Upgrading pc, hard disk question....

dave oc

Thinking of getting a new mobo, processor and ram to upgrade my out of date pc. Im wondering can i ghost my current hard disk to a new one without any problems, such as windows not working. The os would be my greatest concern as im trying to keep the cost as low as possible and dont want to buy a new one. Is there any other problems i would run into?

D

Sgtshaft

Dave6195 wrote:

Thinking of getting a new mobo, processor and ram to upgrade my out of date pc. Im wondering can i ghost my current hard disk to a new one without any problems, such as windows not working. The os would be my greatest concern as im trying to keep the cost as low as possible and dont want to buy a new one. Is there any other problems i would run into?

D

So you want to use your existing windows install on your new mainboard, have I got this right? If I am, forget about it because there is no way windows will boot on a new mainboard with a drive from another system.

Endurance Man

What he said ^^

smeggle

Sgtshaft wrote:

So you want to use your existing windows install on your new mainboard, have I got this right? If I am, forget about it because there is no way windows will boot on a new mainboard with a drive from another system.

emm - it does if it's xp ....

Goodshape

Why don't you try Lin...

...no. I'd better not go there

Rollo Tamasi

Why don't you try Linux?











(sorry)

Gilgamesh

as smeggle said, it does work if you use XP.

I transferred my old HD for the moment into my new rig until I get the new Drives and it worked fine.

Inspector Gadget

Gilgamesh wrote:

as smeggle said, it does work if you use XP.

I transferred my old HD for the moment into my new rig until I get the new Drives and it worked fine.

I don't know about XP, but I do know that you can do it easily with the older Windows flavours (95/98, probably ME but have never used it so don't know). With NT & 2000, the only limiting factor I've found on the four or five times I've had to do this is that it's critical that the IDE controllers on the old and new boards are of the same lineage; i.e. replace an Intel-based board with another Intel-based board, Via-based with Via-based, and so on. If you don't, you get a BSOD not long after boot. I should imagine this also applies to XP (but, again, don't use it, so don't know).

Thought I'd mention it in case it helps...
Gadget

unkel

Theoretically it is possible on XP but in pratice it is at best tricky, at worst impossible

I would strongly advice against it but if you want to give it a go, before shutting down your old system, install the mobo drivers of the new system. When it asks you to reboot, just shut down and don't start it up. Change system and start it up and you might be lucky

If you stay within a similar chipset (i.e. VIA K400 => VIA K600 or vice versa) you might be lucky. If you go cross platform (i.e. from intel => amd or vice versa) or use RAID, forget it

Have done it a few times just for the craic myself

Inspector Gadget

unkel wrote:

If you stay within a similar chipset (i.e. VIA K400 => VIA K600 or vice versa) you might be lucky. If you go cross platform (i.e. from intel => amd or vice versa) or use RAID, forget it

Inspector Gadget wrote:

With NT & 2000, the only limiting factor I've found on the four or five times I've had to do this is that it's critical that the IDE controllers on the old and new boards are of the same lineage; i.e. replace an Intel-based board with another Intel-based board, Via-based with Via-based, and so on.

...If I put my ear up the screen, and listen really carefully, I think I can hear an echo...

Gadget

hurleyd

Last year, I changed everything on an old computer except the harddrive and dvd drive from a Gateway 700mhz Slot A Athlon to a Asus MB with 2500+ Athlon XP. Had Windows 98SE on the harddrive and it booted fine, installed a whole bunch of new drivers and loaded up.

The computer was very unstable and locked up quite regularly. Backed everything up, formatted and installed XP. So I think it'll load but won't run very well.

unkel

Inspector Gadget wrote:

...If I put my ear up the screen, and listen really carefully, I think I can hear an echo...

Your ears need sorting out

I was referring to Windows XP, you were referring to other MS OS specifically excluding XP

Inspector Gadget

I know, only kidding. I suspect that since this particular hangup has been around since the days of NT, it's likely (if not almost certain) that XP (being NT's grandchild, if you know what I mean) has probably inherited that gene...

Gadget

smeggle

em - well I use an 80 gig drive with an xp pro os on it for repairs. I get folks comps in with that dog ****ty Mcafee or (even crappier) Norton.

All I do is slave there drive/pop my master in and very rarely do I have a problem, intel, via chipset or whatever. Odd times a board driver is missing - so I'll chuck the drive back into my spare comp. Pop the needed board driver into the system32 folder and then back into clients comp.

Back there drive up to my 80gig. pull my drive set that to slave. re-install there drive as the master. Pull the two activation files and pop them on a floppy. fdisk and re-install xp/ on first boot/go straight to safe mode/re-install there activation files (overwriting the ones from the new install - beeter to delete them first) and re-boot as normal. pop my drive back in as the slave/ put all the backup back (except any corrupted files of course) and job done.

Never yet had a prob putting an drive with xp into either an AMD/via chipset or pentium/intel. very rare occasion and only on older amd/via chipset machines. Rarely do I need to utilise my 500gig external - only use it when there drive/s are crammed or over 60gig say.

Like I say works 9 times out of ten either processor or chipset type. One of the only reasins why I love xp - when you get into how that system does actually work - it is F***ing awesome! As long as you keep away from stupid sp2 and there even more idiotic updates.
Just use the base os and then standalone security products like AVG and ZA, Ad-Aware, Spybot. Oh and also switch of all plug'n'pray porting along with port 5000/5001 - ZA doesn't (for some reason) protect it.

Done that for nigh on 3years_ now and I've yet to have more than a slight irritation security wise.