is it possible to switch brands without reformatting?

[hardass]

I want to try swapping a p4 system with an amd system. Is there a way to do this total reconfig without wiping out the hard drive?

Thanks

Nick

 

[John]

Assuming you use Windows XP - Perform a Repair Installation

 

[Laputa]

Backup it up first if you have a spare drive. Change the all the IDE controllers to standard IDE controllers and then do the platform swap or you may get BSODs or Reboots. Just reinstall the new drivers and you should be ready to jam with everything unchange. May have to re-activate the MS thing or Norton stuff if it isn't corporate ed.

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: Laputa
Backup it up first if you have a spare drive. Change the all the IDE controllers to standard IDE controllers and then do the platform swap or you may get BSODs or Reboots. Just reinstall the new drivers and you should be ready to jam with everything unchange. May have to re-activate the MS thing or Norton stuff if it isn't corporate ed.

What he said, but here is another way. Windows remembers....always remember that. So what do you do, to make it forget everything it knows about your hardware?

1. Back it up first, and be sure it's all good.
2. Your ENUM_Key, in registry, is where all references to your drivers are kept.
3. click run [regedit]
4. Once in the registry, search for the ENUM_ key.
5. Once found, delete that key and reboot.

All of your new hardware will be found, so be prepared with all of your driver disks.

*** Do not do any of the above, if you are, in any way unprepared, or get weak at the knees when things don't work out right. If you can handle the tweaking of your system, as well as the potential ramifications, then go for it. If not, stop now, and take it to a professional. ***

This advise was written for Win_98 users, so I cannot attest to the reliability of this method

 

[bjp999]

I used Acronis Universal Restore. It allows you to backup a computer and restore to another computer. Under the covers it may be doing what Compuwiz1 said, but it may do more. Not sure.

I took a computer I was about to retire, backed it up, and restored it to a VMware Virtual Machine. I can now "boot up" my old computer if I need to check how something was set up there. It was 100% painless. I DID have to reactiviate Windows AND Office.