I have the same operating system (XP home/SP3) on two separate hard drives on two separate computers. I want to take one of the hard drives and install it in the other computer--as is, without having to format the hard drive or anything else; except, perhaps, to adjust the jumpers. Can this be done without my having to mess around with such items as CMOS, BIOS and other technical features of which I am not familiar? I'd be sincerely grateful if someone would help me out with this.

Im assuming that the computer are not exactly the same, in that the motherboard are not the same? This is still possible, what you would have to do is replace the harddrive and perform a REPAIR install of Windows, this does not mean you need to format or loose your data, you just need to perform a repair install. here is one of many guides you can find on Google for how to perform a repair install. you can then install your motherboard chipset, sound and any other drivers that you need. Let us know if it works. Thanks,

Wow!, AlwaysWillingToLearn. Your response was lightening fast! I really appreciate that. I'll follow through on what you suggested; and I'll let you know how I made out. I am grateful.

AlwaysWillingToLearn First, you are correct that there are two motherboards. Second, I went back over your comments to follow through on your suggestions; but, I got a little confused about replacing the hard drive and performing a repair-install. So, I searched Google, as you suggested, for information that would help me with the repair-install that you mentioned. I found a lot of material. I even downloaded some of it to read later; but none of what I read showed me how to do a repair-install on a hard drive that was being installed in a case that already has its own hard drive and motherboard system, even though the hard drives are exact copies of each other. What do you think. Can I transfer and install the one hard drive to its new home, adjust the jumpers and then perform the repair-install? Or should I try or do something else, altogether? I am so interested in keeping the hard drive I wish to transfer because it is coming form an older computer and it is much, much larger than the other hard drive (140 gigs compared to 40 gigs). I'd appreciate any helpful suggestion.

No worries at all... Ah hold on a second, are you saying that in the end you will have one machine with two harddrives, or are you swapping the harddrives over from one to the other? reason i ask is because, if you are intending on using them both in ONE machine then you can merely add the other one as a slave and do not need to perform any repair install or format but Windows will still boot from the original harddrive. However if you want the hard drive that you are putting into the machine to be your primary (master) and you want it to boot windows then you will need to perform the repair install. So just to tie up if you are taking one hardrive and placing into another WITHOUT removing the original harddrive in that machine, you can add it as a slave by changing the jumpers and do NOT need to perform any repair installs. If however you want to boot windows from that drive then you will need to perform a repair install. let me know how the configurations of both machines will look after the swap to allow me to understand what you are wanting. Hope this helps, hard to explain stuff sometimes over messages but im trying my best.

AlwaysWillingToLearn, You came through like a champ! I do want to put both hard-drives in the one case. And as soon as I finish this message, I'll do what you instructed. If I do this right, I'll be able to write you back with a happy grin on my face. Thanks for your time and expertise. I am grateful.

No worries mate and yes please do come back with your comments as this should hopefully help someone else one day. Hopefully you will come back with a grin :)