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How to install Windows 8 as Virtualbox's (Virtual) Machine?

Can I install Windows XP on one machine then swap hd?

  • I have a windows full version install cd. Can I install Windows XP on one machine then swap the hard drive to another machine and expect it to work? if not How could i install windows xp on a hard drive to be used in another machine with a different make motherboard

  • Answer:

    Having done this many times: You can: install it on one computer and then swap hd (or set up one as a slave and install it on the slave drive) take a hd out of a current computer and put it in another one and boot up You cant: copy the files over to another drive and boot from it (all the files will transfer but when you trying booting from it, there will be no operating system) You have to put the disk in the drive and install it normally. Be careful: if you are switching it to a computer of differing brands (say dell and hp) you need to make sure be for u swap install all drivers from the corresponding brands website (for that particular model). if you fail to do the above some stuff may not work (like forgetting the LAN drivers will not let you be able to connect to the internet, or forgetting the graphics drivers will make it so that you can not pick any descent resolution (if your monitor works at all). Also: Many of the newer computers store there own drivers on a small hd embed into the motherboard (normally) if this is true the drivers should automatically up date. Check with the corresponding brand to see how to install them. PS: the mother board should not be the issue.. the lan card or the nic card or the gfx card sound card will be the issues, some times these are integrated into the motherboards PSS: Mavin's way will work too if u have the correct licensing, of course there are ways around that ;p

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I disagree with The Stranger. Once you install XP it makes a list of all hardware. Putting the drive into a different PC will fail.

WayneH

Yes, you can install windows in one machine then transfer the HDD into another pc. All the info is stored on the hard disk, so it will work. Just make sure you dont install any drivers when you first set up windows on your first machine cause it may interfere with the new drivers. Pop it into the other pc you want to use then install the needed motherboard and graphics drivers. edit: It wont fail. I did it myself. And millions of other people did as well. Even if you have more drivers installed the computer will almost always be able to tell which hardware is plugged in and use the correct drivers. If no drivers are installed it cannot list it in the computer management. Some thing such as a mouse or a keyboard will almost always be automatically found, and others such as a graphics card or a motherboard will req. drivers. Pay attention to the validation though. There are numerous ways of getting rid of it, but we are then talking piracy.

The Stranger

Assuming you have a license for all the machines you want to copy onto, you need to look at a free Microsoft tool called "sysprep". That is for copying windows installations to different machines. If you use sysprep correctly it will detect hardware changes when you first boot and will install proper drivers for the different hardware. If you don't have a license for the other machines then you are wasting your time trying this - because you need to validate the XP copy after it boots to the desktop.

Marvin

It depends on the two computers. Two computers the same brand etc yes, two computers different brands and ages maybe not.

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