On 12/9/2018 2:09 PM, Paul wrote:
Paul wrote:
pheasant16 wrote:
Have an old box using XP with 5 hard drives full of data that needs
updating due to financial website issues and XP.

Would it be possible to add Win 7 or 10 on an SSD in an PCIE slot to
get a newer operating system and retain most of the integrity of the
current box?

The current MB is probably about 10 years old, MSI 980-G65.

Haven't messed with a build since this one, but thought if possible
to do the above, then I could remove all HD connectors except the SSD
get it booted and then plug all the drives in and let it reassign new
letters to the drives. Then add the programs back to the SSD and
away we go.

If that is possible would I need to tell the bios not to find the old
HD with XP or once it boots into a newer one, would that not be a
concern

Thanks for your thoughts.

Mark

If you don't tell me what your core count is on the CPU,
I can't guess as to whether it's good enough for Vista+.

I recommend quad cores for Windows 10, as it can be a bit
of a pig at times. Quad cores would be nice for Win7, but
dual core would also work.

I've tested Win7 and Win10 on a single-core laptop. They
work. But as soon as you install a webcam package and
a printer package, with "bloat" in them, then the party
is over. And it can feel slow after that. You don't have
to add much software, before the snap is gone.

A few more cores would not hurt.

Win10 has instruction set requirements, and before you
spend a dime on fancy SSDs, you should download Windows 10 ISO,
make an installer DVD and *try* to install it. If the OS
doesn't like your hardware, it'll tell you.

And if you tell me "I can't afford the bandwidth to download
a 4GB DVD", if you say that, then Win10 isn't for you anyway.
There will be lots of bloated downloads on that OS. It's
not a "dialup modem user" OS. Be warned. If the Win10 DVD
download doesn't blow your broadband cap, and happens at
decent speed, then maybe you're Win10 material after all.

This is one reason I can't upgrade some relatives computers,
because... no broadband.

Win7 is somewhere between the excesses of Win10, and the
economy of WinXP. I'm not addressing that in detail, because
the SKU you want of Win7, might not be available from a
trusted source. I bought a copy of Win7 Pro about four
years ago, and you could still find it on large etailer
sites at the time. Today, I don't know who to trust.
Every etailer out there now, "tries to be Ebay" and
allows shabby sellers onto their platform.

Paul

The current processor is an Athlon II X3 445.
Have 4GB RAM installed
Have a 3 license Win 7 disk with 2 licenses unused as of today
Have good broadband. 94mbps d/l, 8.1 upload.

Not a gamer, just need a newer OS to run current browsers so can do
things on websites that don't accept what works on XP any more.

Your first post was above my level of knowledge. If what I want to do
is possible; (yes or no) and maybe a suggestion as to the card to buy
with SSD and bios pointers would be most beneficial to me. Cost isn't
an issue. Even if it costs more to retrofit an old box that is still
more than adequate for me that's ok.

I do appreciate the effort you shared. Thank you. 10 years ago I would
have relished the data. Today just need to know yes or no. The tech
days have given way to other middle age distractions.