Can I take a WXP HDD out of PC, swap into optical bay of MBP?

[chrisbursing]

I'm hoping someone brilliant (well, relative to me - which shouldn't be hard...) can help me with a specific scenario. I have a work computer (XP) that I can't stand for hardware. I'd love, love, love to be able to use my MBP (15" late '10 model) for both home/work. I ordered the OptiDrive hard drive enclosure from MCE so I can install a 2nd hard drive in my MBP. I'd love to simply take the HDD from my PC, put it in as a 2ndary HDD on my MBP and just boot that exactly image of XP from my MBP (exact image so it retains all authorizations/certificates, etc... so I can get on the intranet). Will that work? Do I just put the Windows HDD in my MBP and hope Boot Camp finds it or am I being naive?

Thanks in advance for all help. This is driving me absolutely nuts (I NEED to be using new hardware at work, but IT doesn't seem to agree...)

 

[balamw]

or am I being naive?

You are being naive.

XP is not portable. Once you make it portable, you need to reactivate because you are on new hardware. (i.e. you will proabably lose some of the authorizations you want to keep).

Finally, going around the IT policies of your employer without explicit permission is a sure way to ask to be put on the short list should anyone have to lose their job. Take it up with your supervisor and buy the guys in IT donuts/pizza/beer until they see it your way.

B

 

[chrisbursing]

You are being naive.

XP is not portable. Once you make it portable, you need to reactivate because you are on new hardware. (i.e. you will proabably lose some of the authorizations you want to keep).

Finally, going around the IT policies of your employer without explicit permission is a sure way to ask to be put on the short list should anyone have to lose their job. Take it up with your supervisor and buy the guys in IT donuts/pizza/beer until they see it your way.

B

Not the answer I was hoping for, but somewhat expecting. Thanks for the input. I know that it brings up a whole host of security concerns/issues, but I just wish my company would adopt the strategy of some big companies like Kraft and let us choose whatever hardware/os we want to use.

 

[balamw]

Not the answer I was hoping for, but somewhat expecting. Thanks for the input. I know that it brings up a whole host of security concerns/issues, but I just wish my company would adopt the strategy of some big companies like Kraft and let us choose whatever hardware/os we want to use.

The fact that they're still on XP should tell you that's unlikely to change.

Does whatever you do potentially work well in a VM? You could ask to see if they would make you a custom XP VM for your Mac.

B

 

[chrisbursing]

The fact that they're still on XP should tell you that's unlikely to change.

Does whatever you do potentially work well in a VM? You could ask to see if they would make you a custom XP VM for your Mac.

B

Interesting you should suggest... So they gave me an OLD MBP to use awhile back (which I still haven't given back) that has a Virtual XP on it. However, I don't want to use that hardware since it's falling apart. I thought I could just "transfer" that virtual XP over to my new (personal) MBP with Parallels and be off and running. However, for some reason, Parallels on the new machine resists the virtual XP.

I've literally tried every way I can think of to circumvent, but it looks like they may have defeated me.