Windows 7: New build, but old hard drives

I am building a new rig and going to keep my old hard drives. One has Win 7 OS in it and the other is used for storing pics, movies, and the like.

Everything is going to be new (mobo, memory, vid card, cpu), but the hard drives are the same.

Is it possible to boot up the system using the hard drive with the Win 7 OS in it? I was planning on going to the BIOS straight away to make the system boot from the Win 7 DVD that way I can format the hard drive and perform a new install of the system.

Is that possible?

What?

Your first question asks if you can boot from the HD.

You then state your intent is to boot from the Win 7 DVD.

If you want to do a clean install, you would do the latter, not the former.

It may boot from the hard drive if that is what you want to do, but you may have to then run a repair install since you have changed so much hardware.

I'd do the clean install, but you can try without--it may or may not ultimately work out.

Thanks for the reply.

What I meant in the first question was that if my pc would turn on at all without shorting or something or other.

I plan on booting up the system with the new hardware and onld hd. Then go straing into the BIOS to do a CD boot up and restart it.

Then proceed with a clean install of Win 7 on the old hd. (That should also format it, right?)

I just want to be sure that everything will work properly after the clean install and not have the hd partitioned in two with two Win 7 in each.

Yes, it will turn on and not short.

You are on the right path. Immediately go into BIOS, change to boot from DVD first. Reboot into the DVD and proceed with the installation as usual.

You will be given the choice during the install to choose the desired partition for the install. If you choose what is now the C partition, it will be reformatted and you will end up with a single Windows 7 installation.

Great!

Thank you!

Will give that a go.

If you want to boot Windows 7 on the same HD on the new hardware, SysPrep it first on the old hardware to remove all drivers, SID's and HID's. Then it will start up like a new computer does when booted. SysPrep to move HD to another computer