Where is my OS?

Forevermore1337

Forevermore1337

New Member
I was wondering where the OS is actually installed on my computer. Is it on the motherboard or on the HDD? I am about to build a new computer, but i will be using me old hard-drive (no need to spend more money where it's not needed) I know i will have to reinstall XP, but at the moment, i am running an Xp/Linux dual boot. Is the Linux on the motherboard, or on the hard-drive, or both? Someone please explain all this to me. As you can see, i'm a bit confused.

Thanks.
 
Any version of Windows is installed on a primary type partition on the hard drive as well as any other OS. Linux however has the ability to be run from an extended type of partition as well as a primary type. Each OS however will run on a different type of partition due to a different file system.

XP can be installed onto any MS(Microsoft) Fat 16/32 or NTFS 5.0 primary partition being backward compatible to the older File Allocation Table type partition used for the earlier versions of Windows like 3.1, 95, 98, ME, and 2000.

Linux on the other hand goes onto a VFat type UNIX(old OS) partition and often sees two partitions one being the root for system files and a swap used for virtual memory where hard drive space is reserved to supliment the physical memory installed by compressing information into a large file. In Windows a paging file on the same primary serves the same purpose.

The only thing that goes onto the motherboard besides the hardwares(central processing until(cpu), memory, video, sound, and other expansion cards) would be the programming flashed onto the bios eprom IC chip and the battery that maintains the time and date when first setting up a system. All OSs(operating systems) see main system files stored as well as run from the hard drive once loaded into the active ram(random access memory).
 
I'm still a bit confused on how exactly this works when switching motherboards but not switching HDD's. You said that the OS is on the hard drive, so that means when i switch motherboards, i will not have to reinstall my OS? Sorry if i am asking idiotic questions, but i really want to understand how this works.
 
Short story, (your) OS/programs/files are stored on your harddrive. Its stored magnectically on disk inside the drive.
harddrive_open.jpg


Your motherboard is what all your hardware is attached to including your harddrive by a IDE or Sata cable. When you change motherboards out its best to do a clean install of your OS. Mostly because of driver problems.
p5n32e_sli.jpg
 
Forevermore1337 said:
I'm still a bit confused on how exactly this works when switching motherboards but not switching HDD's. You said that the OS is on the hard drive, so that means when i switch motherboards, i will not have to reinstall my OS? Sorry if i am asking idiotic questions, but i really want to understand how this works.
Click to expand...

When first installing the OS you also need to see hardware/device drivers installed as well. Those are for the board as well as video and sound cards plus any other addon devices.

Once you swap the main board for another make and model you will need to install drivers for the new board then. With XP and now in particular Windows creates a hardware profile stored on the hard drive in order to see Windows acivated as part of Microsoft's antipiracy methods where XP may get by with a repair install simply replacing the main system files while programs remain intact. For Vista that no longer sees that option and will automatically need to see a fresh copy when a different board is used.
 
PC eye said:
Any version of Windows is installed on a primary type partition on the hard drive as well as any other OS. Linux however has the ability to be run from an extended type of partition as well as a primary type.
Click to expand...

But Windows can also be installed on a partition inside an extended partition, right?
 
I would really like to keep all of my files from my hard-drive (that's days of installing and downloading new programs and files). Is this still possible with a clean OS install, or is there another way around wiping my hard-drive.
 
Reinstalling Windows for the next board or performing a repair install in XP doesn't mean wiping the drive totally every time. One method of keeping any files you want safe would be saving them to removable media, a second hard drive could added in which you won't be doing, or simply creating a second storage partition on the single drive system there that would be uneffected by the reinstall of Windows on the first primary partition if needed there.
 
CF is generally about the best pc forum you'll find. I looked over a good number and while having only decided to join certain ones CF stood out. Any time you have questions remember to ask here first to see if someone can help you out.
 
i find it funny you are about to build a computer and dont know where the Os lays. but you learned.

I R TROLL RAWRZZ!1!111
 
For a first time builder you start off from scratch and have to learn the basics. This is why I started off going into explaining the need for partitioning and formatting rather simply tossing a few pics in on how a drive looks inside since those are the first few terms you have to comprehend in order to see an OS go onto a drive.

II started off here simply using a dos boot floppy and later MSDos 6.22 just to see Win 3.1 installed from a set of 6 floppies. 95 introduced the cd with that version for the most part for use on the early 1x, 2x optical drives. You still booted from either a 5.25" or newer 3.5" floppy disk however and selecting cd rom support in order to install Windows then. Now you simply boot from the cd for XP or dvd for Vista.
 
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