Moving Windows XP HDD From One Case to Another
Hi all.
I'm building a cheapie PC to hook up to my TV for online video watching, and I'm wondering if there's a way for me to simply yank the HDD out of the old case and pop it in the new one.
I ask because the case I've purchased doesn't allow for an optical drive and I don't have a USB optical.
If this can't be done, does anyone have any recommendations for how I might install XPPro without an optical drive?
Thanks in advance.
I'm building a cheapie PC to hook up to my TV for online video watching, and I'm wondering if there's a way for me to simply yank the HDD out of the old case and pop it in the new one.
I ask because the case I've purchased doesn't allow for an optical drive and I don't have a USB optical.
If this can't be done, does anyone have any recommendations for how I might install XPPro without an optical drive?
Thanks in advance.
Comments
If you're talking about all new hardware the best move is to boot XP into SafeMode on your first boot with the new hardware. Then go into Device Manager and uninstall EVERYTHING you see. Then reboot normally into XP and it should start picking up all your new devices.
XP does a pretty good job in this scenario but it's not fool proof and you may start getting weird errors and corruption.
If you're talking about the same hardware and just moving it to a new case you should have no problems.
Also, you may not need to call the Activation 800 number. Try activating over the internet, MS does give each CD key a some leniency.
P.S. Why post this question in an Apple forum... by the way??
Are you talking about using all the same hardware like mobo, processor, memory, video or are you also talking about all new hardware?
All new hardware.
If you're talking about all new hardware the best move is to boot XP into SafeMode on your first boot with the new hardware. Then go into Device Manager and uninstall EVERYTHING you see. Then reboot normally into XP and it should start picking up all your new devices.
XP does a pretty good job in this scenario but it's not fool proof and you may start getting weird errors and corruption.
Groovy.
P.S. Why post this question in an Apple forum... by the way??
Because lots of people here know how all this stuff works and it's a pretty active forum. And I've got nearly 9k posts here.
Got the machine in, plugged in the old HDD, and went through the ridiculous set of hoops to install XP. This machine didn't have a slot for a CD, nor did it have a power cable for one, so I had to pick up a Y-cable to get power to one. Then it wouldn't boot to the CD.
After lots of cursing, I got it to boot. But then it wouldn't boot XP. It booted to the "safe mode" prompt, but then got caught in some kind of endless loop. The repair installation option dumped me into DOS.
I wound up reformatting and installing XP from scratch. Now I'm just waiting on my new video card for it...I stupidly didn't notice that the onboard video card didn't have an S-video or composite video out, and wouldn't you know it, none of the 3 video cards I have around the house would fit (it's only got a PCI slot).
Anyway. Just waiting on the video card now.
Thanks, everyone, for all your advice.
Thanks, everyone, for all your advice.
It wasn't bad advice. It is just that setting up Windows on a PC is too specific to the particular hardware combination.
It wasn't bad advice.
I was being sincere!