New computer, old hard drive

[Seraph]

I asked about this a while ago I think but this is slightly different.

I am getting a new computer but am gonna use my old hard drive so I dont have to reinstall everything.

the HD doesnt have windows on it, it is the 2nd hard drive. Can I copy and paste windows onto it? or do I HAVE to have a special program (if so, what?)

And will the hard drive work fine with the new system. Because I am gonna have to have new BIOS and all. I dont know whats gonna happen there.

 

[Syrillian]

If you replace major components (MoBo, HDD) you may have to contact Microsoft to get a key (its long - 20 digits or so) to re-activate Windows.

As long as you have a registered copy of Windows and you have not called tech support for a system change prior to this occasion you should be able to get the key.

I went through this 6 months ago when I did a major overhaul on my system.

You will need to have your original installation CD to install the OS on your new (used) HDD.

I don't believe that copying and pasting will do the trick. If I recall accurately, I attempted something along that line and it failed. OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) technology does not work for items such as ISO files and OS files.

In the end, I spent 30 minutes on the telephone with a tech in India (I think). It wasn't too bad of an experience.

Good luck.

 

[Jam3s-Zer0]

It sounds like you have Windows installed on your 1st hard drive so set up the old hard drive the one with all your data on as the slave. Transfer them just by drop and drag once your set up.

Than install windows on the 2nd hard drive and transfer the files back.

 

[Seraph]

Ok the HD with Windows on it is 20gb. The one I want to keep is 80gb.

So I cant just copy windows onto the HD that I am keeping? If not then why? I can copy the whole 20gb hard drive onto the 80gb one if I need to.

 

[Seraph]

anyone?

 

[Law]

Can't, because the hardware will be different and you'll need to reinstall Windows. There isn't any easy way around this that I know of. There's such things as imaging but the hardware has to be the exact same thing. Firstly as they are trying to say above, you just save all your data on the 2nd hard drive, bringing all the hard drive to the new computer system, reinstall Windows on another hard drive. You'll still have your data intact on the 2nd hard drive.

 

[mBernhardt]

If you had imaging software you can duplicate the 20gb onto the 80gb, then beat the computer into submission as you work out all the drivers and whatnot.

Or, you could sysprep your 20gb, transfer its image to the 80gb and then it'll act like a fresh install of windows when you first boot it up, only it'll still have everything from your previous pc.


OR! You could do it the easy/dirty way of a fresh install of windows on the 80gb with the 20gb as a slave drive and manually copy everything over to the new 80gb and use the 20gb for whatever after the fact.

 

[IanP]

Like all the others said above really.

If its xp your installing then you may get away with it becasue you would whack in the xp cd and recover the hard-drive but this wont really work becasue your get so many conflicts it wont be worth the hassle not everything will work properly best thing to do is set the new hard-drive up as master your old hard-drive up as slave and copy the files over or just leave them on the secondary hard-drive.

Like everyone else said really

 

[Seraph]

Ok so I am gonna have to reinstall all of my games and such....sigh

 

[Snake-Eyes]

No. You just need to reinstall Windows. You can copy things like Program Files over.