Upgrading an older PC

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim
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J

Jim

Instead of replacing various components (MB,cpu,etc) in an older PC, I want
to build a new system box and then move the Windows XP HD from the old
computer to the new one. Will this work?
 
Depends what version of XP you have. Is it Pro or Home, is it OEM or retail,
did you buy it as an install disk or did it come with the older PC.
Neil
 
Jim said:
Instead of replacing various components (MB,cpu,etc) in an older
PC, I want to build a new system box and then move the Windows XP
HD from the old computer to the new one. Will this work?
Click to expand...

That may or may not be against the terms of the licensing agreement you
agree to every time you utilize the old system.

If the copy of Windows XP came with the older system (there may be a sticker
stuck to the computer even) or when you bought Windows XP to install on the
older system it came in a cardboard-backed, non fancy cellophane wrapped
package --> that is an OEM copy and cannot be transferred from one system to
another like you are suggestion per the terms of the End User License
Agreement (EULA.)

If you purchased your copy of Windows XP at a retail store (not *with the
computer* in most cases) and it came in a more elaborate packaging and it
seemed a bit expensive (OEMs are generally cheaper, 1/2 or more less than
retail copies) - then you can move that copy withot breaking any agreements
you might have been agreeing to.

From a technical standpoint - you could image the old hard disk drive, apply
the image to the new disk drive, utilize your Windows XP CD (assuming it is
Windows XP SP2 integrated) to perform a repair installation over the top of
the newly imaged drive (so all the hardware could be recognized) and start
using your 'new' system.

However - truthfully - you would be better off with a clean install without
all the old baggage from the older system hanging out for the life of the
new computer.
 
Jim said:
Instead of replacing various components (MB,cpu,etc) in an older PC, I want
to build a new system box and then move the Windows XP HD from the old
computer to the new one. Will this work?
Click to expand...


Possibly, under the correct circumstances.

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,
and *ALL* OEM licenses are permanently bound to the first computer on
which they're installed.), 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. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
Many thanks to all who replied.

Jim

Bruce Chambers said:
Possibly, under the correct circumstances.

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, and
*ALL* OEM licenses are permanently bound to the first computer on which
they're installed.), 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. ~Bertrand
Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
Click to expand...
 
Then you should be able to install it to the new PC and activate, but you
will need to remove it from the old PC as the license will not allow it to
be on two PCs at the same time.
Neil
 
Jim said:
My Windows XP Pro is a retail version which I purchased and installed.

Jim
Click to expand...

In that case, all you'll likely need to do is move the drive, boot from the
CD the first time, and do a repair install. Then. use the CD that came
with the new motherboard and install the new drivers.

Then, you can get the Windows updates... if your XP version is Pre-SP2,
download the entire SP2 file first, and preferably slipstream your CD using
Autostreamer. If that won't work, just run SP2 from the downloaded file.

This will maintain all your installed programs and settings and data.. or
*should*. Always take a backup first.

HTH
-pk
 
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