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QuestionInstalling new primarily HD. Havent got OS disk

  • Saturday, August 29, 2009 2:52 PMmicrosoft101 Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    So then, my computer is getting old, I need a new one, but I need to make it last a bit longer. The usual things like HD and RAM etc. Im going to upgrade couple of things and replace the HD to get a bit longer out of it.

     

    To the point anyway, I need to replace the primary HD with a new one and haven’t got the OS disk (the manufacturer kindly left it out). Im using windows xp home, and got the original product key. I don’t want to buy the OS again just for the disk.

     

    What are my options with getting the OS onto the new hard drive ?

     

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  • Monday, August 31, 2009 4:11 PMSick Freak Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    While there are ways to backup / restore your old harddrive to the new one without the XP media, I'd suggest getting replacement media - it makes things easier. See KB 326246 for the specifics. The other thing you could do, if the machine is new enough, is to wait for Windows 7 and just install it on the new hard drive. Afterwards, you can slave the old hard drive and copy any of the files you want. If the old hard drive is still good, you can use it for storage.