Re: Transfer Windows XP home

Tech-Archive recommends: Speed Up your PC by fixing your registry

From: Alex Nichol (alexn.mvpdts_at_ntlworld.delete.com)
Date: 01/23/05 

Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2005 12:22:29 +0000

"Antony Andrews" <Antony Andrews@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I have just built my own computer and i have XP Home installed on my old
>computer, i was wandering if i can just remove the hard drive an put it in
>the new computer, or do i have 2 wipe everything of the hard drive and
>reinstall xp and then re-activate it?

Depends. If it is an OEM version (eg that came installed on the old
machine) you are not entitled to transfer it at all; it is licensed
solely to that machine.

If it is a retail version, What I would do is plug the HD in as master ,
then boot the CD and do a 'Repair Installation' in the Setup (after the
license agreement). That will still need an activation by phone, but a
few minutes on that is less than the time spent reinstalling all
software after a clean install 

-- 
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K.  Alexn@mvps.D8E8L.org (remove the D8 bit)