advice/ please help

[lpenix]

Hi i am building an athlon xp system, and was wondering when i get the motherboard, and processor, can i just swap my hard drive over to the new machine without reformating. it already has windows xp on it and lots of info that would take to long to copy. i curently have a compaq with an athlon 1.0 mhz. Thanks

 

[HonestJhon]

your best bet is to always do a reformat and install when you swap the motherboard....that way, you will be able to rule out the problem of driver incompatabilities when you put it on the new motherboard. it is highly recommended...and if you just back up the important files, then you will be able to get rid of anything that you dont need...like old files that are hiding on the hard drive...
so basically, just back up stuff, and then reformat and do a fresh install...

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-

 

[blue_heart]

I agree with HonestJhon
it is better to format

 

[jiffy]

I would format too, but you ask do you have to? I know with Win98se you just have to install the drives and your ok, but XP might be more of a pain in the

defrage is child's play-fdisk

 

[HonestJhon]

with win98, you are supposed to reformat....
a clean install is a safe install...
otherwise, you are running the risk of something conflicting...
when you call tech support, a lot of times they tell you to reinstall windows when you are having a problem.
that flushes out the older drivers, and other configuration files....when you install newer drivers for the new motherboard over the ones that are already there, sometimes it tries to use the ones that are there, and you run into problems...so to be safe, with win98, or xp, you should do a format and fresh install.

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-

 

[Guest]

Ditto to all of the above. Reformat, especially with XP. I don't have it yet as I'm in college and in the process of building a new system. However, two things to note about XP from what friends have told and i've read.

Your WPA, you only get a few activations and such a drastic change in hardware will no doubt force you to reactivate. If you run into driver problems, and end up having to reformat you've just reactivated again. And I believe there are what, 3 activations per liscense without calling Microsoft? So if you reformat you waste only one activation and you have less hassle of troubleshooting potential problems.

Course I could just be breathing vapors of some highly toxic fume and have no real clue what I'm talking about!

 

[lpenix]

Thanks for your help, the problem is i only have the upgrade edition of xp. And the only version of windows me i have, is the one that came with my compaq. I just dont want to spend another 100.00 for a OS. I dont think that my compaq disk will work with the new computer.

 

[HonestJhon]

well, i think that the upgrade ones, you should be ok...but what i would do anyways is reformat, install me, and then upgrade to xp...and just let windows install the default drivers, until you get to xp...
at least that way, you will be able to get rid of the old drivers....

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-

 

[btvillarin]

Wait, don't do anything yet! :lol:

I mean, after you format, you don't have to install WinMe again. Try installing XP. If it asks where the previous Windows version is, insert the Windows Me disk. I know this worked with previous versions, but I haven't tried this. Plus, it doesn't hurt. It might shave 20 minutes off your installation time if you don't have to install WinMe.

Don't pay any attention to my chickenscratch.

 

[HonestJhon]

que? QUE?
i dont get it...
to get the installer to run, dont you need to have windows installed in the first place?
at least on an upgrade disk that is..
when i didnt have the full install copy of se, i had to install 98, then upgrade...it didnt take that long, and i am pretty sure that i can not install off the upgrade cd, since it wont boot a computer...
it is an upgrade...not a full install, but there may be some sort of trick that i dont know about.

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-

 

[btvillarin]

Yeah, at least when I was installing one time with an upgrade CD for Win98, I had a formatted disk. It asked for a Windows CD of a previous version, I stuck Win95 in, and it verified it and continued...

I don't know. At least try it. If it doesn't then no harm done, right?

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=13406" target="_new">My System Rig</A>

 

[lpenix]

Thanks for all your help, but at the risk of of sounding like a broken record, the copy of windows me that i have came with the my compaq, at it is a compaq system disk, if i put that in when trying to install xp will that work, the only other ones i have is a upgrade to windows 98, i have a windows 2000 disk i got from work but no key code will that work also. If you all get tired of me ranting just cuss me out and go on,,,,,lol.

 

[btvillarin]

You frickin loser!!! :lol: I'm playing, it's cool, man...

Use that Win2K disk. The Compaq system disk isn't a official Windows 98 disk, and the upgrade to Windows 98 isn't a full version. Try that Windows 2000 disk, though, alright? Alright then...game on...

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=13406" target="_new">My System Rig</A>

 

[HonestJhon]

also, if it asks for a cdkey for 2000, then get the program called serials2000, you can use it to put a valid cdkey in,and then move on with installing the copy of xp...
and yeah, i once tried to do an install of windows 98se on my dads hp with the disks that the provide, and it was a no go...
what the system builders basically do is make an image of the cd, and make the cd bootable with some sort of drive copy program..and then it just restores the computer to the way that it was...as if nothing had happened...you just basically loose all the stuff that you have accumulated.
kinda sucks, but i guess that they get a deal with microsoft if they dont have to distribute a WHOLE bunch of cds with every system that is sold..they just get a MASSIVE lisence and use like one copy..
and distribute a whole bunch of books with the key on them....
kinda sucks, but that is the way things go in this wacky world!
give bt's way a try, and let us know what happens...i hope that it works!

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-