How to transfer Windows XP to different hardware

1. Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL). 
   From Wikipedia: “A hardware abstraction layer (HAL) is an abstraction layer, implemented in software, between the physical hardware of a computer and the software that runs on that computer. Its function is to hide differences in hardware from most of the operating system kernel, so that most of the kernel-mode code does not need to be changed to run on systems with different hardware. On a PC, HAL can basically be considered to be the driver for the motherboard and allows instructions from higher level computer languages to communicate with lower level components, such as directly with hardware.”
   
   There are five types of HAL, and you will get a BSOD if you are moving from a multi processor (not multi-core!) to a single processor, but not vice versa. So a single Pentium 4 to a Pentium Quad is not a problem and neither is a single CPU to a multi CPU motherboard. The latter will require you to update the CPU in device manager after migration.
   
   You’ll also get a BSOD if you are moving between different Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) motherboards. However, most modern PC’s share a common ACPI so this shouldn’t be a problem.
   
   Basically, you’re probably going to be OK with the HAL already setup on your source PC. For this example we won’t be touching the HAL.
   
   
2. Mass Storage Controller.
   This is a much bigger problem. The mass storage controller for the primary hard disk is the interface between Windows and your disk. With the wrong driver you won’t even begin to start booting Windows and you’ll probably just recursively boot with flashes of blue. Don’t bother reading the error message, the only useful thing it says is STOP.
   
   Fortunately we can set the primary disk controller (the one that loads Windows) to a default driver. This is the same as the one used when Windows was first installed and before any specific motherboard drivers were loaded. If we do this then Windows can be transferred to another PC, crucially, without that BSOD this time!

1. Right click on ‘My Computer’ and select ‘Manage’
   
   
2. In the management console select the ‘Device Manager’ tree node.
   
   
3. Expand the ‘IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller’ node, right click on the first IDE/SATA Controller and take the ‘Update Driver’ option.
   
   
   
   Note: In this screen shot there is only one controller (the others are channels). You may have multiple controllers, but we are only concerned with the primary controller, the one that is attached to your system disk.
   
   
   
4. In the next dialog click the ‘Install from a list…’ option. We want to override the automatic detection and selection of the correct driver.
   
   
   
   
5. Then choose ‘Don’t Search…’ and click ‘Next’. We can now choose the default disk controller, the one that was first used when Windows was installed.
   
   
   
    
6. Here it is! It’s the ‘Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller’. Select it and click ‘Next’.
   
   
    
7. After a few seconds it will be installed. Click ‘Finish’.
   
   
    
8. Select ‘No’ to the reboot option and we’re all done.
   
   
   

• Just image the drive as normal
  http://www.macrium.com/blog/2008/03/25/HowToCreateADiskImageWithMacriumReflect.aspx
  
  
• Restore to your new hardware
  http://www.macrium.com/blog/2008/06/30/HowToRecoverYourPCUsingTheLinuxRescueCDPartII.aspx
  
  
• To put your correct driver back on the source PC, follow the steps above to  but choose ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’ in step 4.
  
  
• You’ll need to install disk controller, graphics, network and any other drivers necessary for optimum performance on the target PC. At first boot your network probably won’t work, so make sure you’ve got local access to the driver install files.

1. This won't work with Windows Vista.
   
   
2. This won’t work if the HAL’s are incompatible on the two computers. As already mentioned, this won’t be a problem in the majority of cases.
   
   
3. Microsoft doesn’t like this. You will almost certainly have to re-activate Windows after the swap. If you’re using an OEM version of Windows this may not be allowed. If this is the case then you’re stuck. I’m afraid you will have to start from scratch with a fresh copy of Windows. If you’re using a retail or volume licensed version then you should be able to re-activate without problems.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. If the primary controller on the target PC can’t run as a standard PCI IDE interface or if you are using RAID then this might not work.