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Swapping computers ??


vbrad511
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I've got a Gateway I'd like to phase out, and replace with another Gateway ( a bit newer, bigger CPU, etc), but I don't want to lose everything on my hard drive when i swap. I installed a larger drive in the new computer yesterday, loaded XP, loaded Norton, then slaved my wanted hard drive in and used Ghost to make a clone in the new system. The machine wouldn't boot. Put the original drive back in it's machine, all's fine. The question;

If I use my original computer to DL the drivers for the new machine, then slave the drive in and Ghost it again, should it work? Will the mix of drivers make my original drive (or computer) freak out?

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When you used Ghost to clone the old hard drive into the new system, it just copied it exactly and probably deleted the other XP.

 

Windows will always (99% of the time) spaz when you move the windows install to a different system, the chipsets are probably very different being a new computer and all.

 

The easiest and most reliable way to make your new machine use your old stuff is install XP fresh, install all your programs fresh, and just copy the data (files, NOT programs) to your new machine.

 

It IS possible to preload all the new drivers for the new machine and then have it try and boot, but the chances of that are very very slim. Even then, you are using an old install of Windows, which has probably been corrupted and sabatoged over time, it for sure will not be as fast as a fresh install. There is also the probability of it not being able to take advantage of the newer faster hardware.

 

Are you getting a BSOD right when XP goes to boot??

 

-Robert

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Here's how XP installation work

 

When you install an OS, that installation installs itself onto the hardrive with that motherboard, processor chipset etc, onto the HD. You change the chipset, it wont work. Basically you have the have the exact same mobo/chipset - and might get away with some that are slightly different. Any difference of a few years and you're SOL

 

What sort of files? If its things like music, photos, and saved documents, I would just hook it up as iether A) a secondary slave or B) into an external USB drive.

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No BSOD, just starts to boot, goes to the Gateway welcome screen, then restarts. Last night I wiped the new drive completely, and today reinstalled XP on it. It is much faster than my current computer, but it's not loaded with anything else yet. I may try to install the drivers for the new system while it's still here, then clone again to yet a different drive and see if that makes it happen. If so,,,good. If not,,,I'll still have the fresh XP install to copy things to.

Thanks. I'll keep you all posted

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No BSOD, just starts to boot, goes to the Gateway welcome screen, then restarts. Last night I wiped the new drive completely, and today reinstalled XP on it. It is much faster than my current computer, but it's not loaded with anything else yet. I may try to install the drivers for the new system while it's still here, then clone again to yet a different drive and see if that makes it happen. If so,,,good. If not,,,I'll still have the fresh XP install to copy things to.

Thanks. I'll keep you all posted

 

Hehe... your computer is REALLY fast... it reboots as it displays the BSOD.

 

-Robert

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lol yup

 

you'll have to go into the BIOS I want to say ( I'm a bit fuzzy ) and turn off the automatic reboot upon error

 

It's not a BIOS error, it's a Windows error... and he's not going to make into windows to change that, unless it's on the old machine.

 

-Robert

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Update !!! I'm screwed !!! My primary drive is a WD 40 gig. I had been working witha WD 80 gig, but once I got XP up and running on the new machine I didn't want to mess with it, in case the clone didn't take, so this last time I formatted a Maxtor 80 gig drive, and set Ghost Clone to run and copy my functioning 40 gig. She ran briefly, then went to a blank screen and won't recognize the operating system on the 40 gig drive. I have no idea what to do now. I'm running on what was to be my new machine with the WD 80 gig, but I've lost all my favorites, most of my contact info, etc. I was able to slave it into this computer and locate my music, pics, docs, and programs,,,,and copy them, but still no OS. I tried using the XP disc to run the repair on it, but it wants the administrator's password. I never set up a password on any of my machines, so??????? Now I'm lost. I'm formatting and installing XP on the Maxtor drive in the old machine, hoping to figure something out on the fly...

 

Suggestions???? :hangman:

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