Moving Hard Drive with XP installed

[LTOwnalot]

I posted recently about how a friend's PC is having issues booting the XP CD from CD ROM so here's the question:

If I reformat and install XP (Retail version, not OEM) by putting it into my own computer, which i know for sure i can boot the XP CD without any problem, and then move it back to the original box, would that cause any issues?

A friend of mine told me that he moved his HDD into another box once and the HDD wouldn't boot in the new comp, I thought that maybe it was because it's an OEM version of XP, but would still like some confirmation for people with more knowledge in this area.

Would the same thing happen to something like my current situation?

Thanks in advance

 

[chusteczka]

[*]Swapping a hard drive, with the system files ( C: ), from one system to another[/u]
Swapping a hard drive with the operating system files on it, from one system to another is similar to changing a motherboard in one system. The hard drive with operating system files and motherboard must communicate through drivers and if either the operating system hard drive or motherboard are changed, then the drivers must be updated. There are different ideas on how to update these drivers for the operating system and these ideas include:

• Clean Installation
• Repair Installation
• Use of Sysprep (more than one system)
• Standard PCI IDE Controller trick (only one system)
  
  • Helping Windows Survive a Motherboard Upgrade
  • How to: Upgrade your motherboard without reinstalling Windows.
  • "Standard PCI IDE Controller" trick
    • Put the HDD in the old machine, change the HDD controller to "Standard PCI IDE Controller", and then immediately shut the PC down and move it to the new PC. As long as the HAL is the same, the PC will boot. Be ready with driver CDs or floppies, and you're all set. (written by dclive)
  • Google: How to Move a Windows XP Installation to Different Hardware
  • How to force a Hardware Abstraction Layer during an upgrade or an installation of Windows XP
  • Microsoft Support: How to Move a Windows XP Installation to Different Hardware
  • How to use the Sysprep tool to automate successful deployment of Windows XP
  • Windows XP Setup - Missing HAL.DLL
  • Microsoft: HAL Compatibility List

[*]Windows Repair Install[/u]

• Microsoft Support: How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
• Michael Stevens: How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install

 

[Geiser34]

Originally posted by: chusteczka
[*]Swapping a hard drive, with the system files ( C: ), from one system to another[/u]
Swapping a hard drive with the operating system files on it, from one system to another is similar to changing a motherboard in one system. The hard drive with operating system files and motherboard must communicate through drivers and if either the operating system hard drive or motherboard are changed, then the drivers must be updated. There are different ideas on how to update these drivers for the operating system and these ideas include:

• Clean Installation
• Repair Installation
• Use of Sysprep (more than one system)
• Standard PCI IDE Controller trick (only one system)
  
  • Helping Windows Survive a Motherboard Upgrade
  • How to: Upgrade your motherboard without reinstalling Windows.
  • "Standard PCI IDE Controller" trick
    • Put the HDD in the old machine, change the HDD controller to "Standard PCI IDE Controller", and then immediately shut the PC down and move it to the new PC. As long as the HAL is the same, the PC will boot. Be ready with driver CDs or floppies, and you're all set. (written by dclive)
  • Google: How to Move a Windows XP Installation to Different Hardware
  • How to force a Hardware Abstraction Layer during an upgrade or an installation of Windows XP
  • Microsoft Support: How to Move a Windows XP Installation to Different Hardware
  • How to use the Sysprep tool to automate successful deployment of Windows XP
  • Windows XP Setup - Missing HAL.DLL
  • Microsoft: HAL Compatibility List

[*]Windows Repair Install[/u]

• Microsoft Support: How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
• Michael Stevens: How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install

• 
  
  :thumbsup:

 

[LTOwnalot]

Thanks guys!

Where would I go to for the Standard PCI IDE Controller trick? Device manager?

 

[chusteczka]

change the HDD controller to "Standard PCI IDE Controller"

I have never done this part. It was written by dclive about a year ago.
I interpret this statement to uninstall the driver for the hard drive and allow the operating system to switch to the generic WinXP driver. It is necessary to shut down the system immediately after the generic driver takes control of the hard drive since the operating system will attempt to find and install the correct driver. You would want to remove the drive and install it in the new system before the correct driver is reinstalled by the operating system.

The driver can be uninstalled and checked in the Device Manager.
Right-click My Computer | select Properties | select Hardware Tab | select Device Manager

 

[LTOwnalot]

thanks, dclive gave me precise instruction about how to do this

To quote dclive:
"Go into DM, pick your IDE controller (the top one, over the pri/sec choices), select Update, and pick the standard IDE choice when presented in the lists. (Select all the bottom 'non-automatic' options to get there.)

Ghost or make other image-based backups first. "

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: chusteczka

change the HDD controller to "Standard PCI IDE Controller"

I have never done this part. It was written by dclive about a year ago.
I interpret this statement to uninstall the driver for the hard drive and allow the operating system to switch to the generic WinXP driver. It is necessary to shut down the system immediately after the generic driver takes control of the hard drive since the operating system will attempt to find and install the correct driver. You would want to remove the drive and install it in the new system before the correct driver is reinstalled by the operating system.

The driver can be uninstalled and checked in the Device Manager.
Right-click My Computer | select Properties | select Hardware Tab | select Device Manager

You don't want to uninstall without putting at least the standard pci ide controller in its' place, or you can put your PC into an unbootable situation. Last Known Good should save you, but it might be unsettling.

 

[chusteczka]

Originally posted by: dclive

Originally posted by: chusteczka

change the HDD controller to "Standard PCI IDE Controller"

I have never done this part. It was written by dclive about a year ago.
I interpret this statement to uninstall the driver for the hard drive and allow the operating system to switch to the generic WinXP driver. It is necessary to shut down the system immediately after the generic driver takes control of the hard drive since the operating system will attempt to find and install the correct driver. You would want to remove the drive and install it in the new system before the correct driver is reinstalled by the operating system.

The driver can be uninstalled and checked in the Device Manager.
Right-click My Computer | select Properties | select Hardware Tab | select Device Manager

You don't want to uninstall without putting at least the standard pci ide controller in its' place, or you can put your PC into an unbootable situation. Last Known Good should save you, but it might be unsettling.

Thank you very much for the correction. :sun: