Moving current XP Pro configuration to new computer

G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

Hi all,

I've got a developers computer.
Which I've been developing on for the last 3 years.

So I've got the desktop and heaps of software already setup to my liking.

I've just invested in a faster computer with a larger hard drive.

I'd like to transfer my current XP Pro setup/configurations to the new
computer.

I'll use my current developers computer for exchange server or something
else later.
So I DON'T want to remove the hard drive and use it as a primary in the new
computer.

Can this be done?

Thanks,
baz
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

Use your preferred partition imaging application (I assume you
have such a product; I can't imagine using a machine for development
without having a quick way to recover from the occasional mistake.) to
clone an image of your current installation onto the hard drive of the
new computer, and then perform a repair installation.

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations
and licenses are not transferable to a new motherboard - check yours
before starting), unless the new motherboard is virtually identical
(same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the
one on which the WinXP installation was originally performed, you'll
need to perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation, at
the very least:

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q315341

The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this
point. You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the
OS. (If you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as
picking up a Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch
style foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K
before it, is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to
accepting any old hardware configuration you throw at it. On
installation it "tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This
is one of the reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much
more stable than the Win9x group.

As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any
important data before starting.

This will also probably require re-activation, unless you have a
Volume Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. If it's been more
than 120 days since you last activated that specific Product Key,
you'll most likely be able to activate via the internet without
problem. If it's been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone
call.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. - RAH

"Barry G. Sumpter" <barrysum@bigpond.net.au> wrote in message
news:OpGs7UJzEHA.3512@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Hi all,
>
> I've got a developers computer.
> Which I've been developing on for the last 3 years.
>
> So I've got the desktop and heaps of software already setup to my
> liking.
>
> I've just invested in a faster computer with a larger hard drive.
>
> I'd like to transfer my current XP Pro setup/configurations to the
> new computer.
>
> I'll use my current developers computer for exchange server or
> something else later.
> So I DON'T want to remove the hard drive and use it as a primary in
> the new computer.
>
> Can this be done?
>
> Thanks,
> baz
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

Thanks for the expanded reply.

Could have sworn I moved an XP system hard drive to another computer and
booted successfully with only a few "found new hardware issues".

A colleague said he had read something somewhere telling him how to do what
I ask but like all reference material its hard to remember where it was.

Thanks anyway.

If I find a solution I'll post it.

baz



"Bruce Chambers" <bruce_a_chambers@h0tmail.com> wrote in message
news:ev42TIRzEHA.3236@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Use your preferred partition imaging application (I assume you have
> such a product; I can't imagine using a machine for development without
> having a quick way to recover from the occasional mistake.) to clone an
> image of your current installation onto the hard drive of the new
> computer, and then perform a repair installation.
>
> Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations
> and licenses are not transferable to a new motherboard - check yours
> before starting), unless the new motherboard is virtually identical
> (same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the
> one on which the WinXP installation was originally performed, you'll
> need to perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation, at
> the very least:
>
> How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
> http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q315341
>
> The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
> licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this
> point. You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the
> OS. (If you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as
> picking up a Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch
> style foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K
> before it, is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to
> accepting any old hardware configuration you throw at it. On
> installation it "tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This
> is one of the reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much
> more stable than the Win9x group.
>
> As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any
> important data before starting.
>
> This will also probably require re-activation, unless you have a
> Volume Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. If it's been more
> than 120 days since you last activated that specific Product Key,
> you'll most likely be able to activate via the internet without
> problem. If it's been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone
> call.
>
>
> --
>
> Bruce Chambers
>
> Help us help you:
> http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
> You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
> both at once. - RAH
>
> "Barry G. Sumpter" <barrysum@bigpond.net.au> wrote in message
> news:OpGs7UJzEHA.3512@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I've got a developers computer.
>> Which I've been developing on for the last 3 years.
>>
>> So I've got the desktop and heaps of software already setup to my liking.
>>
>> I've just invested in a faster computer with a larger hard drive.
>>
>> I'd like to transfer my current XP Pro setup/configurations to the new
>> computer.
>>
>> I'll use my current developers computer for exchange server or something
>> else later.
>> So I DON'T want to remove the hard drive and use it as a primary in the
>> new computer.
>>
>> Can this be done?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> baz
>>
>
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

You're welcome.

That might work if the two motherboards happened to have used two
similar chipsets from the same manufacturer. Most times, you won't be
so lucky.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. - RAH

"Barry G. Sumpter" <barrysum@bigpond.net.au> wrote in message
news:%23B6qTVSzEHA.2200@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Thanks for the expanded reply.
>
> Could have sworn I moved an XP system hard drive to another computer
> and booted successfully with only a few "found new hardware issues".
>
> A colleague said he had read something somewhere telling him how to
> do what I ask but like all reference material its hard to remember
> where it was.
>
> Thanks anyway.
>
> If I find a solution I'll post it.
>
> baz
>
>
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:15:45 +1100, Barry G. Sumpter wrote:

> A colleague said he had read something somewhere telling him how to do what
> I ask but like all reference material its hard to remember where it was.

What your friend might have been referring to: With Win9x, you could delete
the enumeration keys in the registry. On first boot with the new system,
the keys would be recreated for the hardware on the new machine. I liked
having the Windows CD in the drive while this took place. If different
drivers were needed, they got picked up smoothly. Most of them anyhow.

The same technique does *NOT* work in XP. Bruce has already explained the
needed procedure.

--
Sharon F
MS-MVP ~ Windows XP Shell/User
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

I got heaps of luck.

All bad. ;)

I must have gotten lucky and didn't even realize it!

I hate it when that happens.

baz

"Bruce Chambers" <bruce_a_chambers@h0tmail.com> wrote in message
news:eL48Q0dzEHA.2196@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> You're welcome.
>
> That might work if the two motherboards happened to have used two
> similar chipsets from the same manufacturer. Most times, you won't be so
> lucky.
>
> --
>
> Bruce Chambers
>
> Help us help you:
> http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
> You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
> both at once. - RAH
>
> "Barry G. Sumpter" <barrysum@bigpond.net.au> wrote in message
> news:%23B6qTVSzEHA.2200@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>> Thanks for the expanded reply.
>>
>> Could have sworn I moved an XP system hard drive to another computer and
>> booted successfully with only a few "found new hardware issues".
>>
>> A colleague said he had read something somewhere telling him how to do
>> what I ask but like all reference material its hard to remember where it
>> was.
>>
>> Thanks anyway.
>>
>> If I find a solution I'll post it.
>>
>> baz
>>
>>
>>
>
>