Solved Pre-upgrade of Hardware & change to Win 7

[miztrniceguy]

I currently have a desktop running Win XP Pro 32bit. I am getting ready to do a full hardware upgrade and changeover to Win 7 Pro 64bit. I have been reading thru threads regarding install issues and dual boot issues. I am hoping for tips to make the process go fairly smooth.

Current setup: Intel mobo and cpu 4 gig ram 3 hdd as follows: C: drive is 160 gb WD with XP and installed programs; D: drive is 500 gb WD with data, pictures, some backups, etc. Third drive unlettered by Windows is 160 WD with Hackintosh setup to dual boot via F10 boot menu when desired (OSx Snow Leopard and I will probably need to redo after hardware change, not addressing here)

New setup will be Win 7 Pro 64bit on Samsung 128 gb SSD and then things get tricky. I want to keep XP as secondary OS and keepthe 500 gb drive for data etc. The new hardware is Asus P8Z77-V mobo i5-3570k unlocked, 16 gb Corsair Vengeance 1866 Mhz , Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO.

Since XP drive is currently listed as C: and I gather that during install the SSD where 7 would be installed would need to be C: instead.

What recommendations/suggestions/instructions do you have to smooth things along?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[TwoCables]

Do you want a dual boot menu for both XP and 7?

Is your copy of XP an OEM copy, or Retail?

The reason the XP drive is the C: drive while you're inside of XP is that's the letter that Windows assigns to the drive that it's installed on by default. When you install Windows 7, the drive it's installed on will be the C: drive. When you switch over to XP, the XP drive will be the C: drive and the drive that you have Windows 7 on will be given a different letter by XP (like D: or E: or F or something). When you're in Windows 7, your XP drive will be given a letter by Windows 7 (like D: or E: or F again). They'll be completely independent of each other. So, the drive letter is not a concern at all and one won't (and can't) affect the other.

I recommend leaving the Hackintosh drive disconnected during the installation. I would even recommend leaving the XP drive disconnected so that you have an easier time moving away from XP. I mean, you'll just use the F10 boot menu to boot into XP drive like you do with the Hackintosh drive. That way, when you're finally ready to let go of XP completely, you won't be left with the task of getting rid of a dual boot menu. On top of that, and this is the bigger issue, you won't have the boot sector on your XP drive or the Hackintosh drive because they won't be connected while Windows 7 is being installed. When you install Windows 7, any drives that are connected could get the boot sector placed onto them instead of the drive that you're installing Windows 7 to. This means that the drive with the boot sector on it must be connected in order to start Windows even though it's on a different drive! So that means that if you were to ever get rid of the XP drive completely and if the boot sector were placed on it, then you'd have the task of fixing this problem (which isn't difficult, but it's still irritating).

Also, when you boot to the XP drive with this new motherboard, you will need to switch your SATA mode over to IDE mode first. Its default setting is AHCI mode. Otherwise, XP will blue screen during startup.

Then when you go back to Windows 7, you have to switch it back to AHCI mode first otherwise Windows 7 will blue screen during startup.

Of course, you could just install Windows 7 in IDE mode and deal with the slightly inferior performance of IDE mode until you're completely done with XP. At that time, there's a simple change you can make in the Windows 7 registry to prepare it for switching the BIOS back over to AHCI mode so that when you go back into Windows 7 after making that switch in the BIOS, it won't blue screen during startup.

Getting back to XP: there's also a possibility that it will need to be reinstalled clean in order to continue working. So, prepare for that possibility.

That's all I can think of right now.

 

[miztrniceguy]

TwoCables, both XP and 7 are full retail versions. I do intend to leave Hackintosh drive disconnected during install, and will go ahead and disconnect XP drive, too. I am perfectly ok with having access to XP from f10 at boot up like I do when I want to access Hackintosh. I just want to have the ability to do so, if I need to. Thanks for the tip on the ahci/ide mode. I will probably have to buy an ide card to have all drives. the 500 gb drive is sata but not sure which standard, the ssd is sata III.

 

[TwoCables]

TwoCables, both XP and 7 are full retail versions. I do intend to leave Hackintosh drive disconnected during install, and will go ahead and disconnect XP drive, too. I am perfectly ok with having access to XP from f10 at boot up like I do when I want to access Hackintosh. I just want to have the ability to do so, if I need to. Thanks for the tip on the ahci/ide mode. I will probably have to buy an ide card to have all drives. the 500 gb drive is sata but not sure which standard, the ssd is sata III.

You may not need any special card. I'm referring to a SATA mode that can be toggled in the BIOS. XP was very likely installed in IDE mode on the old motherboard, but the new motherboard you're going to have has a default setting of AHCI mode. So, I recommend checking the manual to learn how to toggle this setting so that it's very easy to do so. I had it set up this way when I was still in transition between XP and 7 and it worked very nicely. I would switch to IDE mode before booting to XP, and then I would switch back to AHCI mode when I booted into Windows 7.

However, if your XP drive is an IDE drive and not a SATA drive, then you would need special hardware to make it work.

Also, avoid the dark blue (navy blue) SATA ports. Use the white and light blue ports first. The white ports are SATA III and the light blue ones are SATA II. I recommend putting the hard drives on the light blue ports and the the solid state drive on one of the white ones. The dark blue (navy blue) ports are controlled by the ASMedia controller, and it's inferior than the Intel chipset that controls the other ports.

 

[miztrniceguy]

I know how to toggle the mode in the bios. My reference to a card is because both 160 gb drives are ide and there is only 1 header on the new board. Thanks for the tip on the SATA ports, too. I need to check the 500gb drive to see if SATA II or III,

 

[gregrocker]

There's no reason to believe XP will start up if you plug it in to a new mobo. It may require running a XP Repair Install with all other HD's unplugged to adjust it to the new hardware.

Then unplug XP and plug in Win7 target HD to Clean Reinstall, the steps will also assure a perfect retail install.

After install plug back in the XP HD, boot it when needed using the one-time BIOS Boot Menu key for your mobo. If this isn't satisfactory install EasyBCD (click Download - no Name or Email required) to Win7 to add XP. You can just as easily remove it using EasyBCD Edit OS menu, and either drive will still work if other is removed.

 

[TwoCables]

I know how to toggle the mode in the bios. My reference to a card is because both 160 gb drives are ide and there is only 1 header on the new board. Thanks for the tip on the SATA ports, too. I need to check the 500gb drive to see if SATA II or III,

Only one IDE port is needed on a port when you have two IDE drives.

If the 500 GB turns out to be SATA III, you can still get its maximum speed on SATA II because it's still a slow, mechanical hard drive.

 

[miztrniceguy]

True, but I left out that my LG Super multi DVD writer is IDE not SATA so that leaves me short a spot. Maybe I will upgrade it.

 

[TwoCables]

I like the idea of upgrading it because it could cost only $20.

 

[miztrniceguy]

me too. was just looking at them, and just ordered an Asus DRW-24B1ST

 

[miztrniceguy]

Well, I was wrong. There are 0 IDE headers, so I needed to use the card anyway. Previous board had card due to only 1 header. So I have it for the 160 GB drive that has XP. Eventually I will replace the drive with a SATA drive, but for now I have blown my budget having to upgrade PSU and add the new DVD drive. Went with Corsair CX600. Also surprised board does not have 3-pin fan connections. Was able to connect directly to PSU tho with adapter.

So far boots to 7 ok, and recognizes both 500 and 160 HDD (left out Hackintosh for now). On to next step of getting XP to boot. Will try Gregockers advice to do repair XP install and see if that does it.

 

[gregrocker]

Be sure to unplug all but the XP HD during repair or it will steal the Win7 boot.

Once XP starts set Win7 to boot first in BIOS setup, then use one-time BIOS boot menu key to trigger XP when needed or install EasyBCD to Win7 to add XP to a Windows Boot Menu which will nonetheless keep each HD independent to boot on its own if needed.

 

[miztrniceguy]

hmmm...tried to do the XP repair with all drives disconnected except drive with XP. It is iDE and had connected on first plug of ribbon cable. had jumper set to "cable select" . When it got to where it is supposed to select which instance of Window s to repair there is none listed. when I go to bios the drive is not listed either. When I had all 3 drive connected Win 7 saw the drive. I had changed SATA mode to IDE in bios. Now I disconnected XP drive and booted back to 7 and when it completed loading it said not valid Windows install. Validation online did not work, had to do it by phone. Now I get "untrusted connection" on every tab in Firefox. Win 7 gives update error "an error occurred while checking for new updates for your computer. erro code 80072f8f

edited: system clock issue caused both the update error and untrusted connection error.

 

[gregrocker]

You'd have to reactivate anyway on change of hardware. Sometimes it needs your verbal authorization that only one install exists so it can deactivate the previous install if it goes online again.

Is there any chance XP was installed in a SATA mode previously? Otherwise I don't know why it isn't detected for XP Repair install which is the second "Repair" choice given after booting into CD - except that sometimes it isn't present as an option for various reasons that are fading in memory. Did you try to boot it anyway?

The alternative is to boot Paragon Adaptive Restore CD freeware which I have to share, which will adjust OS to changed hardware.

 

[miztrniceguy]

I had activated Win 7 Friday after I had first installed it . I think it was caused by the system clock error red-flagging during Windows Update process. The hardware change since then was the drive with XP on it and the attempt to boot to XP. That issue is fixed.

The drive XP is on is not a SATA drive. The 500 GB drive is the SATA drive but it doesn't have an OS. It doesn't seem to detect the drive at all,

 

[gregrocker]

How are you plugging the IDE cable into the mobo? I'd check that arrangement and the jumper settings.

 

[miztrniceguy]

IDE drive plugged into PCIe card with first plug on ribbon. jumper set to middle (master or slave present) . When booting to 7 drive is listed. When no jumper or in 1st slot from right (cable select) drive does not show in Windows or bios.

 

[miztrniceguy]

tried again XP repair and again has no instance listed. If I try recovery console it goes to command prompt with only choice to type exit to quit.

 

[miztrniceguy]

when I open Win 7 I see drive. And that is the only way I see it. Also tried connecting to usb via ext ide to usb cable. no dice

 

[gregrocker]

You may be missing drivers for PCI card or SATA controller which is a chronic problem now on newer hardware with XP. Be sure you're using XP w/SP3 CD and if necessary supply SATA Drivers - Slipstream into Windows XP CD or if you have ancient floppy support provide SATA Drivers - Load in Windows XP Setup on Dual Boot

Try plugging the IDE drive into a SATA port using adapter, or reimage XP onto a SATA HD or partition on the Win7 HD.

This may be handled much easier by simply virtualizing XP in Win7 using freeware like XP Mode, VMWare, or Virtual Box or Player.