This is quite possibly a very stupid question, and I've tried searching for an answer already, but I'm having trouble finding an answer to exactly what I'm asking...
I have a laptop that recently died (processor cooling fan crapped out) that was running Windows 8, and I have a working Desktop with Windows XP (32bit), but what I want to know is, if I put the HDD from the laptop into my external enclosure and try to boot off of it on the Desktop, how would I go about making it work?
Most things I found when searching only say to change the boot order of the drives, but they don't address anything after that, and a previous attempt of mine with an older laptop HDD with Vista ended with boot errors, forced me into a recovery mode to fix said boot errors, failed to fix said boot errors and instead made it worse, and now it doesn't even work, telling me to use the install disk to repair, which the laptop didn't come with... I'm worried I might get a similar issue with the Windows 8 HDD, because it too has no install disk(only a virtual recovery drive partition).
I know my best option would be to just get a new computer/laptop, but I'm unemployed at present and can't afford to buy one, and the software I'm using for some stuff needs to be running on a 64bit OS, or it just won't run.... For the moment, I'm stuck with what I have and just need to make it work...
Ideas...?
Answering the question directly: The Operating System on the donor hard drive will not boot the computer. Even if they had architecture parity (32-to-32 bit or 64-to-64 bit), the "magic" of the Windows Installation process is the hardware compatibility list. Most of the drivers in Windows that are put in during the installation process are system level ones specific to your computer's processor, motherboard, front side and back side bus, and other drivers.
Why does this matter? Starting with XP, the hardware drivers that weren't expected to change have no easy or predictable mechanism to be removed and reinstalled. (This isn't absolute of course, and some hobbyists may have finagled Windows to activate when it shouldn't, but it's still significant enough that 1 or 2 wrong drivers can BSOD you before boot even occurs. Is the effort worth it?) You might get lucky if it's an OEM disc where the Hardware Compatibility List is cherry picked to that vendor's product lines and we're talking the same OEM on your desktop and laptop (i.e.: Dell Laptop and Dell Desktop.) But even then, the distance apart from when both were purchased may make enough of a difference not to work either.
And while mentioning OEM, if your desktop and laptop are from different makers, using an OEM Copy of Windows on a different system is against the license terms (Microsoft made it clear: Laptop copies of Windows sold with laptop machines "live and die" with the computer. There is no right to move Windows from an OEM machine to another one.) I'm not going to say "illegal", I have yet to see someone I know get shaken down by the fuzz for one pilfered copy of Windows, but if it fails to activate, at least you know why.
My advice? Depends on what you're after when you say "make it work"...
-- Do you want your files back on the XP machine? You don't need to boot your laptop hard drive to pull that off. NTFS has been supported since Windows 2000. Just put the laptop hard drive into an enclosure, and plug it into your booted XP system. (Be aware that larger hard drives past 2TB may not be readable.)
-- Do you want to make the hard drive a part of your desktop? You can add it into your desktop (even if it's the 2.5" variety, adapter plates are available for SSD Drives in desktops: they accomplish the same goal), erase the contents and enjoy some more space. Granted, the same disclaimer about 2TB drives applies from above.
-- Do you want to install Windows 7/8 on your desktop? I might get static for saying this from FatherXMas (who is far better at this stuff than I am: I do work in IT for a living, but I'm a generalist at best.) If you are still into gaming, you could try to eke out another year or two from the system by installing Windows 7 on it, but with older "64-bit" hardware you might get more reliable performance out of it forcing it down to a 32-bit installation. A smaller memory footprint may work better for you on that machine. It's a sacrifice based on your 64-bit apps that you like, but at least you can play something. (And with 4GB, it's doable, but you'll hit some pretty frequent walls with that little memory these days.)
Bear in mind that the emphasis here is on the term "eke". High-end GeForce 8XXX/9XXX cards are now the low-end of the stick concerning most games and in a few more generations, they will be excluded from newer titles. Not to mention other equipment going out/down (memory, current Hard Drive, Power Supply.) Are you comfortable fixing parts of your desktop piecemeal when it happens? And more importantly, IF you can fix it? Especially with power supplies: when they go down, they often take other parts with them. This may sound like excess FUD, but the older a PC gets, the more likely it is to happen.
Would $99 for Windows work to keep it running for another year? Perhaps. Would putting it away, then drudging through with what you have and putting more and money away until a windfall comes to let you buy a ~$400 pre-made creampuff you can upgrade later into a respectable gaming system make more sense? (Especially refurbished: They're out there.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4GH2C45532. You might want to slap a better card for graphics in it, but at least you can.) And if you have a monitor that's higher than 1366 x 768 (I know, that's a crap size, but it's functional for crying out loud), just reuse your KVM from your prior desktop.
I'm not trying to confuse you: you always have options. Even if you don't like what's in front of you right now. My vote? Laptop repair sucks... I've got big hands, and the wrong amount of pressure breaks un-replaceable plastic joints in a snap cover. (It'll work when you're finished, but it may not come back together 100%, ruining portability and airflow. Just wait.
I can already hear the replies, "You're supposed to do it slowly and be careful." Want it in COH terms? My heart is that of a blaster; I didn't cry in Trigun when Wolfwood died (Spoiler alert? Bah, it's been almost 20 years), nor when Rem died in space trying to save everyone. I cried when the Angel Gun was fired for the last time at Knives. Any blaster would.
Point is, I'm not the careful type.
