Windows XP home question

[Spawn-Inc]

ok so i went out a got a cheap video card for my pc to use until i have enough for my 8800 ultra. i can take my brothers ram and this computers proc and finally get this thing running. but do i have to install windows fresh with this setup up or can i use a older harddrive and just install the new drivers and what not without having to format?

[Luke122]

You may be able to do it without a format or reinstall, I've done worse.

[xRyokenx]

You don't have to reinstall it, it'll adapt. I had to call up MS and go through an annoying process to reactivate it. I think a fresh install might run better though, but try it out the other way first.

[Spawn-Inc]

wow +rep for the fast replies, once i get my second 250gb hdd and a 750gb hdd then i will copy all the files from the two drives and then run them in Raid 0 then i can back them up on the 750gb hdd, then i will install fresh.

[calumc]

The best way to install windows: DONT!!

[Bucko]

It will depend on what hardware the windows install was on before. When I upgraded my AMD Athlon XP2000+ to the Intel setup, it wouldn't work. Not even trying to do a repair would help it.
In the end I did a format and fresh install.

[Spawn-Inc]

well it will be going from this,

pentium 4 1.6ghz ( 478 )
gigabyte 8IDX
896mb's of ram pc133 3-3-3-6 (512mb stick, 256mb stick, 128mb stick)
not sure who makes it but a Geforce4 mx 440 or something, 64mb.
80gb+20gb hdd's
320watt psu

to this,

LG H26N SATA DVD Burner
EVGA-NF68-A1 680i
Enermax 850watt DXX
EVGA e-GeForce 7200GS 128mb
Intel pentium 4 3.0GHz with HT
512mb DDR2 667
7gb IDE hdd

if it works it works otherwise i will just format and reinstall.

[Airbozo]

Save yourself some headaches and cursing, do a fresh install. You will find that the original install will have extra drivers and registry entries that may cause problems down the road so a little extra time (and really it will take longer to fix the fresh install) now will keep your heart rate and frustration level down.

[Luke122]

I didnt realize it was that significant of a hardware change! Haha.. I agree that a fullblown format/rebuild is the best way to handle a hardware change like that.

[agnat]

They might let you now, but not long ago, Micro$oft figured that a new motherboard was the ticket to getting a new license. A new HD or more RAM was fine, but once the mobo was replaced, that was considered a new computer and they would not let you activate XP on it. If that has since changed, I'm sorry, but I know this happened to me in the past.

Agnat