How to reinstall windows in a new system?

[zizo]

So I'm going from my old system (below) to the new one, but I don't want to go through the hassle of reinstalling all the programs. I heard there is trick that you can start reinstalling windows in the old system and when it restarts, unplug the old system and put the hard drive in the new one and follow the installation. Is there anything else that I should know about this?
Thank you for your help in advance!

 

[Varun]

If you are keeping your hard drive just put it in the new system. Windows will find your hardware and you will be fine.

 

[gwag]

Originally posted by: Varun
If you are keeping your hard drive just put it in the new system. Windows will find your hardware and you will be fine.

Maybe but not to likely...

 

[Varun]

Originally posted by: gwag

Originally posted by: Varun
If you are keeping your hard drive just put it in the new system. Windows will find your hardware and you will be fine.

Maybe but not to likely...

BS have you ever tried it? Maybe try it before you comment. It works all the time.

 

[fartbag]

I didn't think you could do it either but:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;nl;314070

Forgive the pig latin, the important stuff is in engrish.

 

[Brazen]

Originally posted by: Varun

Originally posted by: gwag

Originally posted by: Varun
If you are keeping your hard drive just put it in the new system. Windows will find your hardware and you will be fine.

Maybe but not to likely...

BS have you ever tried it? Maybe try it before you comment. It works all the time.

Ironic that his forum is full of people who have tried this and it didn't work. The OP is right that there is some trick that makes things go smoother, but I think just running sysprep is enough.

 

[corkyg]

Go into Microsoft's KB and do some research on MIGRATION. That is what moving software from one machine to another is called - and there are software packages that make it easy. Trying to boot and load windows in a new machine quite often only results in a BSOD. Too much new hardware too fast. It usually can't cope - and can often require re-activation.

 

[gwag]

Originally posted by: Varun

Originally posted by: gwag

Originally posted by: Varun
If you are keeping your hard drive just put it in the new system. Windows will find your hardware and you will be fine.

Maybe but not to likely...

BS have you ever tried it? Maybe try it before you comment. It works all the time.

done it lots of times and it never works unless I use system prep, back in the day or on older OS's this has worked for me but not with XP, not saying it never works but if the hardware is not close to the same it doesn't seem to work. thats why I said maybe but not likely.

 

[zizo]

Originally posted by: corkyg
Go into Microsoft's KB and do some research on MIGRATION. That is what moving software from one machine to another is called - and there are software packages that make it easy. Trying to boot and load windows in a new machine quite often only results in a BSOD. Too much new hardware too fast. It usually can't cope - and can often require re-activation.

That is exactly what happened when I moved my hard drive from my old intel 2.8 to my athlon system. I ended up reinstalling windows and all the programs.

So back to my first post. Can I start reinstalling windwos in the old system and finish it in the new one?

 

[Brazen]

Ok, two people have told you to use sysprep, and one person said you'll find instruction in the Microsoft KB. So before you ask the same question over again, have you looked through the KB, or have you tried using sysprep?

 

[zizo]

Thank you a lot! I'll try sysprep! :thumbsup:

 

[Swampster]

Sysprep will work, but I have found a method that seems to be a lot smoother with less leftovers from the original HAL.

Mirror your original HDD to the new HDD.

Boot the new computer to your original (or slipstreamed) install CD. (make sure your BIOS is set to boot from the CD first)

When it gets to the screen that says Install or Repair, hit <enter> just like you were doing a new installation.

The next screen is the EULA, and you hit F8 to accept it.

The following screen makes note of the fact that you already have an operating system installed, and do you want to Repair it or install a fresh copy. Hit "R" to select the Repair option and what you have will be the same thing as if you had done a fresh install in that you get a new HAL will all the new hardware recognized PLUS all your old programs and settings are intact.

NOTE 1: AVG Free AntiVirus will have to be repaired, as it doesn't like this method.
NOTE 2: You will need to do all your Microsoft updates again, but this is MUCH easier than doing a fresh install of all your old software.

 

[zizo]

Originally posted by: Swampster
Sysprep will work, but I have found a method that seems to be a lot smoother with less leftovers from the original HAL.

Mirror your original HDD to the new HDD.

Boot the new computer to your original (or slipstreamed) install CD. (make sure your BIOS is set to boot from the CD first)

When it gets to the screen that says Install or Repair, hit <enter> just like you were doing a new installation.

The next screen is the EULA, and you hit F8 to accept it.

The following screen makes note of the fact that you already have an operating system installed, and do you want to Repair it or install a fresh copy. Hit "R" to select the Repair option and what you have will be the same thing as if you had done a fresh install in that you get a new HAL will all the new hardware recognized PLUS all your old programs and settings are intact.

NOTE 1: AVG Free AntiVirus will have to be repaired, as it doesn't like this method.
NOTE 2: You will need to do all your Microsoft updates again, but this is MUCH easier than doing a fresh install of all your old software.

tnx a bunch! I'll get my cpu next week and try this one first because I wan to get rid of old drives without reinstalling all my programs. :thumbsup:

 

[SingleAction]

I have a related question?

Will this method work for swapping cpu's? Windows repair.

I built this system with a single core Celeron, and will be installing a dual core Conroe next week, and would like it if I didn't have to do a complete install.

The cpu will be the only hardware change.

btw, what is EULA?

 

[networkman]

Originally posted by: SingleAction
btw, what is EULA?

End User License Agreement.

 

[RebateMonger]

I've had good luck migrating XP and Server 2003 by doing a "Repair Install" of the OS. You can find instructions on how to do thiis on Microsoft's Support site.

Note that a Repair Install may not work properly. As always, be sure you have separate backups of any important data. Additionally, you will have licensing issues if you have an OEM version of XP.

 

[SingleAction]

Thank you both for the fast response!

I have 2 more questions:

#1, If I do the "repair", in the beginning, during setup, when it asks you if you have 3rd party drivers to install, push f6, do I have to reinstall my raid controller drivers again, or just ignore it?

#2 What would happen, if I just replace the cpu, after flashing the bios to update it for the Conroe, and reset the cmos by removing the battery and changing the jumper, as per the manual, will the current os install work at all?

Someone on another forum, said that windows would most likely not support both cores of the Conroe, with the current install, considering that the initial install was with a single core cpu!

I've built systems before, but this is going over my head!

I guess that I have nothing to lose, and if it doesn't work, just bite the bullet, and do a new install.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: SingleAction
#1, If I do the "repair", in the beginning, during setup, when it asks you if you have 3rd party drivers to install, push f6, do I have to reinstall my raid controller drivers again, or just ignore it?

You'll find out soon enough if you try it without adding the RAID drivers. If the XP Install CD can't find your hard drive array, then you'll know you need the drivers.

 

[SingleAction]

Rebate, I'm sorry I didn't clarify the situation, I don't have an array set up now, and only have but 1 sata drive, but plan to set this up in the near future, and was told to install the controller driver with the f6 option at the beginning of the install, because it couldn't be added later.

So does the repair do away with the raid controller drivers, or just ignore the promp to push and reinstall them with the floppy.

Sorry for all the questions, but I want to do this right! BTW, the FedEx man was just here with my Core 2 Duo, will try to do this in the next day or so.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Brazen]

If setup detects your harddrive, then you are good to go. If you want to set up a raid array later, you can update the drivers once Windows is installed, you just need to be sure to do it before you set up the array.

 

[SingleAction]

Brazen;

Once again, I'm a little confused by:"If you want to set up a raid array later, you can update the drivers once Windows is installed, you just need to be sure to do it before you set up the array".

I'm going to try a 'repair", and when I did this in the past, it asked in the beginning, if you wanted to install third party drivers. Do you know if doing this repair will delete the current raid controller driver already installed if I ignore the f6 prompt? Because I was under the impression that in a new install, if you didn't install the drivers via f6 in the beginning from a floppy, then you were sol, later on

 

[GreenMonkey]

I've successfully done this in the past a few times. My wife hates it when I kill her Windows install. Last time I just popped out the old hard drive from her old KT133/Athlon 1.1ghz and plopped it into the new KT333/ 1800+ system. No problems.

Of course I kept the video card ATI...so no troubles there.

Windows went nuts for about 20 minutes installing new software. After a few reboots everything was fine. She still uses it.

I did the same thing with my system briefly as well. From the Via KT333 board to the NF3 board. Worked fine. I didn't trust it, though, and eventually wiped it and started over fresh (besides, I was concerned about performance).

I've heard recommendations that you remove all the devices from device manager before shutting it down and transferring the drive, but I didn't find it necessary.

This would have never worked in the Win98 days. It would have been IRQ conflict hell and BOSD galore. XP handles it just fine. You'll end up with that activation crap, though, be prepared.

 

[SingleAction]

Update!

This morning I made the switch.

First, flashed the bios, cleared the cmos, switched the cpu's, and booted into XP.

A miracle happened! XP said I had new hardware, and was installing the drivers, and I had to reboot for it to take effect!

That was it! No re-install, no repair install, nada. It works perfect. CPU-Z, sees the cpu with it 's dual cores.

 

[zizo]

Originally posted by: SingleAction
Update!

This morning I made the switch.

First, flashed the bios, cleared the cmos, switched the cpu's, and booted into XP.

A miracle happened! XP said I had new hardware, and was installing the drivers, and I had to reboot for it to take effect!

That was it! No re-install, no repair install, nada. It works perfect. CPU-Z, sees the cpu with it 's dual cores.

Dude you just needed a dual core support. That's it. A miracle would be if I swap my hard drive from Athlon 64 systesm to an Intel system and windows can boot.

 

[SingleAction]

zizo;

How did it work out for you using your old hdd in your new computer?

Yes, the dual core support in XP-Pro, is very nice, but I went thru all this agony, and asking questions, not the same as your problem, but similar, and was told, that I would have to do some type "of do it over again", install!

All I'm saying, is that it would of have been nice to know, that XP had this capability, at the time I asked the questions! So you see, for me, it was a minor miracle!

I quess you live and learn!