I am about to build a new pc and would like to simply assemble the box with my current harddrive... How will XP Pro react when it boots under a completely new hardware configuration? Is this possible? Like others I just do not want to reload all my software, configurations etc.. Thanks for any assistance. Kevin
Have previously rebuilt a new system - motherboards, cpu, ram etc and used old hardrives without any problems (windows 2000). So long as you are keeping same operating system, you should not have any problems.
Should be fine - you may just need drivers for all new components though i.e., modem, graphics card, nic, sound card get the drift . . .
one of you mentioned if i keep the same operating system.... let me clearify: i am building a completely new box and i intend to place my exisiting hard drive in that system and boot it up... therefore the operating system is the same, files are the same, network settings, parameters etc... i assume xp will simply ask for new drivers for the new hardware it sees??????? kevin
The only thing that may go wrong when doing this is the Windows XP Pro may react by telling you to call microsoft. It may think it has been installed in a new system. As long as you own the COA, you should be okay if you have to make that call. This has happened to numerous time when doing system upgrades (new mobo chip and ram)
Your new MB should come with a driver CD for the board itself. All other hardware you transfer from the old system should be on the HD already. Any new hardware will need to be installed with proper drivers. Shouldn't be any major problems. Jerry
Agenda, if you are building a new computer with a new motherboard, CPU, and RAM, I advise you to format the existing hard drive in the new system. If you have the drive partitioned, now, you only need to format the partition on which Windows XP now resides. Backup all of your needed files prior to formatting. You will still have to load all of your software once you install XP. The reason that I recommend this is, on your current hard drive, you have all sorts of BIOS information from your current system. This WILL cause problems if you just throw the drive into the new system. You may get lucky and the computer will boot up, but mark my words, within a week, you will discover that you are having all sorts of problems.
Well it's 4 to 1 that I won't have any issues. If I think about it logically, I would agree that I "should" not have any problems. If I replaced my ram - I would not format my drive. If I replaced my MOBO - I would not format my drive. If I replaced my video card - I would not format my drive. If I upgraded my CPU - would not format my drive. So if my puter works this logically, all will be good. OMG! I'm in trouble! I will know in about 24hours. Has anyone out there done this before? Kevin
I have done it. I did it about 3 months ago. That is why I gave you the warning. The mobo is the biggest issue. When you replace your mobo, you also replace the BIOS. _X_X_X_X_X_[small]Bruce Wallace Vietnam Vet - 1970 - 1971 3.06 Ghz Intel P4 CPU Asus P4C800-E Deluxe Motherboard 1Gig Corsair 3200 LLPro DDR Ram Plextor PX 708A DVD Burner Sony CRX320E DVD 16x + CD-RW 52x24x52 Combo ATI Radeon 9700 Pro Video Card Audigy2 Platinum[/small]
I just replaced my Asus A7V8X-X (Via) with an ABit AN7 (Nvidia) and Win2K freaked out. It couldn't boot from the HD because the controller was different, it's a whole different chipset. It bluescreened. I thought I could beat it easy enough with safemode & new drivers, but it wouldn't even start safemode. What a job getting new install OS setup nicely, but always glad once accomplished! Praetor I can run 200 (400) FSB now: OC? I'm gonna just try the Barton @ 3200+, you never know. Agenda if you go from Via to Via or whatever, you could get out of it easier, it might work. Interestingly, good ol' Win98 was notably more tolerant of MB changes, ah well... L8R
BIOS information has nothing to do with the Hard Drive. The Bios is completely seperate, it is part of the motherboard and is storage on the chip itself, and its settings are changed through the CMOS. Yes you can change all that, and still boot. All you need to do is load the new drivers. I have done this to several computers and works fine. But the activate of Windows XP may have a problem when u try and activate it. BUT I would give it a fresh new format, cleans the system up, as the other drivers still will be installed on the system, and may conflict at some time. Regards CoZZa
I'm thinking that he meant chipset/drivers, anything that is installed in Windows to support mainboard function. My expereince is that when you change the mainboard and keep an old hard disk, you do a clean install, period.
Sophocles is correct it what I was trying to say. You are going to a completely different chipset and I/O controller as well as possibly adding Hyperthreading to your system. All of these drivers must be loaded and assigned correctly. It may work fine but if your system seems to act unstable or the speed does not seem to be there, you may down the road be better off with a clean install. What happens is all of the items you see listed in Device Manager under System are new and need to be discovered and assigned. All of those that are in there now remain in the registry. Someone with talents well beyond mine could manually probably find them all and edit them out, but I certainly can’t. As long as there are skeletons in the registry, strange things can occur.
Aarrgh skeletons, yes! Probably easier to reinstall than repair, better all-around plan too. If you don't reinstall you will be forever in doubt...
