old xp drive on new build

[BirdDog]

can i take my hard drive ( loaded with xp pro ) from my IBM and put it into my new build ( so new it hasn't been powered yet )?  when my copy of win 7 gets here then I want to take out the XP drive and put in my new drive and load win 7 on it.  The new build is AMD.  the IBM is intel. 
Thanks

[gyrene81]

As long as you have the right cables and connections...hard drives don't care whether it's a brand new or dog old system. Toss that thing into the new system...connect it up...power on...install the operating system of your choice. Just make sure you go through the whole partition recreation and formatting. 

[Getback]

I've heard you have a 50% chance of that working. From what I understand it could result in a continuous reboot. A fresh install is best.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

can i take my hard drive ( loaded with xp pro ) from my IBM and put it into my new build ( so new it hasn't been powered yet )?  when my copy of win 7 gets here then I want to take out the XP drive and put in my new drive and load win 7 on it.  The new build is AMD.  the IBM is intel. 
Thanks

It's very possible your XP won't work with the new hardware, it contains a totally wrong set of drivers from past installation to the old box. If you reinstall windows then there shouldn't be any problems.

What will most likely happen anyway is that you will fail WGA the second you manage to start XP on the new computer. Your IBM has an OEM license and changing it to a totally new computer is strictly speaking not allowed. You may get it to work by calling MS directly though.

[Ghosth]

The hard drive will work in the new box. However what won't work is the OS. Its configured for the old box.
Since the new box is different from the old box it will try to boot and probably fail.

Now if you wipe the hard drive, partition, format, and reinstall the OS on the old hd in the new box, that will work yes. But it will likely ask you for activation, since the only thing in common with the 2 is the HD.

Probably less trouble all the way around to just wait till your new copy of Win 7 arrives.

[eagl]

Here's the only decent way to get it to work.

Put the old HD in the new computer, but also have the winXP install CD in the cd drive.  For the first bootup, have it boot from the CD and tell it to install to the HD.  The installer should detect the old windows installation and offer to do a repair installation.  Tell it to do the repair installation.  It should go through the hardware detection and load all the correct drivers for the new hardware, but still keep all the installed programs and data.

That's the only way to do what you want to do, and not have to go in and manually delete/replace every single hardware driver that is different between the old and new systems.

[Ghosth]

Good point eagl, never thought about doing a repair that way.

Might want to remember to install the new motherboard, and video drivers after windows is done repairing.

[Getback]

Here's the only decent way to get it to work.

Put the old HD in the new computer, but also have the winXP install CD in the cd drive.  For the first bootup, have it boot from the CD and tell it to install to the HD.  The installer should detect the old windows installation and offer to do a repair installation.  Tell it to do the repair installation.  It should go through the hardware detection and load all the correct drivers for the new hardware, but still keep all the installed programs and data.

That's the only way to do what you want to do, and not have to go in and manually delete/replace every single hardware driver that is different between the old and new systems.

That does get confusing. Seems that there are repair options at two different points if I recall correctly.

[Ghastly]

Here's the only decent way to get it to work.
<snip>

Just bear in mind that the repair installation often fails even when moving between very similar motherboards (or works, but is wonky) - and between very different sets of hardware as described is most likely to end in a BSOD on the first boot after it's finished.  It's best to consider the repair installation as a method of last resort to get some access to an otherwise unusable windows installation - but it's not something that's usually reliable enough to continue to use over time.

YMMV, of course.

[eagl]

That does get confusing. Seems that there are repair options at two different points if I recall correctly.

You have to remember to ignore the initial offer to go to the recovery console.  But I think the main repair installation option doesn't show up until you tell it to install to the drive and it finds the old windows installation.

[BirdDog]

Thanks.... I will wait on my copy of 7.