Changing hard disks

Bill

Is your Windows XP OEM or Retail?

Are you having a new computer and looking to simply transfer files and
settings from your old computer to your new one?

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Bill Ridgeway wrote:
> "Jonathan" <Jonathan.TakeThisOut@house.not> wrote in message
> news:bFJJi.997$Qr.442@newsread1.mlpsca01.us.to.verio.net...
>> Bill Ridgeway wrote:
>>> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.TakeThisOut@fly.com> wrote in message
>>> news:u1NqZzi$HHA.1212@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>>>
>>>> "Bill Ridgeway" <info.TakeThisOut@1001solutions.co.uk> wrote in message
>>>> news:u71H6Qg$HHA.5164@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>>>> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.TakeThisOut@fly.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:%233SY7Fg$HHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Bill Ridgeway" <info.TakeThisOut@1001solutions.co.uk> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:evskYAg$HHA.4324@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>>>> I keep a clone hard disk (updated every so often) of my main
>>>>>>> hard disk. The purpose is that it to quickly get another
>>>>>>> computer up and running if needed. However, I am informed that
>>>>>>> Windows XP will not work in the new computer
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I should appreciate it if someone could confirm this and, if so,
>>>>>>> say why (the software is after all only installed the once on a
>>>>>>> working computer) and how to get around the problem.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Bill Ridgeway
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You have been misinformed - Windows will work very nicely
>>>>>> with your cloned disk, provided that it is a true clone.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> However, it seems that you've stopped at the half-way mark
>>>>>> with your backup strategy. To make it really useful it is
>>>>>> absolutely essential that you test it. Disconnect the current
>>>>>> disk, connect the new disk and watch what happens!
>>>>> Thanks for your response. It works very nicely on the existing
>>>>> computer but I haven't had an opportunity to try the cloned hard
>>>>> disk on another computer!
>>>>>
>>>>> Bill Ridgeway
>>>>
>>>> Oops - I allowed myself to be misled by your subject line
>>>> (Changing hard disks) and did not realise that you really
>>>> meant "Changing computers". As others have pointed out,
>>>> porting an existing WinXP installation to different hardware
>>>> will most likely fail.
>>>
>>> OK, so porting the cloned hard disk to another computer wont work.
>>> That, at least confirms what I thought is the case. At least it
>>> does work as an alternative hard disk in the same system.
>>>
>>> I'm probably clutching at straws here to remedy a problem that
>>> doesn't exist (other than a possibility) but would there be a better
>>> chance of working if the computer with the donor hard disk was
>>> started in Safe Mode?
>>> Bill Ridgeway
>>
>> There are cases when the cloned HDD will work and some where it
>> won't. If your systems are similar then you can effectively clone
>> your OS and run it on as many systems as you want providing you do a
>> repair install and don't expect to use Windows Update on other than
>> the original system. Your idea of cloning your drive for backup is
>> one that I use continually. I have a few drives that I install every
>> few months and remove the original and clone that from the newest
>> recycling them over and over. If my system were to crash now I would
>> use my last clone and would only be a bit behind on some of the
>> things I have done since the last time. I keep the drive in a bay
>> and replace the drawer and am up and running in less time then it
>> takes to do an install. This is a perfect solution and legal unlike
>> the other that I mentioned. I would never recommend that you do
>> anything that is not legal. LOL
>
> Thanks for that. It was possible to simply install a hard disk with
> Windows 98 on another computer and it would run OK. Not so, it would
> seem, with Windows XP.
>
> Bill Ridgeway

Bill Ridgeway wrote:
> "Jonathan" <Jonathan.TakeThisOut@house.not> wrote in message
> news:bFJJi.997$Qr.442@newsread1.mlpsca01.us.to.verio.net...
>> Bill Ridgeway wrote:
>>> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.TakeThisOut@fly.com> wrote in message
>>> news:u1NqZzi$HHA.1212@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>>>
>>>> "Bill Ridgeway" <info.TakeThisOut@1001solutions.co.uk> wrote in message
>>>> news:u71H6Qg$HHA.5164@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>>>> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.TakeThisOut@fly.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:%233SY7Fg$HHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Bill Ridgeway" <info.TakeThisOut@1001solutions.co.uk> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:evskYAg$HHA.4324@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>>>> I keep a clone hard disk (updated every so often) of my main
>>>>>>> hard disk. The purpose is that it to quickly get another
>>>>>>> computer up and running if needed. However, I am informed that
>>>>>>> Windows XP will not work in the new computer
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I should appreciate it if someone could confirm this and, if so,
>>>>>>> say why (the software is after all only installed the once on a
>>>>>>> working computer) and how to get around the problem.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Bill Ridgeway
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You have been misinformed - Windows will work very nicely
>>>>>> with your cloned disk, provided that it is a true clone.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> However, it seems that you've stopped at the half-way mark
>>>>>> with your backup strategy. To make it really useful it is
>>>>>> absolutely essential that you test it. Disconnect the current
>>>>>> disk, connect the new disk and watch what happens!
>>>>> Thanks for your response. It works very nicely on the existing
>>>>> computer but I haven't had an opportunity to try the cloned hard
>>>>> disk on another computer!
>>>>>
>>>>> Bill Ridgeway
>>>>
>>>> Oops - I allowed myself to be misled by your subject line
>>>> (Changing hard disks) and did not realise that you really
>>>> meant "Changing computers". As others have pointed out,
>>>> porting an existing WinXP installation to different hardware
>>>> will most likely fail.
>>>
>>> OK, so porting the cloned hard disk to another computer wont work.
>>> That, at least confirms what I thought is the case. At least it
>>> does work as an alternative hard disk in the same system.
>>>
>>> I'm probably clutching at straws here to remedy a problem that
>>> doesn't exist (other than a possibility) but would there be a better
>>> chance of working if the computer with the donor hard disk was
>>> started in Safe Mode?
>>> Bill Ridgeway
>>
>> There are cases when the cloned HDD will work and some where it
>> won't. If your systems are similar then you can effectively clone
>> your OS and run it on as many systems as you want providing you do a
>> repair install and don't expect to use Windows Update on other than
>> the original system. Your idea of cloning your drive for backup is
>> one that I use continually. I have a few drives that I install every
>> few months and remove the original and clone that from the newest
>> recycling them over and over. If my system were to crash now I would
>> use my last clone and would only be a bit behind on some of the
>> things I have done since the last time. I keep the drive in a bay
>> and replace the drawer and am up and running in less time then it
>> takes to do an install. This is a perfect solution and legal unlike
>> the other that I mentioned. I would never recommend that you do
>> anything that is not legal. LOL
>
> Thanks for that. It was possible to simply install a hard disk with
> Windows 98 on another computer and it would run OK. Not so, it would
> seem, with Windows XP.
>
> Bill Ridgeway

You can do it with XP as well. In the post above I was referring to XP. I
built a totally new PC and installed a drive from the old one and did a
repair and everything worked fine. Totally new MOBO and newer CPU.
Everything was Intel so it was close enough I guess. I still have the old PC
on a shelf in my basement and the last time I fired it up it worked fine.
Since I ran this new one on Windows Update I can no longer legally use the
old one but could if I wanted to.