Hi,

Is it possible to put a hard drive with an OS into another computer as
the master and have it boot up? If so, how and what would you have to do
to accomplish it?

Thx.

Read the following:

Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with XP Installed
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"KB" wrote:

| Hi,
|
| Is it possible to put a hard drive with an OS into another computer as
| the master and have it boot up? If so, how and what would you have to do
| to accomplish it?
|
| Thx.

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
> Read the following:
>
> Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with XP Installed
> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html
>
> How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
>
Just wanted to clarify a bit. Can I copy the entire contents of one
drive to another drive and then put that drive into a different computer
and run it?

KB wrote:
> Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
>> Read the following:
>>
>> Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with XP Installed
>> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html
>>
>> How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
>> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
>>
> Just wanted to clarify a bit. Can I copy the entire contents of one
> drive to another drive and then put that drive into a different
> computer and run it?

There is no set answer. It may work. It most likely won't due to hardware
differences. You will probably have to do a repair install. The worst case
scenario is a repair install won't work and a full clean install will be
needed.

Kerry

KB wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Is it possible to put a hard drive with an OS into another computer as
> the master and have it boot up?


Theoretically, and under specific conditions, yes. But an accurate
answer depends upon what specific operating system you're using and how
closely similar the two computers are in hardware configuration.


> If so, how and what would you have to do
> to accomplish it?
>


Impossible to say without more pertinent information. (And, for
information on non-Microsoft operating systems, check elsewhere.)

If the OS is MS-DOS, there'll be very little problem, even if the
hardware is significantly different, although you'll need to modify
Autoexec.bat and Config.sys to use the appropriate new device drivers.
Pretty much the same applies for Win9x, although Autoexec.bat and
Config.sys aren't used. If using WinNT, and the hardware is roughly
similar, the machine will likely boot, but you'll need to spend a bit of
time installing the correct drivers.

For more modern operating systems, it becomes much more complicated.

If the OS in question is Win2K, the two computers are not identical,
and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations and licenses are
not transferable to a new motherboard - check yours before starting),
unless the new motherboard is virtually identical to the old one (same
chipset, IDE/SCSI controllers, etc), you'll most likely need to perform
a repair (a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation, at the very least (and
don't forget to reinstall any service packs and subsequent hot fixes):

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q292175

What an In-Place Win2K Upgrade Changes and What It Doesn't
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q306952

If that fails:

How to Move a Windows 2000 Installation to Different Hardware
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q249694

The same applies if the OS is WinXP. Normally, and assuming a retail
license (many OEM installations are BIOS-locked to a specific chipset
and therefore not transferable to a new motherboard - check yours before
starting), unless the new motherboard is virtually identical (same
chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the one on
which the WinXP installation was originally performed, you'll need to
perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation, at the very least:

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directo...;EN-US;Q315341

The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this point.
You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the OS. (If
you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as picking up a
Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch style
foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K before it,
is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to accepting any
old hardware configuration you throw at it. On installation it
"tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This is one of the
reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much more stable
than the Win9x group.

As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any
important data before starting.

This will also probably require re-activation, unless you have a
Volume Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. If it's been more than
120 days since you last activated that specific Product Key, you'll most
likely be able to activate via the Internet without problem. If it's
been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone call.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

Bruce Chambers wrote:
> KB wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Is it possible to put a hard drive with an OS into another computer as
>> the master and have it boot up?
>
>
>
> Theoretically, and under specific conditions, yes. But an accurate
> answer depends upon what specific operating system you're using and how
> closely similar the two computers are in hardware configuration.
>
>
>> If so, how and what would you have to do to accomplish it?
>>
>
>
> Impossible to say without more pertinent information. (And, for
> information on non-Microsoft operating systems, check elsewhere.)
>
> If the OS is MS-DOS, there'll be very little problem, even if the
> hardware is significantly different, although you'll need to modify
> Autoexec.bat and Config.sys to use the appropriate new device drivers.
> Pretty much the same applies for Win9x, although Autoexec.bat and
> Config.sys aren't used. If using WinNT, and the hardware is roughly
> similar, the machine will likely boot, but you'll need to spend a bit of
> time installing the correct drivers.
>
> For more modern operating systems, it becomes much more complicated.
>
> If the OS in question is Win2K, the two computers are not identical,
> and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations and licenses are
> not transferable to a new motherboard - check yours before starting),
> unless the new motherboard is virtually identical to the old one (same
> chipset, IDE/SCSI controllers, etc), you'll most likely need to perform
> a repair (a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation, at the very least (and
> don't forget to reinstall any service packs and subsequent hot fixes):
>
> How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows 2000
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q292175
>
> What an In-Place Win2K Upgrade Changes and What It Doesn't
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q306952
>
> If that fails:
>
> How to Move a Windows 2000 Installation to Different Hardware
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q249694
>
>
> The same applies if the OS is WinXP. Normally, and assuming a
> retail license (many OEM installations are BIOS-locked to a specific
> chipset and therefore not transferable to a new motherboard - check
> yours before starting), unless the new motherboard is virtually
> identical (same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.)
> to the one on which the WinXP installation was originally performed,
> you'll need to perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation,
> at the very least:
>
> How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
> http://support.microsoft.com/directo...;EN-US;Q315341
>
> The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
> licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this point.
> You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the OS. (If
> you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as picking up a
> Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch style
> foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K before it,
> is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to accepting any
> old hardware configuration you throw at it. On installation it
> "tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This is one of the
> reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much more stable
> than the Win9x group.
>
> As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any
> important data before starting.
>
> This will also probably require re-activation, unless you have a
> Volume Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. If it's been more than
> 120 days since you last activated that specific Product Key, you'll most
> likely be able to activate via the Internet without problem. If it's
> been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone call.
>
>
Bruce: I hope you don't mind me observing that this is a very good
account delivered with a professional approach...

can WHAT be done....???


I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
http://www.polesoft.com/refer.html

by someone who knows what they are doing.....


I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
http://www.polesoft.com/refer.html

logan wrote:

> by someone who knows what they are doing


If you don't quote the messqge you're replying to, may of us here have no
idea what you're talking about.


--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

> logan wrote:
>
>> by someone who knows what they are doing
>
>
> If you don't quote the messqge you're replying to, may of us here have
> no idea what you're talking about.
>
>
He's just a troll who shows up occasionally, Ken. Probably a kid home
for the holidays with too much time on his hands and not enough brains
to figure out something constructive to do.

Best regards,

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"