Desktops: Transplanting my current hardrive?
Transplanting my current hardrive?
by cb68 - 2/25/09 7:21 PMI currently have a 4 year old HP Media Center computer. I have been thinking of getting a barebones kit for an upgrade. Can I take the hard drive from my current computer and put it in a barbones kit and keep using it for my main hard drive? Is this totally ridiculous? The OS is Windows XP Media Center Edition with SP3.
I have only started looking, so I don't have any particular kit in mind. I use the computer mainly for photo editing, video editing and some gaming. If it is possible to do what I am asking, what should I look for in a barebones kit?
Any advice would be appreciated.
The HD yes, the OS no
by Willy - 2/26/09 12:38 AM In reply to: Transplanting my current hardrive? by cb68You can physically re-use the HD in another system. But, no the OS itself won't work, especially OEM supplied OS. It will see a difference and/or break the EULA rules. No matter what your reasons, you no longer have a OEM supplied system as it was delivered to you. You may get lucky if the only change is the case, but again if you boot-up and see a blank or black screen, you now know why.
As for barebones, you may want to get away from "Media Center OS", it just not going to be around any longer. XP or vista and possibility W7 when it arrives are going to be your best OS to use. Depending on the flavor of OS, minor OS options may do you well for task, but I see no major gains here over even the basic Home version that can handle your tasks. Though you may want Pro or Premium versions overall just to be safe.
tada -----Willy 
The HD doubtful.
by Kees Bakker
- 2/26/09 12:44 AM
In reply to: Transplanting my current hardrive? by cb68
A 4 year old machine might still have an IDE-drive. Your new barebones kit might expect a SATA-drive to boot from (although it still can use IDE for a DVD or even for a slave drive).
Kees
I can definately say no . . .
by Coryphaeus - 2/26/09 6:34 PM In reply to: Transplanting my current hardrive? by cb68to moving the hard drive. That copy of XP is tied to that HD, motherboard, and the entire system. Putting it into another PC is doomed to fail, it just will not work.
Don't ask me how I know.
Thanks for the replies
by cb68 - 2/27/09 9:42 AM In reply to: I can definately say no . . . by CoryphaeusI thought it might be just a dream and now I know it is. I haven't decided if I will get a pre-built system or barebones, but I am no hurry right now. Thanks again for the information.
I have done it many times
by tinman1275 - 2/27/09 6:56 PM In reply to: Transplanting my current hardrive? by cb68and the easiest way is to buy a new OEM Windows cd when you order the new computer, install your hard drive and the first time you start it up boot from the new OEM cd and pick new install, but DON'T format. Windows will check for previous versions and when it asks pick REPAIR. When it asks for the cd key, just input the new OEM cd key, it will reinstall Windows and replace all drivers for devices, but all your files and settings will be unchanged, but you will have to still install drivers for your new devices after windows boots up the first time.
I have done this lots for clients and it is the fastest by far, and so far has not failed.
How about this?
by sail4evr - 2/27/09 8:34 PM In reply to: I have done it many times by tinman1275Will this work to upgrade from XP to Vista?
There is this wonderful solution to this sort of problem
by wayneepalmer - 2/27/09 7:56 PM In reply to: Transplanting my current hardrive? by cb68It's very simple: the first time your system completely trashes its OS, replace it with a stand alone version.
Yeah, it costs more but for God's sake we spend so much to get a hardware-loaded wonder and then spend forever buggering around with the 20 ton anchor that is an OEM bastardized version of Windows.
Buy the retail version, load in new drivers and run with a clean system that is releases from the burden of all the crap the OEM thought was "cool" or that was foisted on them by Microsoft.
Hell, I even tossed a 30gb 5400 rpm hard drive on an old Compaq Presario 2700 laptop, replaced it with a 7200 rpm 60 gb hd and booted in the retail XP I bought for my green beast of a desk top.
Folks seemed surprised it worked...I am writing this post on it this very second. Its old, its pretty slow, but I got 3 pc's and this is just the TV tray one I use for night surfing when the wife is laying in bed playing "Bejeweled" on the quad core HP and our 32" flat panel TV/monitor.
Also hard drives are as cheap as dirt. Buy a new one. Use the old one as a slave/spare storage.
Let me clear this up
by tinman1275 - 2/27/09 8:17 PM In reply to: There is this wonderful solution to this sort of problem by wayneepalmerI meant OEM copy from the supplier of the barebone system, they are the same as retail just cheaper no frills packaging. I wasn't referring to OEM as in Compaq or Dell, for instance.
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