Cloning laptop to new desktop? How?

[redrumpc]

hey folks -

Quick question if you guys can help me out!

I'm building a new computer (desktop). I currently have a laptop w/ Windows XP, and an external hard drive. I purchased a 500gb internal SATA drive for my desktop as well. I don't have the original XP install discs anymore.

How can I clone the laptop data (entire drive + OS) onto my new blank desktop HDD? Can I just run a converter cable, or USB from the laptop to the desktop, and use something like Acronis True Image, or Easy Migrate? I'm a little stuck on this part.

Any info or suggestions is most appreciated!

 

[Outlander_04]

Easy migrate is free for download for 30 days and works really well .


After that the best solution is to buy a copy of XP or vista , install it on the new computer and use a USB file transfer cable to transfer your data .

Anything else is not likely to work

 

[daship]

You cant clone your laptop drive to desktop successfully. If you did manage to get it cloned which is possible, you would pull your hair out with the errors you will receive. The master boot records will be different and you will get driver conflicts like crazy. There is no way to clean out the registry of all the old stuff and make it work with all the new stuff.

You will need a Windows install disk to start fresh.

 

[specialk90]

Sorry, but its not possible to take the OS from one computer to another. The XP on your laptop is guaranteed to be OEM which means there is a small piece of ROM memory in the laptop motherboard. This ROM memory holds the information needed to install that particular licensed copy of XP on that laptop. Without that ROM, the OS will not work.

 

[specialk90]

I should add that even if you had the Windows XP install discs you still could not install it on anything other than that laptop due to the OEM/ROM memory. Only if you had purchased XP separately could you then switch but you would have to call MS and lie to them saying you are just reinstalling it on the same computer.(it works)

 

[xthekidx]

Here is my success story reusing an old OEM license from dell on a new PC:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/264032-31-lucky#t1924087

It can be done. Maybe it was a fluke when I tried it, but I essentially got a free XP license.

 

[IH8U]

Bart PE (uses Norton Ghost v8) create an image of the Laptop on an external HDD. (I use it here at work 200+ machines)

 

[Outlander_04]

Bart PE (uses Norton Ghost v8) create an image of the Laptop on an external HDD. (I use it here at work 200+ machines)

Acronis can do this too , but once you transfer it to a hard drive in the new computer it wont have appropriate drivers so it almost certainly wont boot, and the OP cant repair the installation because he has no windows disk ...

 

[shortstuff_mt]

Acronis can do this too , but once you transfer it to a hard drive in the new computer it wont have appropriate drivers so it almost certainly wont boot, and the OP cant repair the installation because he has no windows disk ...

+1

Cloning the HD is the easy part. Getting the new system to boot from that image is another story.

 

[redrumpc]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I just decided to roll with an OEM Home Premium from newegg and avoid the mess.
Again, your info is most appreciated.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I just decided to roll with an OEM Home Premium from newegg and avoid the mess.
Again, your info is most appreciated.

Good choice. I highly recommend the 64-bit version:

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488 $99.99

 

[redrumpc]

Yep. I went with 64-bit to take advantage of the 8GB of RAM. Plus getting 32-bit is just silly these days.

 

[daship]

Bart PE (uses Norton Ghost v8) create an image of the Laptop on an external HDD. (I use it here at work 200+ machines)

Odds are your 200+ machines are identicle, so ya it would work easy on exact same hardware. Going from one model mobo to another model mobo = fail.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

Plus getting 32-bit is just silly these days.

I completely agree! I just always have to mention it because I've seen people post on here wondering why they can only use half of their RAM on their new i7 build with 6GB of RAM and their shiny new 32-bit OS. :lol:

 

[taso11]

This is what I have done and has worked for me. Clone your laptop hardrive to your desktop drive. If the laptop drive is sata it's easy as connectors are the same laptop versus desktop hd. If it is ide you need to get an adapter. Then with your new clone in the desktop do a windows repair on your first boot. I have done it around 7 times with xp corporate and never had an issue. I never expected it to work but it does. Like others have said you may have a license key issue and have to call microsoft to activate. Big deal, I did the other day with xp home oem for a customer. It's all automated now, no people involved. The way I see it, you have nothing to lose. You'll only screw up your clone and have to clear partitions and try something else.

Taso

 

[specialk90]

"XP Corporate" is the key as it is a Volume License.

Can't you read, he was trying with a laptop with original installation. THIS means that the motherboard on his laptop has a small piece of ROM which holds the key to unlock his installation. This is why you NEVER have to call MS or Activate when reinstalling XP/Vista on an OEM(ie Dell,HP...) machine.

When you are dealing with an OEM copy for "System Builders" that was purchased, NOT pre-installed, you can call MS and lie to switch just like I already said.

I have attempted this with Dell's and HP's and it doesn't work. I used Acronis and Acronis' special Recovery where it puts a backup partition on the drive. And I also used Acronis Universal Restore which is supposed to let you reinstall an image on a different motherboard but that didn't work either.

 

[xthekidx]

I have attempted this with Dell's and HP's and it doesn't work.

Worked for me. I rebuilt an old dell dimension with a brand new MB, CPU and HDD and just used the old dell install disks, called MS up and they activated it without asking for a COA or Product key. Maybe I was just lucky.