Do I have to format my HD???

[Red96TA]

Guys,

I'm building a new machine today and need to know if I need to format my HD to move it it to my new machine...here's the specs:

Old Machine:
Emachines 1400 AMD
40GB C:/ (system)
80BG F:/ (slave)

New Machine:
MSI K7N2
2600 AMD OEM
768mb DDR (corsair baby!!!!)

So what do you think? Will I have to format or no....

[Solarjetman]

You will more than likly have to. You could try and put it in the new machine and hope windows does not have a hissy fit over every bit of hardware changing, but I seriously doubt it.

However, if you have any FAT32 formatted drives that are only file storage (i.e. no Operating systems) you won't need to format those. I am not sure about NTFS drives though. I think since they have security built in, you may have to format.

[zodiac]

you should format the hard drive with windows on it when you change motherboards,but if you realy dont want to format read this http://www.windowsreinstall.com/install/other/motherboard/

[pbhalerao]

I see that you have Windows-XP. You will most likely have to reformat and reinstall the OS.

Even if not, the Windows-XP activation message will certainly popup, I think.

[Phunkie Munky]

Yip, 90% Sure you would have to re-format it.
Like Solarjetman mentioned, your HD holds info on your Hardware, i.e. windows is installed to use the hard ware and .dll's are installed to use the hardware. With your new computer having different hardware to your previous computer, you would need to re-install windows so it can install and register all the hardware on your P.C.

Unfortunately it ain't as easy as just switching HD's. You would need to copy your important files i.e. films/documents/pics etc to cd and after installing windows on your new system, just copy your files to the new system.

[stiltman]

Guys,

I'm building a new machine today and need to know if I need to format my HD to move it it to my new machine...here's the specs:
So what do you think? Will I have to format or no....

Ummm....I would try this first.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314082


BTW, this works like a charm with Win2K, as I've done it many times

[Solarjetman]

Oh this is sad. I just realized, your OLD machine is faster than my main computer.

[rlegault]

You DO NOT have to format. Windows will probably not work, you will have to reinstall windows, but you don't need to reinstall. That being said, I would probably format solely because I always find that my computer works fastest right after a clean install and this as good a time as any to do that.

[gmatov]

To go a bit further than rlegault, you should not have to reformat, and, most likely, not even have to re-install.

A re-install would not hurt, but Windows does have the capability to detect new hardware, and ash you to either show it where the install files for it, or, if it is in the Driver Database, will automatically locate them for you.

Afetr all, XP is supposed to have almost all hardware in its database.

However, you will definitely have to get it re-activated. I believe MS finally agreed that 3 changes would be required, rather than the 1 or 2 in the original proposed license.

[rlegault]

I recently upgraded my computer,and it so happend to be from Intel to AMD. Might be why windows freaked out but it gave me a hardware error, I had to reinstall. But seeing as you're staying with AMD it might all work perfectly. Let us know.

[Red96TA]

UPDATE: I just finished building the computer and had to reformat the HD!! No worries...all my dvd stuff was on the slave HD 8)

Thanks for the help once again!