Hard drive re-installation

Synesthesia

Synesthesia

New Member
Ok, I RMA'd that MSI P6N platinum back to Newegg and just got my re-fund. To replace it I am getting the P5N-D Asus. The question is, when I build the new rig, can I just put my current Sata hard drive into it? A friend told me that I need to get a new hard drive (which I have anyways...for memory expansion), and re-install windows on it. Why would that be so? Is he right? I don't have my XP disk anymore, so I would need a new OS disk, and also; if I were to set everything up and install the new HD, then put my current one in, would the computer automatically make everything look the same? As in, would my documents, my desktop, my pictures, etc... all be there in their original positions? Or would I have to fish them out of the old HD from My Computer and re-do everything? Also, do you know of any good links about how to run dual operating systems? I want Vista because of DirectX10 and a few other features, but I have quite a few professional programs that won't work with Vista...so I still need XP. What happens when you try to run a non compatible program that you already have on Vista? Does a screen just come up and say no?

Thanks.
 
First let's take things one step at a time. Just because you swap boards out is far from needing to go out and buy a new drive! Whoever sold you that line of bunk ... :rolleyes:

You will have to see a repair install if not a full install of Windows due to the need to see fresh drivers and detection of the new board take place. But that is simply done on the same drive. You are better off performing a full installation of Windows to start off fresh again.

You will need a full install disk or using an older version to see an upgrade buy an upgrade disk for Vista. You are far better going with a full install OEM disk without the retail box for system builders for the cost saving on the new version.

For file retrieval once the current drive sees a working copy of Windows running whether XP or Vista won't matter you simply slave the old HP drive to it later to see files copied over to it. later you can wipe the old drive clean and use that for a storage/backup drive or consider a second OS for a dual boot configuration.

As with any newer version of Windows(not in awhile with Vista taking twice as long as previous releases) you have to expect that many desktop programs not games but regular applications will need a newer Vista ready version. Some will migrate without problem if they are not XP only types and actually run on the newer Windows. Games fare better usually since some old 98SE compatible pc games will install and run on XP while some newer XP ones won't install.
 
So by updating my OS on my current hard drive, I won't wipe any of my data and everything will behave the same?

When transferring data to the new HD, do I just copy the whole thing including its OS? There are allot of random folders with large numbers in my hard drive, so I don't know.

I'll likely back up important low mb files, and just take a risk with the games (Which currently take up 120 gigs..and going) since I originally bought the 2nd HD because I was running out of space.

How do you set up dual OS? Is there a button you press on start up to switch?
If done, can I have the same files viewable while using each one, in the same order and appearance?
 
There's no button for seeing two entirely different OSs installed on a system. First learning how to even install one particular version of Windows or OS is needed. With two versions of Windows the older version is generally installed first on a separate partition or drive from the newer one.

The newer version then installs the older as an option as it then becomes the default OS automatically. Note that when first going to dual boot Vista with an earlier version like XP the system restore points are lost. A work around is then used to preserve those as seen at http://vistasupport.mvps.org/preven...ng_lost_when_dual_booting_with_windows_xp.htm

When going to install Vista on a previously XP drive instead of seeing the Windows, DocumentsandSettings, and Program Files directories totally deleted off of the drive Vista now rolls those up into a "Windows.old" folder where you can retrieve anything you want to save out it before seeing that manually deleted by you.

When installing Windows remember to set that as the default boot device once the setup files have been copied to it during the installation. The first drive especially and ide drive detected by the installer will see the boot files and information go there even if you are trying to see Vista go on a different drive and even a sata model.

If the new drive is sata and the old HP is ide you would wait until the new drive is OSed and up and running first to later slave that for copying non OS files(you don't copy the entire Windows directory but simply any background image and wav files other then what comes with Windows itself. Personal files under your user name in the "docs+settings" folder are manually copied as well as game saves not game folders! All games and programs will need to be installed fresh if they can on the newer version or when dual booting XP later.
 
This is so complicated to me. I never thought it would be such a struggle to build a new computer and get it running.....
 
Like XP before it Vista includes a hardware profile process for product activation. Once you make a large change you usually end up seeing Windows reinstalled anyways to see the old drivers for the other board removed as well as a fresh profile and registry as well.

You are usually better off that way while the option for performing a repair install is another thing to look at. One thread found on a Vista forum is the only place found so far for seeing this done. No MS MVPs have written any blogs or artiles found to date yet. http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html
 
Thanks for the info. The board should come tomorrow, and if everything goes well I'll have it running (attempt to) by Thursday.
 
Hopefully that will be a good strong board and work out for you there. Generally Asus boards have been great but I've seen a few ones at times. Vista now sees an automatic process for activation unless you uncheck that option when performing a clean install or repair.

When going to install certain older programs if you end up seeing a fresh copy of Windows go on the installation will halt if the software is written for XP only or simply not supported in Vista. A few performance tweaks are decribed for the new version at http://www.connectedinternet.co.uk/2007/10/19/10-simple-ways-to-speed-up-windows-vista/
 
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