What procedures needed if I change Motherboard and CPU?

[patrick99]

Currently I have a computer. Then I get a new set of motherboard, CPU, Display Card, RAM, Sound Card, LAN card, but NO Harddisk. The motherboard model is exactly the same as my current one. The CPU is 933 while mine is 800. Others are all different.

Now I want to install my harddisk into the newer set. Does my WinXP can recognize the hardware automatically and no need to do anything so as to startup computer normally? Or I need to do some procedures?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bcastner]

Backup your data.
Do a clean install, spend time at Windows Update and reactivate.

You are going to fail the "substantially the same" test with the changes you are making:

http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

 

[patrick99]

Is it possible for the following procedures?

1. Allocate a blank partition in my current harddisk.
2. Install the harddisk into the new set.
3. Use XP CD to boot the system and install XP in the blank partition.
4. Copy my useful things from the other partitions to the newly installed XP partition.
5. Format the old partitions for further use.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bcastner]

If the underlying point is whether you can preserve installed software, the answer is no.

For data, it would work. Be sure that you remember that you will have to assert ownership on the older folders:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421

 

[dakota81]

The only real critical thing to doing what you're asking is to be careful about the ide controller.

You say you are replacing with the same motherboard model, then you will be absolutely fine hooking up the harddrive to the new hardware.

If you were getting a different model motherboard that has a different ide controller, you would have to remove all ide drivers while running on the old hardware before switching, then you would be fine, Windows takes care of the rest.

And of course, you will have to reactivate Windows when hooking up the new equipment.