hard drive swap?

Question

i have a 120 gb hard drive in a pentium 3,i dont want to loose all my data,so can i take it out and put it in my new athlon
the questions are a)is this possible 2)will it work ok and will it boot up alright
i am using windows xp pro sp2
or will it be best to do a fresh windows install?

Answer 1

IT WILL NOT WORK!

don't listen to these jokers. if you change the chipset at all, windows flips out and doesn't wanna boot. there is a list of things you can do before you take out the other motherboard so that it has to re-learn all the hardware. but i understand that if you had a motherboard crash, the only way to get it on there is to do an UPGRADE to windows XP, because that's the only way it'll re-detect the hardware if your motherboard crashed. this site has some helpful tips:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

Answer 2

There should be no fundamenatl problems in doing what you want. The only real issue is to install the new motherboard & ancillary equipments drivers, which can be a bit of a pain. Make sure you have as many drivers as orginally supplied as possible for things like your video card, preferably on CD or floppy.

as a precaution back up ALL sensitive data before doing anything.
take copies of your internet settings (account password etc)

install your new hardware, then when it comes to booting up the new computer configuration hold down the f8 key to ensure a 'safe mode startup - thios excludes most non critical devices (and the ones most likely to fail, and uses a basic VGA screen resolution. apply any driver changes as requried then boot as normal. it may take several cucles after that before Xo reconizes all the equipment in your PC.

Answer 3

Assuming there is merely one hardcontinual in each and each and every pc, sure the hardcontinual includes the OS. The hardcontinual also includes each and each and every of the drivers for each and each and every of the hardware on the pc, so if the pcs aren't any further same you're likely to have countless difficulty. you've gotten to uninstall each and each and every of the former drivers and procure and set up each and each and every of the recent ones. Drivers are the making use of that controls the hardware, btw. If the chip set andcontinual controller hardware are not an identical it gained't artwork to regulate them, quite if the older (Win98?) pc makes use of an IDE interface and the more recent (XP?) makes use of SATA. in reality it is totally likely that you gained't also be able to plug your more recent machines hardcontinual into the Win98's motherboard because they did no longer have SATA lower back in Win98's days and it is conceivable that the XP'scontinual is SATA. XP makes use of a element said as homestead windows Product Activation, which will locate the substitute in hardware from one pc to the subsequent and refuse to run without reactivation. as well to all that, it is also very likely that the older pc merely wouldn't have the hardware had to run the XP operating equipment. it is also rather likely that you isn't waiting to get each and each and every of the mandatory drivers because the hardware is so previous and drivers may no longer be accessible for XP. If it does boot it is going to under no circumstances artwork properly. i does no longer even attempt it, it is not any longer no longer conceivable to do even if that is so unlikely that it is not any longer properly easily worth the attempt. if you aren't any further an expert on pc restore you aren't any further going to be triumphant. when you're an expert it is nonetheless most unlikely that you will be triumphant. even if you do be triumphant the pc will be so sluggish it will be unusable. So the quick answer is not any, it gained't artwork.

Answer 4

It will work fine as long as it is connected properly. However you need to first start in safe mode and uninstall all your drivers. Then start normally and install the new drivers

Answer 5

simply put it will not work
you will have to install windows again
before you do back everthing you want to keep docs photos etc

Answer 6

i doubt it
as watsy say, maybe in safe mode and dump all drivers
p3 to amd everythings difference.
if u can, fresh install, its allways better.

Answer 7

it should work fine, you may need to reactivate windows though.