Swap HDD's in XP

[Kc2iLq]

OK, so I got my new system all set up except for the new HDD. Right now, it has a caviar 33100 in it, which is just over 3 gigs. I'm installing XP and all the drivers and such. I was planning on making a backup of the entire HDD before I install anything so I could just swap the old drive with the new one and dump the backup onto the new drive. Then, I remembered that WinXP freaks out if you change around the hardware too much. So, do you think that I'll have a problem with switching it?

Thanks in advance.

-Kc2iLq

[osprey4]

I suggest just reinstall onto the other drive. Or are you talking about activation?

XP is too darn smart for it's own good.

[Kc2iLq]

I'm talking about making a backup from one drive and putting it on a new drive, with all the other hardware components the same. I'm not worried about reactivation, but rather the slight change in the hardware profile.

-Kc2iLq

[Steve R Jones]

Simple Windows backup isn't going to cut it. You'll need to get something like Norton Ghost. Or just start over with the install.

[Telexen]

If you have to reinstall it totally on your new drive, just take it off the old system and install it on the new...you MAY have to call Microsoft to be able to activate it, but it's not a huge hassle.

[Kc2iLq]

Steve- I wasn't planning on using the windows backup thing. I was going to make a complete drive image.

Telexen- I'm sure that I won't have any problem with activation, because there is none. This is a corporate copy (yes, I did purchase it for my company) so there is no activation.

-Kc2iLq

[jmebonner]

My experience w/ Ghost was not a good one. I ghosted everything to another drive, then made it the primary and everything bonked on me...I didn't change any hardware aside from the obvious hdd change, I hope you have better luck, though!

[Kc2iLq]

I just found an article that explains how the hardware configuration works:

<What is significant?
In a PC that has a network card (used for corporate networks, home networks, cable modems, and DSL connections, for example), a significant difference in hardware configuration is:
changing the network card
leaving the network card alone and changing about six other components
In a PC without a network card...

changing three components
Also, OEM vendors selling pre-installed Windows XP systems will have the numeric code tied only to the BIOS of the motherboard. Swapping the motherboard with one from a different vendor will generate a significant discrepancy and require a reinstallation. Changing the motherboard is a common practice with engineers, corporate IS departments, and technically-adept home users..>

http://www.dgl.com/itinfo/2001/it010903.html

I'm not sure if this information is actually correct, but it sheds some light onto the situation.

-Kc2iLq