XP from Compaq to another computer

Compaq has a sale on a computer for $299 US. It comes with Win XP Home. I want to buy this machine and strip it of parts like HD, DVD etc and install the pieces and WIN XP on my present computer that is better quality, better CPU etc. The better computer has Win 98 SE on it and has legacy genealogy software and data that can not be replaced. Is it possible to migrate Win XP or is the Compaq Win XP system propietary. Thank you.

 

It is proprietary. For $300 you can buy XP Home SP2 EOM and the wanted hardware.

 

I'm a little confused. Do you want to run WIN XP or WIN 98SE? If you want to run XP and the Compaq computer was NEVER started, simply remove the HD with WIN XP on it which includes the partition for recovery, and install the HD as the primary drive in your new computer. Start it up for the FIRST time so it detects the hardware on your old computer. Unless there is something in the Compaq BIOS that the WIN XP on the HD is expecting, I don't see why there would be a problem.
If the Compaq computer was ever started this would not work because the hardware has already been detected,
I have 4 Compaqs and when they are factory fresh, the WIN XP OS was never run until I turned on the computer.
In manufacturing them they must load WIN XP on the HD before it is put into the computer. When the BIOS boots on the Compaq, there is an option to hit F10 for the recovery console. This probably will not appear in the boot up on your old computer that has a different BIOS.

 

I don't know if it will work or not. My guess is that it won't if the old computer isn't a compaq also. Also, being that it's an OEM version of XP, technically and legally it's forever tied to the computer it was first installed on. It may install on the other one but you may have to re-activate it being it's installed on a different computer. If so, I don't know if it will activate or not. I have my doubts.

 

Hello oldbear,

There is no way around getting a XP cd - you can get the "upgrade" labeled one for half the cost of the "retail" copy - what you need is proof of possesion of a 98 OS at the time of installation. To my mind, to be without an OS disc is asking for trouble down the line.

You can persue two scenerios:

You can dual boot - install the newer drive as a secondary drive and install XP (as a FAT32 file system - not NTFS) on it and create a dual boot installation. That would perserve the 9X with the legacy software/files.

Or upgrade the current 9X to XP with the newer drive as a data drive - would the legacy stuff run on XP?

Regards - Charles

 

Thank you all. I think since my Win 98 machine has no problems it will be easier to get the 299 machine and use it soiley for internet connection and games. If I ever get siftware that will update my legacy stuff withour loss of data I amy try that. I have too much genealogy data to risk an upgrade. Again my thanks. Oldbear

 

For $299 you can buy a new HD, DVD, and a new OEM verion of XP from http://www.newegg.com/. Why waste your time with old used equipment in this case.