Using, setting up old PC

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I’d like to use my old Dell (XP) with no Internet connection, just as a backup. The CRT monitor that came with it broke; I’d like to get another CRT, not buy new flat one. In setting it up, would I just plug it in, connect the cables and install an OS. I’ve upgraded my latest machine to Win 7 but don’t think I can use it on more than one computer; I might have to buy Vista. Thanks for any help you all can give me in being able to use my old PC just as a backup. ec (I wasn’t sure what subject heading to post this in).

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I’d like to use my old Dell (XP) with no Internet connection, just as a backup. .

ellenc,
Hello… Here is a slightly different approach…Why not “dual boot ” your old XP to your new Windows “7” machine? If your interested in doing this post back ,and i can supply details on how this could be done.. (all for free) :cheers: Regards Fred

PS: stay away from “Vista” if possible

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You should be able to attach a CRT to your old Dell and it should work with no additional effort.

Reinstalling XP on a Dell is very easy if you have your original Dell Restore Disk. Using the Dell CD will eliminate a request for the product key during installation and online activation after installation. I would go to Dell’s website and download the driver software for your old computer BEFORE installing XP. Windows will typically find everything it needs except for the drivers required for the network interface card, audio, and video.

All you’ll need do after Windows installation is run Windows Update until your OS has no critical updates due and add security (i.e. Microsoft Security Essentials) and you should be good to go.

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Another option if you only want it used for backup is to install the hard drive in an enclosure and use it as an external hard drive. Here are some from Tiger Direct.

JB

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ellenc,
Hello… Here is a slightly different approach…Why not “dual boot ” your old XP to your new Windows “7” machine? If your interested in doing this post back ,and i can supply details on how this could be done.. (all for free) :cheers: Regards Fred

PS: stay away from “Vista” if possible

Hi Fred – Can you give some tips on “dual boot”?

Thanks

PS : I want to try it on a couple of older systems.

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Hi Fred – Can you give some tips on “dual boot”?

Thanks

tfspry,
Hello… Yes… There are a few ways of doing this, first a few questions
1. What OS’s do you want to “Dual Boot”?
2. Do you plan on using another drive (internal or external)?
3. Are you planning to just partition your main C: drive? If so how much extra space is there?
4. Do you have an Imaging program?
5. Do you have the original Disk for the program you wish to install as a second OS?
6. Are there two PC’s involved… Want to move the old OS to the New?
7. This area i have no knowledge in ….sometimes there are “licensing questions”
involved (OEM installs etc.)…
Bottom line …This is done all the time … Just might take a little “fooling with ” to achieve what you want.:cheers: Regards Fred

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tfspry,
Hello… Yes… There are a few ways of doing this, first a few questions
1. What OS’s do you want to “Dual Boot”?
2. Do you plan on using another drive (internal or external)?
3. Are you planning to just partition your main C: drive? If so how much extra space is there?
4. Do you have an Imaging program?
5. Do you have the original Disk for the program you wish to install as a second OS?
6. Are there two PC’s involved… Want to move the old OS to the New?
7. This area i have no knowledge in ….sometimes there are “licensing questions”
involved (OEM installs etc.)…
Bottom line …This is done all the time … Just might take a little “fooling with ” to achieve what you want.:cheers: Regards Fred

Hello Fred – Thanks for the quick reply.
Hope these are answers to your questions….
1) XP PRO SP3 and Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit
2) I have internal, external USB, and network drives available
3) I can partition C: or use another internal drive/partition… all drives/partitions have more than 20 GB available
4) I have Acronis TI 2010, Macrium Reflect avail for clones/backups
5) I am contemplating purchasing WIN 7 Home Premium for 3 Users for $110
6) I have more than two systems I’d like to try this on. Those systems currently have Win XP Pro SP3
7) I believe all licenses will be valid. Existing XP licences are OEM from Dell

Hope these are answers you needed.

Thanks again

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tfspry,
Hello… OK sounds like you have all or most of what you need. Multi booting is fun ( for me) as it provides endless opportunities to mess with MS. Once you have done this you will realize that you are the one that’s in control of your PC, and you will be no longer afraid to try anything… Now when i get a “Black screen ” all i say is ” Wow didn’t know that would happen!” no big deal…. i can fix this. Let get started…

1. First and most important …Make a backup of your OS , and save it to a data disk or external location. ( My “Data Drive” is independent from my OS’s) Two places is better.

2. Get a free copy of “G parted”, Partition magic”, Partition Wizard” etc. download and burn the disk…. Run which ever one you choose and get to know it ..at least to some extent.

3. Create a “new partition” ( your choice ) Decide Which OS you want to be the default ahead of time… EX: I like ( for some unknown male reason) to have my default on “Disk 0 first partition” I did not do this and later when i switched things around, i had lots of problems with Acronis 2010 T&D…another story.

4. In your example …you would then load the Windows 7 disk and when prompted … tell it where to put the new OS (partition or Drive)

5. Windows will make it self the “big dog” and become the Default OS.( not to worry )

6. At boot time Windows will provide you a screen to let you choose which system to boot up….

OK… that was the simplest way …if your happy your done. However … i would then load EASY BCD (NeoSmart free) to both OS’s …you can then “adjust” things the way you want… ex: can rename and assign drive letters .. Rearrange the boot sequence, etc….this is handy if you want to add more things like a “LINUX” system in the mix…Read through the links to make yourself comfortable with the whole procedure

http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html
http://lifehacker.com/#!5126781/how-to-dual-boot-windows-7-with-xp-or-vista:cheers:Regards Fred

PS: this is also for “ellenc” in her original post

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Hi Fred – Thanks much for the info. I just placed an order for Win 7. Will keep you posted on progress!!!

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A Google search shows many web sites with instructions on how to partition and create a dual boot system. I have found that I learn better by checking multiple sources and reading everything I can find on a subject. Good Luck with your project!

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A Google search shows many web sites with instructions on how to partition and create a dual boot system. I have found that I learn better by checking multiple sources and reading everything I can find on a subject. Good Luck with your project!

Hi Ted – Thank you for the links. I am looking forward to tackling this project on a couple of older Dell’s.

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http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx

to make sure you can run Win 7

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There is an easier way to dual-boot since you have Acronis True Image Home 2010. The program has an OS Selector module already built in. This allows you to create, run and manage at least two, possibly more, OS versions on the same hard drive. Any partitioning program can be used to create the necessary partitions, and the you just install the OSes into their partitions.

Note: I also have Acronis Disk Director 10 installed, so the OS Selector may be part of Disk Director. I like to have both the partitioning tools and the backup tools from one company, for better integration of features.

Windows 7 must come first, then Windows XP. Linux can be installed without using GRUB as its Boot Manager, and Linux can be run from any partition on any disk, even an Extended (non-Primary) Partition. Try all three (Win7, Win XP, and Linux) and have the best of all worlds.

If the computer is older, I would not try Win7 unless you have the Starter Edition available, due to hardware requirements. Linux works much better than Win7 on older computers. For an older Dell computer, I would choose Ubuntu Linux over other distros. I agree with the advice to stay away from Windows Vista.

-- rc primak

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Win7 may well run OK on any desktop machine purchased in at least the past 5 – 6 years, and on some older ones as well. Its processor demands aren’t all that much heavier than XP’s, especially if you disable some of the eye-candy (e.g., Aero). It does want at least 1 GB of RAM to work with (preferably more), though people have managed to get it running – or at least walking briskly – on less.

There are some caveats to multi-booting Vista or Win7 with older systems (certainly older Windows systems, and perhaps older Linuxes as well). One well-known one is that if you let XP access an NTFS partition with Vista/Win7 restore points on it those restore points may be deleted (XP doesn’t understand their structure and considers them errors or trash; Win2K may or may not be more tolerant).

A lesser-known one (though acknowledged by Microsoft) is that mixing use of Win7/Vista Disk Management (or third-party utilities that manage partitions in the new Vista/Win7 idiom) with XP or older Disk Management (or third-party utilities that manage partitions in that idiom) can result in lost partitions: either use Vista/Win7 for all partition management, or XP/earlier for all partition management, or modify the Vista/Win7 registries to use the old-style mechanisms (and make sure that any third-party software running on them will honor the old style as well), or modify the XP registry to honor the new-style management (and make sure that any third-party partitioning software running on XP will honor it as well).

Extensive discussion of these and other multi-booting issues can be found at http://www.multibooters.co.uk

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(inadvertently double-posted when the posting process hung)

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