booting a copy of XP Pro system disk on different Dell hardware

Never done this with a laptop but it should work, as long as your optiplex mombo supports booting off of an external usb drive.

Hi Ottis,

 

> but you can always try this to run the old install in the new PC.

 

This is exactly what I want to do. Sorry it this was unclear. 

 

>first clone the original drive and live the original alone we don't' want to mess thatup yet ;)

 

Done. BUT... the clone is on a laptop drive, for my experimenting the target machine will be another dell laptop (moving from an insprion 5150 to latitude 620 to get some experience doing this), but the end goal is to port to a desktop. Are there any special issues with the process you outlined given that I will need to boot the cloned version off an external USB drive on the target optiplex system? 

 

Still, thanks for the advice. Lets see if I can play with this safely and not destroy either my or my wife's perfectly running laptops! (fingers crossed!!)

 

Thanks,

Bernie 

Well first you will not be able to migrate all the apps and their settings, so get ready for some reinstalling and reconfiguring ;)

 

now you can try something here but if you ask me a fresh install is best but you can overcome the reconfiguring many apps by installing the app then using your settings for that app from the old drive's application data folder ;)

 

but you can always try this to run the old install in the new PC.

 

first clone the original drive and live the original alone we don't' want to mess that up yet ;)

 

ok grab the clone drive and go ;)

 

The non-ACPI routine.
After you've cloned (not just installed XP) the old drive onto the new hd, install it in the old rig as the primary boot device; unplug the old. Then:

Find out if the new mobo supports non-ACPI operation. Check its' specs; almost all do.

If so, print this out - and good luck!

OLD SYSTEM

Remove and uninstall all the current drivers (video, sound, chipset, ide) from Control Panel - Add/Remove.

Find Device Manager (Start - Run - (type in)devmgmt.msc - Enter). Expand the Computer value - double-click ACPI Uniprocessor PC - driver tab - Update driver.
Choose to "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced) - Don't Search.
UNCHECK THE BOX "Show compatible hardware". Select "Standard PC". Click Next & OK. You will get a Restart prompt. NO! "DO NOT RESTART".
While still in D/M (Device Manager), delete the rest of the hardware whose drivers you didn't find in C/P relating to the above list only.
Shut down and do not turn it on until you've completed ALL the hardware swapping in the old rig; or installed the drive in a new machine.

NEW SYSTEM
Turn on and bootup. XP will load & redetect the entire hardware config. Probably will reboot a couple of times.

After you get a quiet desktop, Start - Run - (type in)cmd.exe - Enter

Type this in: set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1

Type: devmgmt.msc

View tab - Show hidden devices. The old stuff will have transparent icons.
Select, right-click and Uninstall all of these EXCEPT the ones inside "Non-Plug and Play Drivers" and "Sound, video and game controllers". Reboot.

Back into D/M - expand the Computer value. Double-click the first Standard PC - driver tab - Update driver. Choose "Install from a list...." - "Don't search....". Uncheck "Show compatible hardware - Select "Advanced....(ACPI) PC". Next - OK - Restart.

XP will now detect again. When done, reboot. Back into D/M - expand Computer - right-click Standard PC - uninstall. Reboot.

Back into D/M and get rid of the transparent icons again, as per three paragraphs above. Reboot.

Check the new mobo cd documentation. You may want to install all the NEW drivers again if that is part of their instruction for XP operating system.

I know it's a lot of steps, but I feel it's much quicker than a clean install with all its' updating & setting stuff up but it will take some time.

 

since we used a clone worst case senario you still got the original sitting nice a safe some place else ;)