jobondur Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I had a HP desktop computer that originally came with Windows Millenium on it. I later upgraded to XP (via an upgrade disk). That computer has since bit the dust and I'm planning on building my own but want to use my old XP license on my new computer. I have the old recovery disk from my HP computer (includes Windows ME, drivers, software, etc.), the Win XP upgrade disk, and another HP recovery disk from my laptop (with XP, drivers, software, etc.). What do I have to do to be able to use XP on my new computer once I get it built? Do I have to contact Microsoft and tell them I am transferring it?What would be the easiest method of loading XP on my new computer?Any help is greatly appreciated... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hb_Kai Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 The data on the recovery discs only tell the computer where to load the files from when recovering, which is why computers that come with a recovery disc usually have a recovery partition. So using a recovery disc isn't much help.You'd need an XP disc, but you can still use the same key I think. I'm not sure, but I read somewhere it can be used 3 times. (I might be wrong though, but it's worth a try)I'm not sure if the manufacturer/model of your computer would matter, but you could burn an Image Backup. But then any drivers that are on your old computer might not have the need to be on the new one. What I'd do is find all the drivers you'll need on the internet and download them. Get something like nLite and use this tool to copy the OS files off a disc into a temporary location and you can also save the newer drivers onto the disc too.Install the OS that way. But in doing this, you're still going to need a XP disc. I've just read.... Wouldn't the update disc work? I've never had one, so I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 The upgrade disk will work, as long as you have the original OS disk; I think you need to insert it at some stage during the installation, as proof that you had an original OS to upgrade from.Depending on the service pack level of your XP disk, it may already contain all the drivers you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jobondur Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 So I should take the recovery disk from my old computer and put it in my new one once I've built it? Won't it try to load a bunch of configuration files, drivers, and software that I don't want or need? Plus it will also try to install Windows ME (which I would prefer to avoid). I plan on loading all the hardware drivers and their updates (motherboard, DVD, etc.) manually from a CD that I will create from files I download from the vendor websites.Would it be better to look around for a Windows XP full install disk that I can borrow and then just put in my registration key info from my upgrade disk? Will this work?Also, do I have to do anything with Windows to tell them that I'm transferring XP to a different computer? My understanding is that when you load Windows on a computer, it takes a hardware profile of your computer and sends it to MS so they can tell if you're using the same registration key on multiple computers. Am I way off base with this?Thanks for all your help... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hb_Kai Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Yes. That would work, and could be the best choice.Unless you have all the same hardware, OS, and everything else then the recovery disc will work. And same BIOS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
y2khardtop Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 while I've transferred OEM licenses between PC's, I've recently read that OEM copies of Windows are NOT allowed to be transferred. So even if you legitimately destroyed the original PC, you don't necessarily have the right to re-use that license on a new PC.Since OEM copies of Windows are sold to PC makers at a fraction of the cost of retail, it appearantly is Microsofts opinion that the license is only good for the life of that particular PC.Anyway, I've done it using both online and phone activation, but it may not work always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hb_Kai Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Strange. I read that you can use the License Key with up to three installations. Maybe that's just that service pack at the time as this was SP1 (but when it was released and new) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 That's for a retail version of Windows - not OEM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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