Swapping HD's

winnate · 03-30-2008, 09:01 PM

i recently purchased a new computer, more RAM and a better processor and such, but it has vista and i really dont like vista, and my old system has Xp and all my files and documents and programs and such, and if i were to swap the hard drives, would my new computer boot up XP and have everything on it just like the old computer?

winnate · 03-30-2008, 09:27 PM

anyone?

Quentin_T · 03-31-2008, 03:16 AM

Yes and no. swapping an old hard drive into a newer computer can be done. But the install with be very ugly. When you boot up it will take forever (maybe 20 mins) to boot while it installs drivers for all your new items (HDD controlers, USB, Northbridge, Southbride, etc). I have done it a few times and I find it works best if you boot that old drive in your old computer, open up device manager, and uninstall everything you can (without rebooting of course).

So it will work but leaves you with a system with a lot of old dormant drivers laying around and possibly unneeded processes running in the background.

03-30-2008, 09:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
winnate New Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 3	Swapping HD's i recently purchased a new computer, more RAM and a better processor and such, but it has vista and i really dont like vista, and my old system has Xp and all my files and documents and programs and such, and if i were to swap the hard drives, would my new computer boot up XP and have everything on it just like the old computer?

03-31-2008, 03:16 AM	#3 (permalink)
Quentin_T Gold Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NH Age: 28 Posts: 268	Yes and no. swapping an old hard drive into a newer computer can be done. But the install with be very ugly. When you boot up it will take forever (maybe 20 mins) to boot while it installs drivers for all your new items (HDD controlers, USB, Northbridge, Southbride, etc). I have done it a few times and I find it works best if you boot that old drive in your old computer, open up device manager, and uninstall everything you can (without rebooting of course). So it will work but leaves you with a system with a lot of old dormant drivers laying around and possibly unneeded processes running in the background. __________________ Main PC.....................\HTPC......................\Server.................. Intel Core 2 Duo 6700\AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+\AMD Athlon 3000+ Asus P5B-Deluxe WiFi\Biostar TF7050-M2\Asus A7N8X-Deluxe Rev2 2GB Kingston DDR2 800\2 GB Crucial DDR2 800\1GB Crucial DDR 400 WD 36GB Raptor + WD 500GB\250GB\320GB\500GB\160GB\2x 500GB BFG 8600 GTS 256MB\XFX 8500 GT 512MB\ATI X700 256MB O/C'd Sony HS95P(19"+17")\Sharp Aquos 42" LCD\Absolutely Nothing!!!! Boredom led me to do this...

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03-30-2008, 09:27 PM	#2 (permalink)
winnate New Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 3	anyone?