Transfer a XP HDD from one PC to another

[Twizted]

So basically most ppl know Windows XP will not boot if you make a drastic hardware change, so you have to use the following method to move the HDD to its new home.

!!Disclaimer!!
At this point I want to say that this is tested and worked for me everytime I had done it and reported to me by many many ppl on my home forum to have saved them or helped them but in no way do I guarantee it to work for you and as always keep a backup!!! Its not my fault if you loose your data! You will have to edit your registry, Editing your registry can render your PC useless and cause you to have to reload your OS.

I knew how to do this but I wanted to make absolutly sure so I contacted a good friend of mine who is the owner of a rather big Computer Repair Shop who confirmed this method to be a good way to move a HDD with WinXp installed to a new system. I am posting this as advice to anyone needing to make such a move. This is simply one method of doing this and may not even be the best but it works and does not seem to have any adverse affects on the performance of the Operating System.

To perform this method you WILL have to edit your registry if you do not feel comfortable in the Registry of your PC stop here.

This is a simple edit to perform simply open regedit by clicking on Start > Run > type REGEDIT click ok

In regedit find this key :

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG > SYSTEM > CURRENTCONTROLSET > ENUM

You simply Delete the entire ENUM key close regedit and shutdown your PC right there and move the HDD to you new Rig. Boot the system. When Windows begins to load it will start detecting your new hardware and build your new hardware profiles ( this may take more than one restart of the OS) I have provided a small screen shot of what key to delete for referance.
I hope this helps some of you.

[PrOLifIC_onE]

VERY VERY GOOD TO KNOW! THANKS!

[gvblake22]

Would this method somehow eliminate the need to reformat and reinstall Windows if (for example), you changed the motherboard and/or video card or something? Will Windows say "found new hardware" and all that good stuff or will the drivers for the old hardware still be installed?

I guess I'm not quite clear on when exactly this guide should be used... :dontknow:

[stinger608]

What deleting the entire ENUM does Blake, is completely rid your computer of any known drivers!!!!

That is why you have to shut down immediately, otherwise XP will start the whole process of "found new hardware" again!!!

The best way to accomplish this task, is have your finger on the power supply switch and shut it off once you finish this task.

[Twizted]

Precisely as stinger said and it is exactly for those situations when you change a major piece of hardware where it would cause XP to no longer load (i.e. motherboard change)

[gvblake22]

WOW, I never knew about this. So what about all the software and driver applications that were installed (like catalyst control center for example)? How does it deal with all that?

[Twizted]

It is just based on installed drivers (the ones you would normally find in device manager). As it would only tell the computer to forget what drivers it had installed it would simply reinstall the drivers for the video card because the files for it would still be stored in the system (if you were using the same hardware i.e. the ATI card for which you had CCC installed for)

Catalyst is simply a software suit for working with the cards features it would not be effected...

Now, If you were moving to another machine that had a nVidia card you would probably want to uninstall the ATI software prior to the move anyway.

[Quakindude]

Originally Posted by Twizted

Now, If you were moving to another machine that had a nVidia card you would probably want to uninstall the ATI software prior to the move anyway.

If that's the case, then I wouldn't move to a different mobo chipset without doing a full backup of your data.

[polobunny]

One should note that you might need to re-activate after doing that. When XP detects alot of new hardware (different hardware ID) it will ask for activation.

[Twizted]

Originally Posted by polobunny

One should note that you might need to re-activate after doing that. When XP detects alot of new hardware (different hardware ID) it will ask for activation.

I have never had that happen to me yet, but its possible..