What are the rules for migrating XP while modding a machine?

[Mr.Fixit]

Hi guys-

I got a fuzzy kind of question here... was told that XP can get very fussy if you start swapping stuff around. I don't mean Adding/Removing hardware per se, but the Pkind of thing where you are experimentally upgrading, and all of a sudden XP thinks it doesn't belong on the machine any more.

My HD is starting to grumble and I got to thinking about a revamp of the whole machine. I have a full XP disc from when I built this machine.

Is XP locked to the BIOS or the CPU or the HD or what?
What can't I change without buying a new OS?

Somebody told me there is a limited number of hardware changes built-in, if I start trying various stuff out will I mebbe run nto that?

[Google]

[HoseB]

You won't have to buy a new OS. Worst case.... if you change your rig "enough" you'll have to call Microsoft to re-register XP.

[fussnfeathers]

Kinda close.........

Windows XP is tied to the mobo. It the "official" MS stance is that if you upgrade the motherboard, that constitutes a whole new machine, requiring reactivation. It's probably the best way to do it, as for most folks, the mobo is never changed.......maybe a proc upgrade, new hard drive, but it's typically the same mobo until it dies or gets outdated.

On rare occasions, XP will require a reactivation after a rapidfire series of HDD changes, vid card changes.......meaning, that your review test bed might occasionally need a reactivation, but like I said, that's rare.

However, what can happen is if you change enough hardware, and don't thoroughly clean out drivers, XP can start to gag on the amount of stuff it's trying to load. For example, if you change ATI cards with every new version, without using the Driver Removal tool or reinstalling Windows, even though it's the same driver, it installs slightly differently for each core......so eventually, the DLL and associated files get "porked up", and take longer to load.

I'll typically suggest a clean install after 5-7 minor parts upgrades, on items that require drivers........so if you, say, upgrade your sound card, your vid card twice, and a couple of game controllers, you should probably wipe and reload.
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[fussnfeathers]

And since I'm too lazy to edit, you won't need to buy a new copy of XP. Follow the activation instructions, call MS, and have them activate it on the upgraded machine.

Some caveats.......if you're upgrading the mobo to the SAME chipset (Intel 875, say) but on a different mobo, it won't need reactivation. It's only if you switch from, say, a Via to an Intel, or such, or even from an 875 to a 925.
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[2old2care]

There's a post on something like this around here somewhere. FnF is basically correct, It calculates it on a point system, with different hardware assigned different point levels. A NIC is high on the list, something like double the points. AND since so much of the hardware is mobo /chipset based (dma controllers, com ports and such) the mobo is a killer.
*edit*
I often do a drive image (ghost, acronis) then you are only changing one piece of hardware then re-image. Saves some grief.
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Liquid-Cooled Q9450 and an EeePC
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[fussnfeathers]

Right. Items prone to wear, or frequently updated (HDD's, vid cards) are generally ignored, items like a NIC card get hit harder, since they rarely wear out.....but are replacable. As far as mobos......only us true tweakers replace a mobo, most people will buy a new machine.
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[Mr.Fixit]

Thanks guys- no good deed goes unpunished; this generated a couple more Qs:

does XP give any warning if you hit the max, or does it just blue screen?

a while back, I was trying to format/partition a 240G WD using the supplied Promise TX2 card on a KT4V. I musta tried it 10 ways- never did get it to work right- Lifeguard said all OK, but XP couldn't see formatting beyond the 1st partition. Just as an example, would something like this run up a big count even tho just an HD being re-partitioned?

related Q:
Systemworks is on super-rebate sale right now, it's got Windows Ghost included. I've never done a drive image, but would like to try.
Reviews seem mixed; Acronis is available as a free trial download...
I'm a leetle hesitant because it is a dual boot machine, and if something goes wrong I really won't know what I'm doing!

[fussnfeathers]

Eh, dual-boot is easier than you think..........try quad-booting.

No, there's no warning. If you change parts without reloading, Windows will just continually restart. If you reload, it'll load just fine, but then you'll get the activation notice. Easiest way to deal with that is to call MS directly, rather than doing it online.
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[HoseB]

[fussnfeathers]

Ghost by iteslf is OK, I think it was one of the few that would work with SATA drives. Ghost bundled in SystemWorks is awful.......not because of Ghost itself, but because of all the other Norton stuff that comes with it.
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