Got my first build done, but a question...

[SuprchargdMazda]

Built a computer and got it working, but I used an old 20gb HDD with windows xp on it. I have my new 200gb sata drive coming in from newegg on like tuesday probably, and I don't have a bootable version of the windows xp cd, i just have the upgrade cd. Whats my solution to getting the new HDD set up without resorting to transferring the files off this old one to the new one because I don't want to do that. I was thinking I could download Linux and create the startup cd with that? And then is it possible to transfer over to windows from linux when I get the hdd going with linux first?

[Staren]

The thing with linux won't work. Not legal anyway. The cheapest thing to do would probobly be to find a copy of 98 or ME in a bargin bin or maybe on eBay. Other then that, an OEM full version of XP Home is about $90 at newegg.

[juppy]

If you have an upgrade version of Windows XP, then it should be bootable just like a full version is. From what I understand, the only difference is the fact that you need to be able to show during the install procedure that you actually had another full version of Windows on there, whether it be 98, 98se, ME, 2000, etc. Just set the bios to boot from the cd first and do the format and install like you would with the normal full XP cd. At some point it will ask you for verification of the *old* windows version, at which point you'll insert the old windows cd. After it verifies it's a full original copy of a previous version, it should go ahead and install like normal and you'd use the key # that came with the upgrade cd for activation.

One note: This is only if you have the actual upgrade cd. The recovery cd like comes with Dell's, Gateway's, and other oem's are not full versions and won't generally work like this.