Can I just switch Hard DriveS?

[caltraskoo]

First off, thanks to everyone here with the help. If you guys still remember me (I doubt it), I was a newbie looking to build my own computer. I remember people like trotter helping me with a build and tips, and kudos to you guys very much. My computer is very fast and running at top-notch speed, vista or not.

My question now is that I have 2 computers, 1 is for gaming other is for high performance app (much better than gaming except for gfx card wise), I am wondering, I want to keep on the files on my gaming computer as it has everything and WINDOWS XP which I want on the other computer. My other computer has VIsta and not many apps. If I just switch the Hard Drive around on the computer. For example, I want to switch my gaming HDD with the High performance HDD so I can have Windows XP and ALL my saved files on the better computer and make it my gaming comp. Is there anything I need to switch other than HDDs?

Cliffs
- Can I switch HDD on two computer and have Windows XP with all saved data on one computer and Vista on the other.

 

[Slaymate]

Unless both PC's have the same mobo you will probably have to re-install the operating systems on both drives after swapping them.

 

[caltraskoo]

Why? And no, I doubt the mobo's are the same, the gaming PC I have is a generic DELL one, while I got a Biostar mobo for my other one. How come it just can't just start running immediately normally?

 

[Slaymate]

Because both motherboards require different drivers in order for the Operating System to properly recognize them.

 

[Trotter]

You can use sysprep or perform a repair installation on XP.