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New computer / old Win XP o/s question
If I get a new barebones computer, can I just hook-up my existing boot hard
disk and get things to work, or do I have to go through an entire re-install of the o/s? Thanks |
#2
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New computer / old Win XP o/s question
John D99 wrote:
If I get a new barebones computer, can I just hook-up my existing boot hard disk and get things to work, or do I have to go through an entire re-install of the o/s? Thanks Reinstall. The new computer requires too many new drivers. |
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New computer / old Win XP o/s question
Depends, you can try a repair installation and install the new drivers
during the process. But if your version of winxp is OEM it may be locked to the origonal hw "John D99" wrote in message m... If I get a new barebones computer, can I just hook-up my existing boot hard disk and get things to work, or do I have to go through an entire re-install of the o/s? Thanks |
#4
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New computer / old Win XP o/s question
John D99 wrote:
If I get a new barebones computer, can I just hook-up my existing boot hard disk and get things to work, or do I have to go through an entire re-install of the o/s? Thanks 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/directo...;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://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html 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 |
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