Crossover connection to another PC.

Possibly in the wrong place, if so, apologies!
I have a desktop PC which was mine and runs perfectly well after I installed another graphics card. However, I had built an upgraded system (as specs below) and would like to move on the previous system. I have a full retail Win7/64 O/S which I have since uninstalled from the older PC and installed in this one. The older PC works fine, but with older tech: a Socket 775 Asus board, Quad Core, new 1TB Hdd and my old Sapphire 4850 graphics card. I would like to pass this to an old friend who cannot afford a replacement for his old PC, which failed after several years.

The old PC therefore has no O/S. I have another LAN card in my own PC and a new crossover ethernet cable. How can I connect these two PC's in order to check the older one? Do I just plug in a power cable to the old one, connect both with the Crossover cable, and expect it to work? Or do both systems have to have Windows installed? I do have an iso of Windows 7/64 Pro, but no COA. What is my best move please? All advice appreciated, thanks to all.

You won't be able to boot the older PC without an OS on it. You could use the ISO to burn an install disk which will allow you to install Win 7 on it. You won't be able to activate it without a Product Key but you will have at least 30 days before that will be an issue.

If your friend only needs to do email and surf the web kind of stuff then you could install a Linux distro on the older PC. With Linux you can do most everything that you can do with a Windows PC except for running the latest PC games.

Thank you, just as I expected. I do have a Win7 .iso and have created a disc from it, so will install that under the 30-day rule. Problem is the limited space in our tiny bungalow, I have to disconnect and remove this desktop in order to do that. Ah well, nees must.

Many thanks strollin, Old Guys definitely rule!