windows 7 computer and XP OS on second hard drive

BBP

Member
I have windows 7 Professional on my computer. When my XP computer died, i pulled the hard drive with XP OS on it. I miss some of the software on XP. I just installed EasyBCD software. I am green
Using EASY BCD, how do i set it up? Right now I have windows 7 on C drive. Should I install XP on second bay? What is the sequence in which I should it up, so I can boot xp or windows 7 when I want.
Thank you in advance.
 
Windows installation customizes itself to the hardware it detects, selecting drivers for the mobo chipsets, graphics and sound cards, monitor etc.
It's extremely unlikely that XP pulled from one PC will boot on another unless the two are virtually identical in make and age.
You can use EasyBCD to add an XP entry to the BCD after you plug in the drive. It will detect XP and do everything you need. Just let it auto-configure and don't change anything it sets up.
That's the easy bit.
However - when you call XP from your boot menu, expect it to fail immediately.
If you have a full retail version of XP with a MS installation CD, at that stage you can carry out a "repair install" of XP which will tailor the OS to the hardware on which it now finds itself.
If however, your old PC was purchased with XP already installed, then it will be an OEM version. The licence doesn't belong to you, the owner of the PC, it belongs to the hardware on which it resided when you bought it, and if the h/w dies, so does the validity of the licence under the terms of the EULA.
That copy of XP doesn't contain a universal driver set, just those of the specific h/w it came with.
Even if you borrow a copy of a full retail CD, your old PC's serial number won't allow re-installation on a different PC. (That is to say, you will be unable to activate the key and MS phone support will decline any request to do so)
 
Windows installation customizes itself to the hardware it detects, selecting drivers for the mobo chipsets, graphics and sound cards, monitor etc.
It's extremely unlikely that XP pulled from one PC will boot on another unless the two are virtually identical in make and age.
You can use EasyBCD to add an XP entry to the BCD after you plug in the drive. It will detect XP and do everything you need. Just let it auto-configure and don't change anything it sets up.
That's the easy bit.
However - when you call XP from your boot menu, expect it to fail immediately.
If you have a full retail version of XP with a MS installation CD, at that stage you can carry out a "repair install" of XP which will tailor the OS to the hardware on which it now finds itself.
If however, your old PC was purchased with XP already installed, then it will be an OEM version. The licence doesn't belong to you, the owner of the PC, it belongs to the hardware on which it resided when you bought it, and if the h/w dies, so does the validity of the licence under the terms of the EULA.
That copy of XP doesn't contain a universal driver set, just those of the specific h/w it came with.
Even if you borrow a copy of a full retail CD, your old PC's serial number won't allow re-installation on a different PC. (That is to say, you will be unable to activate the key and MS phone support will decline any request to do so)
*****
As I understand correctly, you can connect one drive at a time and run it. Is it correct? At present I has XP drive in an enclosure and has USB connection.
I find your reply is the most detailed. I did not know that OEM owns licenses. Thank you. BBP
 
It's not the OEM that owns the licence.
You own it, but only as a component of that particular PC with which it was bundled.
Once the PC dies, the licence dies with it. Unlike the other components though, you cannot salvage it to use elsewhere. The EULA prohibits use on different h/w.
And no, you will not be able to run XP on your new PC even in isolation, (regardless of OEM status) for the reason given in the first sentence of my oriiginal post. (unless the PCs are so alike that no drivers are missing)
 
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