patrick.net

If the Windows 7 boots in the desktop, it will see a new bios and mobo. I'm not sure that it will handle that smoothly, but you could try. You may need a copy of Win 7, and hope that the key from the sticker works. You could try to see if Win7 is installed on a partition on the drive. The laptop may have an sata drive instead of IDE, and you will need to see if your desktop power supply has an sata connector and if the mobo has sata connectors. You can get adapters for the first part, but I'm not sure about the second. You will also probably need to get a 2.5" laptop drive adapter to mount it in your case if you don't want it resting unattached in the box.

Personally, I would think it would be very cheap and a lot less hassle to get a win7 desktop on craigslist if that is what you are after.

Oh - as far as the ram goes, you will have to check the speed on the ram. Sometimes, it's finicky to mix and match, and the machine should default to the slower speed assuming it is otherwise compatible. If it fits and works, you should run memory tests after the install.

I've got a Samsung Series 7 less than a year use on it. The AC power input, is nortorious for if you run short on cord and at just the right angle. It will totally destroy the input jack conntion. The plastic housing will be busted and broken, leaving the coper wires to short and fry the unit when you stick your plug in for the first time after the traumatic carnage you hardly notice even happened. I took it to Lake Electronics apparently they don't work on electronics anymore they are a glorified You break we fix operation. Buy newsed units from Ebay turn screws and bill you the difference. I don't want to dump another $500 on this laptop so it's just a useless hunk of junk now.

I miss the old days when Laptops were as old as 5 years old and nobody wanted to use them because they were so old.
The worse that went wrong was the batteries went and would stop holdling a charge. But they worked with the cord.

YesYNot says

The laptop may have an sata drive instead of IDE, and you will need to see if your desktop power supply has an sata connector and if the mobo has sata connectors. You can get adapters for the first part, but I'm not sure about the second.

The desktop MB and power supply has provisions for both SATA and IDE drive, and I use both already so I know it works. I've already tested the laptop hard drive in the desktop to see if it works, but haven't booted from it.

YesYNot says

ou will also probably need to get a 2.5" laptop drive adapter to mount it in your case if you don't want it resting unattached in the box.

Of course I will mount it properly.

My main concern here is the whole will it work and will I get Windows 7 updates? I am not sure of the updates parts matters though since I might not ever connect to the internet while booted to this drive.

YesYNot says

Personally, I would think it would be very cheap and a lot less hassle to get a win7 desktop on craigslist if that is what you are after.

I got this broken laptop for free.

Toss it in the trash.

Straw Man says

Toss it in the trash.

Why would I do that when it has parts that I can use elsewhere, or I can maybe fix it and throw out an older laptop that I occasionally use that totally sucks?

Here's a suggested method:

Deinstall software which is only relevant for the old motherboard. (e.g. tools specific for the old Gigabyte 78LMT-S2p). Optionally reboot to finish that.
Run sysprep to reseal your OS. This tool from Microsoft will thouroughly remove all drivers.
Shut down and do not boot the computer again with the old motherboard (else it will just rediscover the old hardware and reinstall the drivers).
Only now migrate to the new motherboard.
Boot, new hardware will be found. It should just work.

The problem is that you cannot boot with the old hardware, b/c it is not working. So IMO, you have to plug it in and hope for the best. Maybe try to boot into safe mode.

zzyzzx is deplorable says

Straw Man says

Toss it in the trash.

Why would I do that when it has parts that I can use elsewhere, or I can maybe fix it and throw out an older laptop that I occasionally use that totally sucks?

Because you'll spend tons of time fixing it and it will still suck hairy monkey balls. Simply because it's a 4GB laptop from 2012 with Win7 OS and mechanical HDD. I have couple of these - hate the fucking things.

YesYNot says

The problem is that you cannot boot with the old hardware, b/c it is not working. So IMO, you have to plug it in and hope for the best. Maybe try to boot into safe mode

Actually on a desktop, I have tried replacing the MB without reinstalling windows and besides installing the drivers for the new motherboard it was pretty seemless and worked just fine. I'm more concerned with the fact that it's an OEM version from a laptop screwing up something.

Straw Man says

Because you'll spend tons of time fixing it and it will still suck hairy monkey balls. Simply because it's a 4GB laptop from 2012 with Win7 OS and mechanical HDD. I have couple of these - hate the fucking things

I agree that it would suck if it were my only PC. I am looking to use this to boot from only whenever I want to use my scanner or refresh the MP3's on my phone (for some reason my HTC Android phone doesn't do that well in Unbutu). Other then that, I will be booting up this desktop with me SSD that has Ubuntu on it. I really don't like going on the internet with Windows, since it's not particularly safe.

I simply pray to the technology god & my problems are solved.
One must have faith.

zzyzzx is deplorable says

Actually on a desktop, I have tried replacing the MB without reinstalling windows and besides installing the drivers for the new motherboard it was pretty seemless and worked just fine.

You were lucky. Usually you can't just move a drive to a new computer and expect things to work. The clean way is to reinstall.
I believe OEM license is not valid on an other computer. It's attached to a computer.

There are also many types of RAM and it's unlikely that you can scavenge RAM and reuse it somewhere else.

just get a macbook pro.