Installing a new hard drive

[highup]

If I install a new hard drive and install XP, will it recognize the factory motherboard and all of it's components?
I have an XP Pro disk, but not the same one that came with this computer.

 

[Nick]

Yes . Trick is to get the 3 Security updates .

 

[highup]

What if I had a Windows XP SP2 CD and another titled Windows XP SP3 Update file?

 

[Nick]

That would work. You're going to have to erase the drive .

Let me know when you are ready, I'll post Instructions .

 

[highup]

That would work. You're going to have to erase the drive .

Let me know when you are ready, I'll post Instructions .

Erase a new hard drive?

 

[Nick]

Yes Take everything off as if it was a new drive .

 

[highup]

Yes Take everything off as if it was a new drive .

yur confuzin me (not that it takes much).............. isn't a brand new hard drive a new drive? Or do you mean formatting a new hard drive?

 

[ddahlgren]

If it is a running system with too small a hard drive find out what all the devices are on the mother board and get the drivers for them before you start. Lacking that find them if possible on computer companies website. If your XP disk is a generic one it will not know anything about the mother board per se but might have drivers that will work and might not as well. If you are back dating a fairly new computer drivers become a problem as XP is no longer supported or cared about. I have back dated a few laptops and it can be a challenge. I have had some luck looking on the European version of support websites and found XP drivers and on occasion Vista drivers have worked.

 

[highup]

That's where I'm lacking. Not knowing what is embedded or installed in the mother board and what stuff comes from the original manufacturers disk. Finding the drivers like you mentioned is a good idea, but I don't know what drivers to look for. I suppose I could buy a newer motherboard.
I tried to locate the PC's original XP Pro CD from the guy that gave me the computer. It's from a business office. He had an XP Pro in the correct file, but it isn't the one that came with this computer. I borrowed it, thinking it was the right one, but when I put it in the confuzer, it said e CD was not compatible with this system.