP but my data will
be intact.

Any ideas?
Thanks!
 
You have to do a repair install of WinXp, as all the hardware has been
changed
A repair doesnt wipe Apps or Data
 
I am building a new computer from scratch and want to keep my hard
drive from my old desktop that had Windows XP installed on it and
transfer it into the new computer, which has no hard drive. I'm
wondering if I'll need to reinstall Windows and if I do, it'll wipe
everything on the hard drive.

I've read multiple articles/blogs and they all seem to say different
things; some say that I can transfer it and have Windows XP on the new
computer with no problem, with all my data intact; while others say
that I have to install Windows XP again and my data will be gone; and
yet others which say that I have to install Windows XP but my data will
be intact.

Any ideas?
Thanks!
Click to expand...


Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed OEM
installations are BIOS-locked to a specific chipset and therefore are
*not* transferable to a new motherboard - check yours before starting),
unless the new motherboard is virtually identical (same chipset, same
IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the one on which the 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

Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with WinXP Installed
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this point.
You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the OS. (If
you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as picking up a
Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch style
foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K before it,
is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to accepting any
old hardware configuration you throw at it. On installation it
"tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This is one of the
reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much more stable
than the Win9x group.

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

This will also probably 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

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell
 
Bruce said:
Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed OEM
installations are BIOS-locked to a specific chipset and therefore are
*not* transferable to a new motherboard - check yours before starting),
unless the new motherboard is virtually identical (same chipset, same
IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the one on which the 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

Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with WinXP Installed
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this point.
You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the OS. (If
you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as picking up a
Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch style
foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K before it,
is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to accepting any
old hardware configuration you throw at it. On installation it
"tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This is one of the
reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much more stable
than the Win9x group.

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

This will also probably 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

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell
Click to expand...


Thanks a lot for the information, it hit my problem dead-on!
It seems that the Windows installed on my desktop is OEM from HP, and
most likely hit by that product activation, and either way, the new
computer is going to have almost nothing in common in terms of
motherboard and chipsets and so on.

So it seems I'll need to buy a new copy of XP and install that on my
hard drive then?

After backing up the information, would I need to wipe it clean before
plugging it into the new computer and and putting in the XP disc? Or
would the Windows install wipe it clean for me?
 
Thanks a lot for the information, it hit my problem dead-on!
It seems that the Windows installed on my desktop is OEM from HP, and
most likely hit by that product activation, and either way, the new
computer is going to have almost nothing in common in terms of
motherboard and chipsets and so on.

So it seems I'll need to buy a new copy of XP and install that on my
hard drive then?
Click to expand...


Yes, you will.

After backing up the information, would I need to wipe it clean before
plugging it into the new computer and and putting in the XP disc?
Click to expand...


You wouldn't *need* to do so, but I think it'd probably be best, in
this case. HP OEM installations carry a lot of proprietary crap with
them, and are sometimes so customized that they simply won't work on
more generic PCs.

Or
would the Windows install wipe it clean for me?
Click to expand...

If you want it to, yes. After backing up any data that you want to
preserve, 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


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell
 
Another option is to get a new drive (they're dirt cheap), and connect the
old drive as a slave to the new drive.
This way you can install on a new drive, and once configured, copy what you
ned from the old while running from the new.
Once you've copied all that you need, you can then reformat the old drive as
a Swap drive partition (first partition), and/or Backup partition. I also
put all my Games and Software there (that way my C: partition stays small
with just initial/ongoing Windows OS software/updates/patches), and
everything else is on a separate drive.

My C: Drive only contains System Restore Files, Common Files, Windows OS,
updates, and install/uninstall information (it ends up about 9-10 MB).
 
I am building a new computer from scratch and want to keep my hard
drive from my old desktop that had Windows XP installed on it and
transfer it into the new computer, which has no hard drive. I'm
wondering if I'll need to reinstall Windows and if I do, it'll wipe
everything on the hard drive.

I've read multiple articles/blogs and they all seem to say different
things; some say that I can transfer it and have Windows XP on the new
computer with no problem, with all my data intact; while others say
that I have to install Windows XP again and my data will be gone; and
yet others which say that I have to install Windows XP but my data
will be intact.
Click to expand...


At the very least, you'll have to do a Repair Installation. See "How to
Perform a Windows XP Repair Install" at
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

That usually works, but If the hardware on the new computer is different
enough, it may not, and you will need to reinstall cleanly, losing all your
data and everything else on the drive. It's certainly prudent to be sure you
have a backup of anything you can't afford to lose before beginning.
 
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