I had an HP laptop that had a fried motherboard and I had sold that one for parts. I kept the hard drive to retrieve my stuff on it. Recently someone gave me an HP laptop that the hard drive was damaged in. The hard drive mounts up fine and I was wondering if there was a way to boot up off this hard drive without having to buy a new operating system. I mounted it and had no luck. I was just wondering if this was even possible and if so what i might do to make it work. I believe the computer had Vista and the HD has XP. I know it's obsolete but we were just looking for a spare laptop. Thanks for any help.
Possible to boot Windows after HD swap with Windows already installed on the new HD?
- Thread starter scott77c3
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Welcome to CF!
When windows is installed, it creates a hash value based off the motherboard in the machine. If, when booting, the motherboard doesn't match the hash value originally created, then windows (as you have seen) will not boot. You will need to get a new copy of Windows OR you can download an Ubuntu Live CD. This will allow you to boot into Ubuntu and retrieve your files. You will need to mount the drive in Ubuntu and then copy them to an external drive. If you want to explore this avenue, just let us know and someone can point you in the right direction on how to mount drives, etc.
Your other option would be to purchase another copy of Windows, preferably Windows 7 as XP isn't sold anymore and Vista is garbage. When you install 7 it will recognize that there's another copy of Windows on the drive and move all the files into a Windows.old folder so you can retrieve them.
Hope this helps
When windows is installed, it creates a hash value based off the motherboard in the machine. If, when booting, the motherboard doesn't match the hash value originally created, then windows (as you have seen) will not boot. You will need to get a new copy of Windows OR you can download an Ubuntu Live CD. This will allow you to boot into Ubuntu and retrieve your files. You will need to mount the drive in Ubuntu and then copy them to an external drive. If you want to explore this avenue, just let us know and someone can point you in the right direction on how to mount drives, etc.
Your other option would be to purchase another copy of Windows, preferably Windows 7 as XP isn't sold anymore and Vista is garbage. When you install 7 it will recognize that there's another copy of Windows on the drive and move all the files into a Windows.old folder so you can retrieve them.
Hope this helps
The only way swapping out a hard drive like that would work is if the hardware was exactly the same (same model laptop, in this case). Otherwise the OS would have to be reinstalled in order to run on the new hardware. I doubt that the repair option would work in this case. If you just don't want to pay the money for a new OS, why not consider running some flavor of Linux on it? $0...
foothead
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You could always use the license off the bottom of the computer to reinstall the OS it came with. Call the manufacturer and they will most likely send you an install disc.
Thanks for the quick replys. I was more looking to go with the windows rout vs linux. Just looking for a spare for the family to play around on. I have a friend that has a full installation CD for the same copy of Vista that was on the computer. If I have the original product key can I install and use it?
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