Resolved An upgrade type question

If I choose to upgrade my computer, but I don't want to upgrade the OS because of all of the programs and "data" that I don't loose, and there is the legacy hardware issue too. If I buy the new computer can I pull the HDd and put it in the new box and make a "perfect" duplicate to the new HDD?

 

Follow up

I was planning on purchasing a new system, total.
Could I place the HDD from the old system in the new system (pulling the the OEM from the new system).

 

As Evan already said "If the motherboard gets changed then you may need to perform a repair install of Windows ".

If you are changing the system, all the components are getting changed including motherboard. The current Windows installation would most probably won't work plus you would have activation issues.

 

currently running XP3, (wife has learned this OS, and the NYC DOE is less then cutting edge for their programs), & i don't have the patience to sit and teacher her AGAIN a new OS.

and personally i dislike the way Microsoft does it's upgrade/corrections. went from WIN7 to Win10, and stupid things like i have to "login" to my microsoft account when i start my system, i lost some of the finer control of my webcam, it takes like three or four clicks to get to the control panel, and it seems they have hidden other things, or taken away the ability to customize it. But that is an other issue for a rant forum

 

Well XP is dead & most of the manufacturers have dropped support for it. No drivers no updates.

While buying a new computer, check that the computer you are buying has XP drivers available for it.

 

As noted, XP is dead. It was designed 15 years ago and it was designed back then to support legacy, DOS era hardware and software from 10 years before that. So it is unlikely brand new hardware would be supported by XP.

But also, while it is often technically possible to move a hard drive and make it work with a new computer, in most cases it is not legal. This is because typically the XP that came with the old computer was an "OEM" license and therefore, inextricably tied to the "original equipment ". That is, OEM licenses are NEVER "legally" transferable to a new computer (or "upgraded" motherboard).

Finally, I would have to assume your hard drive is reaching antique status too. Hard drives, as electro- "mechanical" devices are more subject to "wear and tear" than pure electronics. So it probably is not a good ideal to use the old drive anyway if you value your data (I do hope you have a current backup!). And to that, most new motherboards today don't even support legacy hard drive interfaces (EIDE/PATA) anymore either.

This is all inaccurate. Yes, Windows Update is automated now, but the fact of the matter is, it works. Yes, there have been a few problems for a very few [very vocal people. But the fact of the matter is, the vast majority of the 100s of millions of W10 users (including me and my 6 computers) have never had Windows Update break Windows.

As for using a Microsoft account, it is a simple matter to assign a 4-number PIN to your Microsoft account so you don't have to enter your full email address each time. But also, if you don't want to use a Microsoft account, you don't have to. It is a simple one-click process to change your log in from a Microsoft account to a "local" account. So that is not an issue.

As for accessing the Control Panel - I don't know what you mean there. Again, it is simple to access via the start menu.

But if you don't like W10's start menu (which is vastly better than W8's), there are a couple of really nice programs (Start10 or Classic Shell) that let you setup W10 to look, feel and behave like W7 or even XP (with ClassicShell). So the learning curve is really not as steep as one would believe.

As for your WebCam, that's your Webcam maker's fault, not Windows. It is up to hardware makers to ensure current drivers are available.

The main point to remember is XP is not secure. It is no longer supported by Microsoft. Security program makers have or will stop supporting it as well.

It is time to let XP go, not just because it is a threat to you and your wife, but because a compromised XP system quickly becomes a threat to the rest of us.

You will eventually have to upgrade. It will not get easier by putting it off.

 

I personally found in W10 the simple use of > Right click Start > Run > type in netplwiz and OK. > uncheck the sign in and follow the close out instructions.
All my W10 comps Start straight to the Desktop for any user!
No secret info on my comps to worry about if someone had a look or stole the comp. Neil.

 

i am the only one who uses my computer, but when i did the upgrade it started asking for sign in.... just an annoyance, and ANOTHER frakking PW to remember, the advantage is it doesn't expire.......

 

when i went from XP to to 7 i had to upgrade as several pieces of hardware had no compatible drivers, and the run compatibility, well i never could get it to work. and when i did to WIN10, one of the automated updated pushed my printer out of function, and it took me the better part of two weeks to find the rollback driver to go to (found it on this website, but not this forum).

 

thank you for you help, since you have basically called me a liar, and dismissed me .... the webcam is a microsoft program webcam... so it is their fault. i never said the upgrade was a threat to me, and i can't speak to WIN8 as i have never used it, i went from XP to 7 to 10, i just happen to like the GUI of XP. i also find it annoying that some of the games i have spent money on, (and though they may be older), i still enjoy playing them, but they are now dust collectors, as thay can't be played in compatibility mode either.
sometime KISS is truth (keep it simple, stupid). i get the fact that there is evil out there, but why not fix the old car, rather than sell a new car ... i know Bill and Melinda won't get richer off of me....

 

Gee whiz! Come on. I didn't call or even imply you were lying. And I certainly didn't dismiss you. Nor will I now, though I probably should.

Operating system developers cannot be held responsible for supporting the 100s of 1000s (maybe millions!!) of different hardware devices out there. The Windows (Linux too) code, already monstrous, would be many times bigger and take up 100s of gigabytes of disk space and be totally bogged down (and constantly out of date) if it did. That's what happened with MS-DOS. It got too big because of all the hardware support it included.

So Microsoft releases a set of standard protocols the hardware makers need to adhere to through their drivers. This is so Windows can know how to talk to any SATA drive - regardless who made it. Any printer - regardless who made it. Any motherboard - regardless who made it. Any graphics card -regardless who made it. And any webcam -regardless who made it.

And Microsoft did not spring these new protocols on hardware makers! They released this information well before W10 even went into beta. So if any hardware or software is not supported by W10, it is not W10 fault. It is the hardware maker's for not developing a driver, or not releasing a software update.

And while we would like them to, we cannot expect hardware makers to expend lots of resources (with no returns on that investment) on dwindling numbers of obsolete, out-of-production, superseded products.

And as much as any of us (including me) hate to retire obsolete hardware before it dies, that is just a fact of life! I have, as I am sure many have, retired old (but still working) CRT TVs and monitors, cassette players, hard drives, and more. Even entire, still working W95 and XP systems.

And you are right about fixing up an old car instead of buying a new car is cheaper. But at some point, you just cannot make the old car safe enough for regular use on public streets.

And let's not forget that hardware makers have been advancing the state-of-the-art too! And new OSs must support it. That's why new motherboards no longer support AGP graphics, LPT ports, floppy disks or even EIDE drives - they are all obsolete, legacy technologies.

So I did not call you a liar, I explained it was not W10's fault for not having support for your specific legacy webcam in W10.

And I certainly did not dismiss you. I spent a lot of my own volunteer time creating a lengthy post addressing your concerns. I could have just "dismissed" you by ignoring you.

No one said anything about the upgrade being a threat. The problem is, XP is a threat to you, and others. And again, I did not dismiss you, I pointed out that ClassicShell lets you make W10's UI look and feel like XP.

Having to deal with security features can be annoying. It would be nice if we never had to lock our front doors or cars at night too. But because of badguys, we have to.

Microsoft is, and rightfully so, sick and tired of being blames over security issues when it is the badguys who put us in this situation, not Microsoft. And sadly, it is most often the user (ALWAYS the weakest link in security) who disables security features, or fails to keep Windows updated that creates a situation (vulnerability) badguys are just sitting there poised to exploit.

So Microsoft, again, rightfully so, has put security first. And forcing the use of PW to sign into Windows is the right thing to do.

And just for the record, it is poor "physical" and "operational" security to disable the requirement to use some form of authentication to log into - even if you are the only user of your computer. Why? Because what happens if a badguy breaks into your house and steals your computer? He then has immediate access to just about everything on it. Even a nosy neighbor, relative, or houseguest could easily see your contacts, email, or other personal data.

And BTW, I never migrated to Vista either. I stuck it out with XP until W7 came out. I was very disappointed with W8.x (99% due to the UI). But now Windows 10 is here and is what Windows 7 2.0 should have been. And being a free upgrade, Bill and Melinda didn't get a penny when I upgraded my 6 systems here either.

So I am sorry if you did not like what I had to say. But accusing me of being dismissive and calling you a liar was, at best, inappropriate.

 

I must support you Bill with your explanation. I'm about to join the Octogenarians in few weeks and I thoroughly enjoy all new Technology that is available these days.
I may not understand the finer points, but I enjoy using and learning my way around the systems.
I have never been interested in Apple products as I consider that brand to be elitist (expensive - like Rolls Royce) and as it appears you have to pay for extras, like apps.
chaosrn, you can download from MS Store, a huge number of FREE games which I personally find better than earlier versions on W98 and XP. There are also Apps that you can use (free) or you can purchase for a small cost and MS listened to users who complained about the GUI and even at my age I have no problem using the W10 setup.
If you have problems with W10 we will offer our knowledge/experience/suggestions to endeavour to help all BBS members enjoy their computers. Neil.

 

okay guys, maybe i was a little sensitive.
however Bill: "This is all inaccurate. " (so you basically said i was supplying wrong info)

"It is time to let XP go, not just because it is a threat to you and your wife...." (re-reading this i can see where i misunderstood what you meant)
as to the web cam i addressed it earlier, it IS a microsoft camera (their name is on it)... and in win10, i can't change the resolution, or lock/adjust the focus. (if i move, it stays out of focus. or if i have not moved it will lock on to something changing the focus.)

i did feel like i was being scolded.
believe me i understand the security issue as at both of my jobs i have to login at three different portal points, and sometimes one of those points doesn't see the "later portal as being active in it's portal and logs me out, forcing me (and many others) to relogin in from the begining, and when you are trying to pass meds or write a note or a discharge summery.... well lets just say the patients and/or families don't want to hear about a network protocol. but i have strayed....
thank you for the answers you have provided.
be safe and be well

 

@chaosrn - Since that is a Microsoft webcam, did you look on Microsoft's driver download page for the latest drivers?

I suspect too the program you are using with the camera may have something to do with it not acting as you expect. So you need to make sure that is current too - if there is a current version. But again, even Microsoft can not really be expected to continue driver and software support for products that have been superseded several times over.

As for supplying wrong or "inaccurate" information, that does not imply you intentionally tried to mislead us and is a far cry from "lying ", which clearly is intentional.

And I certainly did not mean to give the impression I was scolding - sorry if it sounded that way. But at the same time, the fact XP support ended nearly 2 full years ago (April 2014) and is inherently insecure (no matter how careful we are) is common knowledge. So IMO, it is like driving a 40 year old car when you know the brakes are bad. Not good. Even the best defensive driver cannot always avoid a drunk running a stop sign. If in a modern car, you have all sorts of airbags, better construction, and more to keep you safe should a badguy hit you.

XP was a great OS - no doubt. But that was 5 generations back! It's time has passed.

And while I fully understand and sympathize with those on a tight budget, there are free Linux alternatives to XP that are secure. And brand new computers with modern and secure operating systems can be had for as little as $300 at Walmart - $150 if you go with a refurbished.

@retiredlearner - Speaking of games, I don't really like many of the free games in Windows 10 - or rather, I don't really like how they are tied to the Microsoft Store.

Fortunately, there is a way to get Windows 7 games to work in Windows 10. See Get Windows 7 Games for Windows 10. Ignore the "RECOMMENDED" link to fix Windows. That's just an ad for the free site to get some revenue for their efforts.

 

@Bill - Since that is a Microsoft webcam, did you look on Microsoft's driver download page for the latest drivers? I went here and it has no WIN10 specific drivers
thanks for the game site...

 

Chaosrn,

Sorry to barge in to your thread, but I also wanted to thank Bill for the Windows 7 game link.

 

See if this helps: Universal camera driver design guide for Windows 10.

My pleasure.