A little OS help? Storage Related!

I've recently finished a build and my question is about transferring the OS.

Is it just as simple as taking the HDD from this old PC and installing it in this new build of mine? I don't wanna have to buy another OS

Well it not storage related, but if you using Microsoft OS, you have 2 buy new license for every computer. From technical point of view, XP will work if the Boot device Chip compatible, and Vista or Win7 will likely boot in any case with no problem. IN Any case i recommend clean installation.


Well, could someone please explain how I bought a build with a Vista Premium installed on it.

Then as time passes I've made several upgrades, new mobo, cpu, and three new HDDs all of which I've prolly installed Vista at least 3 different times even in a RAID 0.

Now to my point. I've changed up my hardware so many times that technically it's not the same computer any more and yet I can still install Vista w/o having to buy a new license any of the times.

It would be such a big deal if this was my data I am playing with but it's not. I think what I can try is, backup data first. Then just take the old drive, install it in the new build, see what happens & if I'm able to boot. If not reinstall her copy of XP into the new build and try to use the CD key that way.

If after all that trouble it screws me over. I guess I'd just stick the old drive back into that old Flintstones Pentium 4, w/o HT I might add!

Any other suggestions guys?!