Old HD in New computer

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

I posted a couple times on ghost and my power supply yesterday
.. Worse led to worse and there was a short and the MB got fired.

Was going to build a new one but instead just ordered a new computer
put together but not that much difference.

I wonder if there is a way I can use my old HD as the main drive.

Both computers at MSI MBs, one about 11/2 years old with a 2ghz chip.
This one a new MSI MB with a 3ghz chip

WP Pro on the old drive with all the updates before SP2

Obviously I didn't get a chance to delete any of the drivers on the
old drives.

I know if I try Windows will complain but is there anyway I can get
around it? Hate to have to reinstall everything.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

John Johnson wrote:

> I posted a couple times on ghost and my power supply yesterday
> . Worse led to worse and there was a short and the MB got fired.
>
> Was going to build a new one but instead just ordered a new computer
> put together but not that much difference.
>
> I wonder if there is a way I can use my old HD as the main drive.
>
> Both computers at MSI MBs, one about 11/2 years old with a 2ghz chip.
> This one a new MSI MB with a 3ghz chip
>
> WP Pro on the old drive with all the updates before SP2
>
> Obviously I didn't get a chance to delete any of the drivers on the
> old drives.
>
> I know if I try Windows will complain but is there anyway I can get
> around it? Hate to have to reinstall everything.
>
>

You do a 'repair' install. Boot the CD, say no to the first set of repair
options (recovery disk, recovery console) and go on as if doing a fresh
install. It will then detect an existing XP installation and ask if you
want to repair it. Say yes to doing a repair (if it doesn't ask to REPAIR
then you've got a problem and going on will wipe out the existing
installation).

It will copy the setup files and reinstall windows, detecting and setting
up your (new) hardware, as if doing an 'upgrade'. I.E. keeping all your
programs and settings.

Since it's a reinstall from the CD, however, you lose your Windows updates
and service packs, including those for I.E. and media player, so you'll
need to redo those as well.

Note, if your CD is the original issue, pre-SP1, XP CD then it will appear
as if a lot of programs are 'broken' after the repair and they'll complain
about needing to be installed. Ignore that. They're just confused because
SP1 is missing and once you reinstall SP1 they'll automagically work again.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 22:49:37 -0500, David Maynard <dNOTmayn@ev1.net>
wrote:

>John Johnson wrote:
>
>> I posted a couple times on ghost and my power supply yesterday
>> . Worse led to worse and there was a short and the MB got fired.
>>
>> Was going to build a new one but instead just ordered a new computer
>> put together but not that much difference.
>>
>> I wonder if there is a way I can use my old HD as the main drive.
>>
>> Both computers at MSI MBs, one about 11/2 years old with a 2ghz chip.
>> This one a new MSI MB with a 3ghz chip
>>
>> WP Pro on the old drive with all the updates before SP2
>>
>> Obviously I didn't get a chance to delete any of the drivers on the
>> old drives.
>>
>> I know if I try Windows will complain but is there anyway I can get
>> around it? Hate to have to reinstall everything.
>>
>>
>
>You do a 'repair' install. Boot the CD, say no to the first set of repair
>options (recovery disk, recovery console) and go on as if doing a fresh
>install. It will then detect an existing XP installation and ask if you
>want to repair it. Say yes to doing a repair (if it doesn't ask to REPAIR
>then you've got a problem and going on will wipe out the existing
>installation).
>
>It will copy the setup files and reinstall windows, detecting and setting
>up your (new) hardware, as if doing an 'upgrade'. I.E. keeping all your
>programs and settings.
>
>Since it's a reinstall from the CD, however, you lose your Windows updates
>and service packs, including those for I.E. and media player, so you'll
>need to redo those as well.
>
>Note, if your CD is the original issue, pre-SP1, XP CD then it will appear
>as if a lot of programs are 'broken' after the repair and they'll complain
>about needing to be installed. Ignore that. They're just confused because
>SP1 is missing and once you reinstall SP1 they'll automagically work again.
>

Thanks. Can you use a different copy of WinXP or do you have to use
the exact disc that the drive has? I seem to remember a problem like
that.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

John Johnson wrote:

> On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 22:49:37 -0500, David Maynard <dNOTmayn@ev1.net>
> wrote:
>
>
>>John Johnson wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I posted a couple times on ghost and my power supply yesterday
>>>. Worse led to worse and there was a short and the MB got fired.
>>>
>>>Was going to build a new one but instead just ordered a new computer
>>>put together but not that much difference.
>>>
>>>I wonder if there is a way I can use my old HD as the main drive.
>>>
>>>Both computers at MSI MBs, one about 11/2 years old with a 2ghz chip.
>>>This one a new MSI MB with a 3ghz chip
>>>
>>>WP Pro on the old drive with all the updates before SP2
>>>
>>>Obviously I didn't get a chance to delete any of the drivers on the
>>>old drives.
>>>
>>>I know if I try Windows will complain but is there anyway I can get
>>>around it? Hate to have to reinstall everything.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>You do a 'repair' install. Boot the CD, say no to the first set of repair
>>options (recovery disk, recovery console) and go on as if doing a fresh
>>install. It will then detect an existing XP installation and ask if you
>>want to repair it. Say yes to doing a repair (if it doesn't ask to REPAIR
>>then you've got a problem and going on will wipe out the existing
>>installation).
>>
>>It will copy the setup files and reinstall windows, detecting and setting
>>up your (new) hardware, as if doing an 'upgrade'. I.E. keeping all your
>>programs and settings.
>>
>>Since it's a reinstall from the CD, however, you lose your Windows updates
>>and service packs, including those for I.E. and media player, so you'll
>>need to redo those as well.
>>
>>Note, if your CD is the original issue, pre-SP1, XP CD then it will appear
>>as if a lot of programs are 'broken' after the repair and they'll complain
>>about needing to be installed. Ignore that. They're just confused because
>>SP1 is missing and once you reinstall SP1 they'll automagically work again.
>>
>
>
> Thanks. Can you use a different copy of WinXP or do you have to use
> the exact disc that the drive has? I seem to remember a problem like
> that.

Depends on what you mean by 'a different copy'. If you mean simply a
different CD of the exact same thing then no, it shouldn't make any difference.

If you mean a different 'flavor' of XP, like trying to use an XP Pro CD to
repair an XP Home Edition installation, then I really don't know as it
never occurred to me to try doing something like that. But I suspect it
would complain it's not the right one, or simply not find one to repair.
(One might imagine a Pro CD would simply 'upgrade' a Home installation but
it knows this is a 'repair' operation and might not allow it.)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

If you do NOT do a fesh install of the OS you can look forward to ongoing
nasty Registry errors.

--
DaveW



"John Johnson" <change@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:4k97k01eqv0nip9h9845oqnkimfu46hi0r@4ax.com...
>I posted a couple times on ghost and my power supply yesterday
> . Worse led to worse and there was a short and the MB got fired.
>
> Was going to build a new one but instead just ordered a new computer
> put together but not that much difference.
>
> I wonder if there is a way I can use my old HD as the main drive.
>
> Both computers at MSI MBs, one about 11/2 years old with a 2ghz chip.
> This one a new MSI MB with a 3ghz chip
>
> WP Pro on the old drive with all the updates before SP2
>
> Obviously I didn't get a chance to delete any of the drivers on the
> old drives.
>
> I know if I try Windows will complain but is there anyway I can get
> around it? Hate to have to reinstall everything.
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

DaveW wrote:

> If you do NOT do a fesh install of the OS you can look forward to ongoing
> nasty Registry errors.
>

False, as you've been told over and over again.

Is your head made of lead so that nothing gets in or is it full of holes so
that everything falls back out?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

Following procedure posting on another list it seemed to work find.
Have had to install a couple of things but other than that so far, its
good.



>DaveW wrote:
>
>> If you do NOT do a fesh install of the OS you can look forward to ongoing
>> nasty Registry errors.
>>
>
>False, as you've been told over and over again.
>
>Is your head made of lead so that nothing gets in or is it full of holes so
>that everything falls back out?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

John Johnson wrote:

> Following procedure posting on another list it seemed to work find.
> Have had to install a couple of things but other than that so far, its
> good.

It'll be fine as long as you bring it back to the same update level it was
before the repair install because already installed programs expect the
updates it had.

But then you'd be doing that anyway with a fresh install too. The
difference being you haven't lost your programs and settings with a repair.

>>DaveW wrote:
>>
>>
>>>If you do NOT do a fesh install of the OS you can look forward to ongoing
>>>nasty Registry errors.
>>>
>>
>>False, as you've been told over and over again.
>>
>>Is your head made of lead so that nothing gets in or is it full of holes so
>>that everything falls back out?
>
>