Need help with moving a hard drive from one pc to another and booting off the installed OS

[BD2003]

Ok, my motherboard just decided to die this morning.

I have another spare PC, with vastly different hardware.

I really, really need to get to the OS on the main PC. Not just the data, but I need to actually be able to run to programs. Primiarly microsoft office and opera. I cant go without the sorting rules and specific settings on them now. I place the main hard drive from the main pc in the spare, but its a secondary drive.

So is there either a way to

1) Migrate ALL the settings and data from office with only access to the saved data on the secondary hard drive? Pretty sure its possible in opera, not so sure about office, since it relies on the registry and documents folder to a large degree.

2) Just straight boot the spare PC off the main drive, have it detect all the hardware, and then magically work? Then hopefully, swap back when I get the original pc up and running again?

 

[mechBgon]

What OS are we talking about, is it WinXP, 2000, ME, 98?

The other option, of course, is to buy a new motherboard that's the same model as the old one. What brand/model was it, incidentally?

 

[BD2003]

Its winxp. The spare is also currently running xp, so I know it will detect every last bit of hardware perfectly.

I plan on RMAing the mobo as soon as possible. I dont want to spend the extra money just to buy the mobo, when I have a perfectly good spare that is just a matter of fiddling with the keep things going.

This is just meant to be a temporary solution.

 

[mechBgon]

Ok, my suggestion is to start by plunking the drive into a working system and rescue all important data files off of it (don't forget that precious Favorites folder ). Now put it into its temporary home, and start WinXP setup from the WinXP CD-ROM.

It'll ask if you want to do a Repair or a fresh install. The first time it asks, say "fresh install." It will get its stuff unpacked and look at the hard drive and go HEY, there's a Windows installation, should I repair it? and now you say ~ sure, go for it and it will basically install over the old WinXP but will adopt the installed programs. Or so we hope. This generally works as a get-me-by, so give that a whirl.

Be aware that the Windows installation will be "raw" and not patched, so don't connect it to the network cable until you've got ZoneAlarm onto it and preferably your antivirus software too, so that it doesn't immediately succumb to the Sasser worm when the network driver is loaded. If you're behind a router, then you're ok.

 

[BD2003]

Hmm...

Just what would be the consequences of just plain booting it? Why shouldnt it just detect the hardware, and then restart? It shouldnt load drivers for devices it cant find.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: BD2003
Hmm...

Just what would be the consequences of just plain booting it? Why shouldnt it just detect the hardware, and then restart? It shouldnt load drivers for devices it cant find.

Unless the drive controller is similar (e.g. replacing an nForce board with nForce2, or i865 with i875), you'll probably get an infinite cycle of failed boot attempts.