after installing a new hard drive, can you only install win xp, or do you have to use the pc recovery disks?

Answer 1

yes you can install xp

Answer 2

Yes, you can use the XP recovery disks to restore your system onto a new hard drive. Or, you can do a fresh install, which is a lot more work. It's your call as to which to do.

If the old drive was replaced because it was bad, then the above are your options. However, if you installed a new drive because you wanted a larger one, you have a third option; perform a disk-to-disk copy. Keep both drives in the system and use the drive tools that came with the drive to copy the entire contents onto the new one. Follow the instructions that came with the drive for doing this.

Answer 3

It is usually easiest to use the recovery disc that came with your computer because it will have all the necessary drivers to get your hardware running. If you have a Windows XP installation disc (Home Edition, Professional Edition, or Media Center Edition) you should be able to install windows XP just fine by entering the CD. Sometimes you have to adjust the bios settings by holding down 'delete' or 'F9' to get the computer to read from the CD right off.

Generally Windows XP installation discs have all the necessary drivers to get your computer up and running, but then it is strongly recommended that you connect to the internet to get your computer up to date as soon as possible by running 'Windows Update' located in the 'Start' menu.

You do have the option of installing other operating systems such as Linux, but incase you were wondering you cannot install the Macintosh Operating System OS X because it checks for certain hardware signatures to prevent it from running on other types of hardware.

In short the answer is 'no, installing windows xp is not your only option after installing a new hard drive' but its your best bet.

Answer 4

you can install windows xp os with a regular windows xp cd. you don't have to use any recovery disk. When you install the Windows xp on the system its like starting over new, so your going to have to install the drives for the system. If your just adding a new hard drive to your system for more storage you don't have to install a new Windows installation

Answer 5

the 1st 2 solutions are incorrect. XP does have sata drivers the priority you're experiencing is this xp is NTFS.4 Vista. NTFS.5 W7 is NTFS.6 counting on which way you examine variations no's besides w7 sees .6,.5,.4 vista sees .5,.4 xp in simple terms sees .4 so you might XP the tension is clean, or a minimum of thoroughly void of any NTFS.4 partitions. to place in any working gadget you will desire to constantly with out reservation use the placing up disk to create the partition for the working gadget to be put in directly to. Delete all partitions and create your C: utilising the XP disk first stable success

Answer 6

install XP first that will setup your new hard drive then use the recovery disk to install the other software that came with the computer that is if you still use that software

make sure that the computer starts from cd boot up first if it is not set up to boot from the cd it will come up can't find system disk

Answer 7

No, you still need the recovery disks as it has all the hardware driver in it. Unless you want to install it manual by yourself through the website.

Answer 8

either will work. recovery disks install a "template" system. windows disks install a generic system. the template system may contain drivers specific to hardware etc which windows may not contain.

Answer 9

You have to reinstall windows (a fresh copy)
You can install any OS you wish, or create a partition and install 2.

Answer 10

Since your hardrive is empty you have nothing to recover.
You must install it again, unless you still have your old hardrive connected.