Upgrading to a new computer

  • Thread starter Thread starter Big_Al
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Big_Al

I've been reading other posts, and I have to re-ask. Over the years,
I've built most all of my PCs. And on some of them, I've just put the
old drive in the cabinet and turned it on. After mucho "new hardware
found" popups and a lot of cd / floppy disks, the system came up running
just fine. A little rebuilding of printers and heck, I was up and running.

But I hear that is not so any more. Maybe I got away with it and wasn't
using XP? Who knows. I bought my current XP machine in 2004 so it
could be I bought XP after that.

Is there a simple way around this? I've got XP retail and all
application CDs. I'd probably be going from an AMD chip to Intel.
Obviously a bunch of other mobo stuff.
 
sometimes it works fine other times it won't.
Best suggestion is to not boot to the hd first time, but instead boot to the
xp install cd and perform a repair install, to install the new hardware
drivers, and if you have SATA drives be sure to use F6 to install the drivers
for them during the install, don't think you can do it later.
 
sgopus said:
sometimes it works fine other times it won't.
Best suggestion is to not boot to the hd first time, but instead boot to
the
xp install cd and perform a repair install, to install the new hardware
drivers, and if you have SATA drives be sure to use F6 to install the
drivers
for them during the install, don't think you can do it later.
Click to expand...

Yes, you can install them later, and in some cases you have to.

One of my systems, for example, Setup will gladly accept the correct drivers
via F6, but it ignores them and Setup still reports "no drives found" and
halts. To get around this, you shift the motherboard's drive controller
into a non-AHCI mode. Install XP and the motherboard drivers, and then the
SATA drivers, reboot back into BIOS and turn on AHCI.

On other boards, drivers aren't needed, but correct options in the BIOS have
to be set.

HTH
-pk
 
sgopus said:
sometimes it works fine other times it won't.
Best suggestion is to not boot to the hd first time, but instead boot to the
xp install cd and perform a repair install, to install the new hardware
drivers, and if you have SATA drives be sure to use F6 to install the drivers
for them during the install, don't think you can do it later.
Click to expand...

Repair installs *usually* work...
but not always. So be sure to backup your data first.

Also. I'd uninstall your virus checker before removing the drive from the
old machine.
They typically do not work after a repair install.
(at least mine have never worked)
 
with just a few minor changes you could probably get by with just a

repair install

with what you appear to have planned.
a new install seems the best.
since you are changing processors as well as mobo.
 
sgopus said:
sometimes it works fine other times it won't.
Best suggestion is to not boot to the hd first time, but instead boot to
the
xp install cd and perform a repair install, to install the new hardware
drivers, and if you have SATA drives be sure to use F6 to install the
drivers
for them during the install, don't think you can do it later.
Click to expand...


Big_Al:
As you have heard from most, if not all, of the other responders to your
query, the likelihood is that you will need to run a Repair install of the
XP OS in order to wind up with a bootable, functional HDD from your previous
system. This "Repair" install is, of course, *not* the *first* Repair
install (as the XP installation CD calls it) when the user first arrives at
the Setup screen. That Repair option will take one to the Recovery Console.
But I'm reasonably certain you know this. It has been, and continues to be
one of the more unfortunate nomenclature elements Microsoft unaccountably
incorporated in the XP OS setup process. Use of that term at the initial
setup process has caused so much confusion, even grief, among
Lord-knows-how-many-users over the years.

However, as your own experience has shown, there's a reasonable chance that
when you install a HDD from a previous system into a new system, the system
will boot straightaway and no Repair install will be necessary. This is the
exception rather than the rule but it happens frequently enough that it's
certainly worth a try. Naturally, should the boot proceed normally, you will
most likely need drivers for this or that component as you've probably
discovered from previous experience. But even here that may not be necessary
in that XP will "pick up" on its own the necessary drivers.

I just wanted to comment on one of the responders cautioning against "making
a boot to the hd the first time" rather than initially performing a Repair
install. I've come across this cautionary note countless times and I'm at a
loss as to why it's gained such currency. I see no reason whatsoever why a
user shouldn't attempt an initial boot to an old HDD in a new system. I've
done this hundreds of times in an XP OS environment and can't recall a
single instance where a failed initial boot caused future problems with a
subsequent Repair install. Again, as has been pointed out, the initial boot
will probably fail and a Repair install of the XP OS will need to be
undertaken. But no harm should ensue merely because the initial boot failed.
Anna
 
Big_Al said:
I've been reading other posts, and I have to re-ask. Over the years,
I've built most all of my PCs. And on some of them, I've just put the old
drive in the cabinet and turned it on. After mucho "new hardware found"
popups and a lot of cd / floppy disks, the system came up running just
fine. A little rebuilding of printers and heck, I was up and running.

But I hear that is not so any more. Maybe I got away with it and wasn't
using XP? Who knows. I bought my current XP machine in 2004 so it could
be I bought XP after that.

Is there a simple way around this? I've got XP retail and all application
CDs. I'd probably be going from an AMD chip to Intel. Obviously a bunch
of other mobo stuff.
Click to expand...

You probably have a motherboard chipset that conforms to the older versions
of windows and appropriate drivers for that operating system. Probably
works from an ms-dos boot disk as well if you have floppy drive.

Last time I installed a new motherboard/cpu in my current box, this is how I
did the latest clean instal. Installed new XP w/SP1 installaltion on a
clean, nothing on it hard disk using XP partition installer Didn't need F6
driver interruption as the SATA drives are mapped to ide in the bios.
(Intel 865 PE chipset) NTFS full (not quck) option. Installed the factory
drivers for all the hardware (XP compatible). Activated XP. Installed SP3
from the MS issued CD. Installed any pertinent MS upgrades like IE 7, and
net framework updates to 1.0 version that one 3rd party software needs via
windows update. Then, all 3rd party applications. I used the file and
settings wizard to transfer settings only, the 3rd party software makes all
the registry changes that I need for each filetype. The source for the
wizard was the original hard drive mounted in an external case. Subscribed
to MS update, and let it do its thing for XP and Office.
 
my statement left out, that you can't install the drivers later without
having to do either a new install or repair install,
 
Big_Al said:
I've been reading other posts, and I have to re-ask. Over the years,
I've built most all of my PCs. And on some of them, I've just put the
old drive in the cabinet and turned it on. After mucho "new hardware
found" popups and a lot of cd / floppy disks, the system came up running
just fine. A little rebuilding of printers and heck, I was up and running.

But I hear that is not so any more. Maybe I got away with it and wasn't
using XP? Who knows. I bought my current XP machine in 2004 so it
could be I bought XP after that.

Is there a simple way around this? I've got XP retail and all
application CDs. I'd probably be going from an AMD chip to Intel.
Obviously a bunch of other mobo stuff.
Click to expand...


Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed OEM
installations are BIOS-locked to a specific motherboard 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:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

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
 
Bruce said:
Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed OEM
installations are BIOS-locked to a specific motherboard 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.
Click to expand...
Yes, it is a retail license thank goodness, not OEM.

Not being negative, but I get the impression I should just take this as
the time to do a full re-install. (heck its my wifes PC anyway, its her
tweaks she has to remake, not mine...LOL) I have image backups, and
thumb drive backups etc., so nothing is a problem. I just asked as I
remember doing it once, and probably after reading your post, it was
win9x. I've had almost every OS from DOS 3 (if not before) skipping
ME. And I'm dang good at moving and reloading the OS and apps. So I
got my plan of attack. I just gotta get the mobo now.

Thanks to all the suggestions and observations. Everyone!!
 
sgopus said:
my statement left out, that you can't install the drivers later without
having to do either a new install or repair install,
Click to expand...

Yes, you can, as long as the board offers a non-AHCI setting. And if the
board uses a number of fairly common SATA chipsets, you don't need to
install drivers at all.

As I have found, sometimes you cannot install the drivers during Setup at
all, and they have to be installed after XP is successfully installed, with
the board running in non-AHCI mode.

No reinstall of any type, new, clean or repair is required. You simply
run the driver's installer, power down, change the BIOS setting to turn AHCI
on, save and restart.

HTH
-pk
 
Big_Al said:
Yes, it is a retail license thank goodness, not OEM.

Not being negative, but I get the impression I should just take this as
the time to do a full re-install. (heck its my wifes PC anyway, its her
tweaks she has to remake, not mine...LOL) I have image backups, and thumb
drive backups etc., so nothing is a problem. I just asked as I remember
doing it once, and probably after reading your post, it was win9x. I've
had almost every OS from DOS 3 (if not before) skipping ME. And I'm dang
good at moving and reloading the OS and apps. So I got my plan of
attack. I just gotta get the mobo now.

Thanks to all the suggestions and observations. Everyone!!
Click to expand...

Rebuilding a win95/98 boot hard drive is child's play as the hardware driver
environment is much more elastic and tolerant. At worst you'll have to boot
to delete all current hardware entries ending with the ide controller, do
the same thing in safe mode for remnants, shutdown, then move the hard drive
to the new motherboard. Another method is removal of a block of the
registry regarding hardware. That won't work in XP or any other NT based
OS. Outside of that, you also have activation, 120 day period, and
someitmes a phone call hassles in XP.
 
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