Reinstalling XP on new drive - activation question

[Guest Charlie7805]

After years of installing / uninstalling programs, it's time to start with a

fresh install of XP home. I have a slave drive which I'll use after

formating it that will become my new boot drive. I want to completely setup

this new boot drive with windows, all updates, all programs, etc. before

formating my current boot drive and having it as my new slave. Installing

everything on the new drive will take a week or so due to my limited

available time daily. I will need to continue using my current drive during

this process. I plan on just switching the IDE cable back to my current boot

drive daily until done.

 

My question is in order for me to d/l window updates, you need to activate

windows (the new drive). Will this cause problems when I switch the IDE back

to my current boot drive? (I understand you can't use the same product

number on 2 drives. If so, is there a solution I'm not aware of?

 

Thanks in advance - Charlie

[Guest Meinolf Weber]

Re: Reinstalling XP on new drive - activation question

 

Hello Charlie7805,

 

If you are just thinking about windows updates, with this one you get all

security updates and can install from idsk or usb:

http://www.heise.de/ct/projekte/offlineupdate/download_uk.shtml

 

If you have unzipped the file under the first level you see Updategenerator.exe,

there you can choose all you like and configure the updates you like.

 

See also here for some English help:

http://www.heise-online.co.uk/security/Do-it-yourself-Service-Pack--/features/80682

 

http://www.heise-online.co.uk/security/forum/S-Offline-Update/forum-108322/list/

 

 

 

Best regards

 

Meinolf Weber

Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers

no rights.

** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups

** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

> After years of installing / uninstalling programs, it's time to start

> with a fresh install of XP home. I have a slave drive which I'll use

> after formating it that will become my new boot drive. I want to

> completely setup this new boot drive with windows, all updates, all

> programs, etc. before formating my current boot drive and having it as

> my new slave. Installing everything on the new drive will take a week

> or so due to my limited available time daily. I will need to continue

> using my current drive during this process. I plan on just switching

> the IDE cable back to my current boot drive daily until done.

>

> My question is in order for me to d/l window updates, you need to

> activate windows (the new drive). Will this cause problems when I

> switch the IDE back to my current boot drive? (I understand you can't

> use the same product number on 2 drives. If so, is there a solution

> I'm not aware of?

>

> Thanks in advance - Charlie

>

[Guest PD43]

Re: Reinstalling XP on new drive - activation question

 

Charlie7805 <Charlie7805@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>My question is in order for me to d/l window updates, you need to activate

>windows (the new drive). Will this cause problems when I switch the IDE back

>to my current boot drive? (I understand you can't use the same product

>number on 2 drives. If so, is there a solution I'm not aware of?

 

You shouldn't have a problem with that. You've changed nothing but the

drive and that isn't a critical change that will cause activation

problems.

 

Does your BIOS allow you to choose which hard drive to boot from? If

it does, then you are good to go.

 

Boot to the slave and do whatever you want to do in the way of

installing. You can pause that action and reboot to the master drive

to go online, etc.

 

Once you have things set on the slave, you can continue to boot from

it and do as you please with your old system drive.

[Guest Charlie7805]

Re: Reinstalling XP on new drive - activation question

 

If the window updates is the only time windows requires you to activate, then

this would be a great solution. My windows XP disc is several years old and

I have slipstreamed SP2 to expedite the process.

 

You mentioned security updates. How about all the other updates, some which

will be needed for software before installing?

 

"Meinolf Weber" wrote:

> Hello Charlie7805,

>

> If you are just thinking about windows updates, with this one you get all

> security updates and can install from idsk or usb:

> http://www.heise.de/ct/projekte/offlineupdate/download_uk.shtml

>

> If you have unzipped the file under the first level you see Updategenerator.exe,

> there you can choose all you like and configure the updates you like.

>

> See also here for some English help:

> http://www.heise-online.co.uk/security/Do-it-yourself-Service-Pack--/features/80682

>

> http://www.heise-online.co.uk/security/forum/S-Offline-Update/forum-108322/list/

>

>

>

> Best regards

>

> Meinolf Weber

> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers

> no rights.

> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups

> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

>

> > After years of installing / uninstalling programs, it's time to start

> > with a fresh install of XP home. I have a slave drive which I'll use

> > after formating it that will become my new boot drive. I want to

> > completely setup this new boot drive with windows, all updates, all

> > programs, etc. before formating my current boot drive and having it as

> > my new slave. Installing everything on the new drive will take a week

> > or so due to my limited available time daily. I will need to continue

> > using my current drive during this process. I plan on just switching

> > the IDE cable back to my current boot drive daily until done.

> >

> > My question is in order for me to d/l window updates, you need to

> > activate windows (the new drive). Will this cause problems when I

> > switch the IDE back to my current boot drive? (I understand you can't

> > use the same product number on 2 drives. If so, is there a solution

> > I'm not aware of?

> >

> > Thanks in advance - Charlie

> >

>

>

>

[Guest Charlie7805]

Re: Reinstalling XP on new drive - activation question

 

What you suggest is what I thought I could do. However, I use ghost 2003 and

cloned for years (just in case). Recently I wanted to change over to the

clone drive and found you can't have 2 HDD's with a MBR. The MBR on the

clone was corrupted when I switched drives.

 

I had my BIOS set to boot from the primary boot drive but still wiped out

the MBR. I found on Norton's site this was true. The problem with Norton is

there was no shut down option after cloning and automatically rebooted.

 

"PD43" wrote:

> Charlie7805 <Charlie7805@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>

> >My question is in order for me to d/l window updates, you need to activate

> >windows (the new drive). Will this cause problems when I switch the IDE back

> >to my current boot drive? (I understand you can't use the same product

> >number on 2 drives. If so, is there a solution I'm not aware of?

>

> You shouldn't have a problem with that. You've changed nothing but the

> drive and that isn't a critical change that will cause activation

> problems.

>

> Does your BIOS allow you to choose which hard drive to boot from? If

> it does, then you are good to go.

>

> Boot to the slave and do whatever you want to do in the way of

> installing. You can pause that action and reboot to the master drive

> to go online, etc.

>

> Once you have things set on the slave, you can continue to boot from

> it and do as you please with your old system drive.

>

[Guest Alias]

Re: Reinstalling XP on new drive - activation question

 

Charlie7805 wrote:

> After years of installing / uninstalling programs, it's time to start with a

> fresh install of XP home. I have a slave drive which I'll use after

> formating it that will become my new boot drive. I want to completely setup

> this new boot drive with windows, all updates, all programs, etc. before

> formating my current boot drive and having it as my new slave. Installing

> everything on the new drive will take a week or so due to my limited

> available time daily. I will need to continue using my current drive during

> this process. I plan on just switching the IDE cable back to my current boot

> drive daily until done.

>

> My question is in order for me to d/l window updates, you need to activate

> windows (the new drive). Will this cause problems when I switch the IDE back

> to my current boot drive? (I understand you can't use the same product

> number on 2 drives. If so, is there a solution I'm not aware of?

>

> Thanks in advance - Charlie

 

You can use Auto Updates and not have to activate. I recommend the

setting, "inform but do not download or install". You also might want to

download the .ISO for SP3 and burn it to a CD-R as it includes all the

updates since SP2 except a few that have come out since SP3 was created.

 

Alias

[Guest Nonny]

Re: Reinstalling XP on new drive - activation question

 

On Sun, 25 May 2008 16:36:00 -0700, Charlie7805

<Charlie7805@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>What you suggest is what I thought I could do. However, I use ghost 2003 and

>cloned for years (just in case). Recently I wanted to change over to the

>clone drive and found you can't have 2 HDD's with a MBR. The MBR on the

>clone was corrupted when I switched drives.

>

>I had my BIOS set to boot from the primary boot drive but still wiped out

>the MBR. I found on Norton's site this was true. The problem with Norton is

>there was no shut down option after cloning and automatically rebooted.

 

My slave was a clone as well, until I decided to install Vista. I

could boot to either one at will. In fact, the clone was set to boot

if/when the master disk failed.

 

Each drive - when booted as the system drive - booted just fine and

there was no conflict whatsoever.

 

When I installed Vista (clean install), I was able to boot either OS

at will just by restarting, entering the BIOS and changing the boot

order.