[CLARIFICATION REQUIRED] Windows XP Pro running on an AMD Sempron

[qyron]

I had a system built over an Intel Pentium 4 that died on me - due to a motherboard failure - recently and I was going to renovate it but I discovered the CPU is a 478 socket, which makes upgrading the system a little ridiculous, as the technology is a little over the hill by now.

Because recently I've grown fonder of the AMD family processors, I'm considering building a system with a Sempron 140 core but I'm afraid the Windows XP I have (Win XP Pro SP2) won't run. Is this true?

Although the computer will be a dual-boot, as I primarily run Debian GNU/Linux, there are some applications that I use that force me to maintain a running Windows OS. AMD states the CPU is 32 and 64 bits capable, but Windows is Windows... it can be quite temperamental when it wants to.

 

[Saga Lout]

Windows will start by requiring reactivation on grounds of finding itself on a new hardware platform but I don't see any problems beyond that so long as you stick with 32 bit. You really ought to have installed SP3 by now - that will help to smooth the path.

 

[qyron]

I mentioned SP2, because it's the version I bought, but it has all the updates Microsoft releases, Service Pack 3 included.

So I will assume that the installation I have in my HDD, after an initial request for reactivation, will work happily in a new machine, based on an AMD 64 CPU.

But what if I need to reinstall the system completely? I normally reinstall the system every 6 months, to keep it sharp and clean as I've come to the point where spending a few hours making a fresh install is less painful than dealing with an awful lot of "maintenance" tools. Will the original Windows disk be able to boot the machine or should I consider making a custom installation disk? Or simply throw XP out and getting a Windos 7 disk?

 

[Saga Lout]

My main concern with using the existing hard disk, would be that the system could fall over in the time it takes you to get all the drivers in, including the crucial ethernet adapter. If the machine can't go online from the get[-go, you might have to go through the telephone activation process which is a pain in the rear. If you slipstream your installation on to an installation CD and throw in the drivers for the new motherboard, you'll have a backup in case you do have to reinstall.