Replacing OS hard drive

Tonyosis

Baseband Member
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usa
My HD crashed (Windows XP on a 7-year old computer). I have an almost new 1TB Western Digital HD (empty, but partitioned into 3), and another, newer desktop running Win7. I thought that I could just copy that desktop HD with its OS onto the Western Digital, plop it into the bad computer, and run with it. NOT. Now I understand (correct if wrong), I need special cloning software to do this (versus running out and buying Windows7). Okay, let's say this is the correct step. So the next question would be, after plugging the "cloned" HD into the bad computer, what are my next steps? I think I read somewhere something about entering the BIOS??? PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP. Also, is there going to be any problems running Win7 on a 7-year old computer? It currently has 2x 512MB DDR, and capable of up to two more for a total of 2GB. Pentium 4 running 800mHz. THANK YOU in advance.
 
Your old computers motherboard most likely will not supports a 1 TB hard drive.
 
Sorry to correct you, I actually had the Western Digital successfully installed without any problems in the older computer, as I was needing to expand my memory. So with that said, back to my questions and need for actual assistance?
 
Also, if I am supposed to be using a Cloning program, I have found many on the internet. Clonezilla instructions are not for the average person, I've looked at it and am immediately lost as to what to do, kind of stupid if this sort of thing is available to the general public? DriveImage XML states nothing about creating a "bootable" drive, just back ups, restores, and copying. There is XXClone that seems to be a promise? Am I barking up the right tree?
 
Are you talking about moving the Win7 desktop to the older XP desktop computer?

If so. That wont work. THere will be to many hardware changes for the OS to accept. A complete reinstall would be needed.

Now. If you are talking "Imaging" the XP. and put that image on the 1tb drive. Then back into the XP computer. Then it would work.
But yes. You need an Imaging or disk cloning program.
 
Again, my HP a350y has supported a 1TB HD, I had it in the computer for a few years and it worked fine as a back up. So, you are saying that there is no way to clone my Win7 from my new computer using cloning software and loading it onto my old computer, unless I BUY Win7. Am I understanding correctly? UNFORTUNATELY, the last working XP was on this old computer, and as the HD crashed, I guess I am needing to find somebody or some friend, still running XP, and clone their HD? Any other ideas?
 
You may not have to re-buy windows 7
And you still wont be able to clone somebody elses XP either. The hardware changes between the 2 computers will be to great and XP will not accept it.

Lets back up a bit.
You have 2 computers. One is windows 7 and works fine. One is XP with a bad hard drive.
You are wanting to put Windows 7 (Imaging the drive) on the old XP machine? Correct?

If so, There will be to many hardware changes for the windows OS to accept between machines. You will need to re-install the OS.
On your Win7 machine. Is there a Windows COA sticker on it? If there is you can use the Product code from that machine to re-install. So there will be no need to rebuy the OS

But....
Here's where you will have 2 choices. Re-install the operating system or you can "Reseal" the operating system. But this is not for the novice user.
 
Yes, you are correct. So essentially you are saying that my old computer is too old to accept Win7. Okay, I can accept that. So then I am faced with trying to install XP back onto my 1TB HD somehow. I'm not sure what a Windows "COA" sticker is, the only stickers on the case is the one on the back with the serial # and so forth. Maybe if I dug DEEP in my filing cabs I might find the original paperwork on the machine? But then, if I do find it, what would I do with it? And in what machine would I have the 1TB HD installed in to get the OS loaded?
 
Nope, I just looked in the most likely places, and cannot find any product codes or information on this old beast. Any ideas from anyone as to how I can reload the XP OS onto the relatively new HD and get things working again?
 
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