Can I use my old hard drive on a new build?

[muffinman121]

I've a 500GB SATA HDD, with Windows 7 64-bit on it. If I try to boot my newly built computer with this hard drive, what can I expect to happen?

Is there going to be an issue switching from an AMD processor to an Intel processor?
Obviously I'm going to expect motherboard driver issues, which will be resolved once I uninstall the old mobo drivers and install the new ones, right?
Other differences will be the switch from DDR2 to DDR3 memory.
Additionally, my Windows 7 version isn't the home builder's edition. So for those of you who are going to suggest formatting and reinstalling, will I be able to do that with just a standard edition Windows 7 DVD? I have Windows 7 Professional 64-bit.

Maybe I should add that the hard drive came with my Gateway that I'm using as we speak.

 

[cutebeans]

As long as it's SATA, there won't be a problem.

If you plan to boot the windows 7 64bit on a different build. I would not dare to, because it might cause problems and kil your parts.

Just reformat everything and install win 7 with your new build.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I've a 500GB SATA HDD, with Windows 7 64-bit on it. If I try to boot my newly built computer with this hard drive, what can I expect to happen?

oYou will spend hours and hours trying ti get it to work before eventually giving in, wiping the HD and doing a clean install.

So for those of you who are going to suggest formatting and reinstalling, will I be able to do that with just a standard edition Windows 7 DVD? I have Windows 7 Professional 64-bit.

The only difference between OEM and retail versions are:

1. The support ya get (OEM = none)
2. The retail version can be transferred to another build
3. Y pay an extra $90 for the retail version.

The upgrade version requires some dancing to do a clean install...see sevenforums.com for the directions.

 

[jrnyfan]

I've a 500GB SATA HDD, with Windows 7 64-bit on it. If I try to boot my newly built computer with this hard drive, what can I expect to happen?

A horror show.

You are switching out every major component, if your previous build even manages to boot up, it won't stay running for long. You are changing platforms, chipsets, memory standards...you need to wipe everything clean and start over new. The amount of time and heartache you would have to put into the old build to clean it of the old bits of driver will take significantly longer than just starting over. The fact that it is coming from a prebuilt machine and not one that you assembled makes it 10x worse.

Regarding your question about installing with a standard edition DVD, I'm not sure what you mean by that. You don't need a system builders copy to reformat and start over again. If the discs you have, however, are the recovery discs provided by your manufacturer, they probably won't work as those are usually a custom ROM with the specific drivers built into the install. You need a clean, stand-alone version of Windows.

 

[muffinman121]

Alrighty then, time to find an external HD to let me backup my files before I reinstall Windows.

Would I have to reformat prior to putting it in the new build? Or could I just boot from the DVD and reformat from there? I bought the retail version (for cheap from a friend who works at Microsoft, the price was around $70), it's not a recovery disk. I just remember that for Vista or some other operating system, there was a system builders version and a retail version, and I thought that you had to have the system builders version to install on a new drive or something.

 

[hapkido]

Alrighty then, time to find an external HD to let me backup my files before I reinstall Windows.

Would I have to reformat prior to putting it in the new build? Or could I just boot from the DVD and reformat from there? I bought the retail version (for cheap from a friend who works at Microsoft, the price was around $70), it's not a recovery disk. I just remember that for Vista or some other operating system, there was a system builders version and a retail version, and I thought that you had to have the system builders version to install on a new drive or something.

Reformat it when you install. You don't have to do it prior. The systems builder versions of Windows are cheaper because they don't include technical support. The software itself is the same.

 

[muffinman121]

Reformat it when you install. You don't have to do it prior. The systems builder versions of Windows are cheaper because they don't include technical support. The software itself is the same.

Awesome awesome. Thank you all.

 

[dodger46]

Don't know if it's the same in the US but new HDDs are like gold dust in the UK beacause of the flooding in Thailand, so hang on to it!

 

[jsc]

It is the same in the U.S.

 

[DelroyMonjo]

OP said he has a Full version of Win7.
Should be a "Walk thru the Park
Why do Forum Trolls try to add more to the orginal Q?

 

[dodger46]

Awesome awesome. Thank you all.

Also if you haven't done the deed yet, make sure you have copied all your Licence keys for Software, esp Win7. I use Belarc Advisor which gives you a printout of everything on your machine inc. hardware and software.
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

 

[redneck_savant5]

I've a 500GB SATA HDD, with Windows 7 64-bit on it. If I try to boot my newly built computer with this hard drive, what can I expect to happen?

Is there going to be an issue switching from an AMD processor to an Intel processor?
Obviously I'm going to expect motherboard driver issues, which will be resolved once I uninstall the old mobo drivers and install the new ones, right?
Other differences will be the switch from DDR2 to DDR3 memory.
Additionally, my Windows 7 version isn't the home builder's edition. So for those of you who are going to suggest formatting and reinstalling, will I be able to do that with just a standard edition Windows 7 DVD? I have Windows 7 Professional 64-bit.

Maybe I should add that the hard drive came with my Gateway that I'm using as we speak.

OK - simple answer here:

New computer won't work right when booted with HDD from another computer. Drivers will be wrong, and windows will detect the new hardware build and refuse to update and get new drivers.

Here's why:
Microsoft wants money. They put effort into making software, and preventing it's theft.

Builder and OEM versions of their operating system now check the system configuration to make sure the software is running on the computer that originally logged the registration key - this lock is to the mobo, but can also invalidate if you change your cpu or even hdd.

The retail version though - it's fortunate you have it. You can call microsoft explain that you wish to transfer your license from one computer to another, and they will advise you on how to do so within the framework of the license you bought. They may require you to uninstall windows on the old system (to insure you aren't running an illegal copy) and then install a fresh version on your new system.

I'd recommend a fresh install anyway, why keep the clutter your old system had in it's registry in your newer, faster, better system?