PC failed - another system - now won't boot from HDD

[Mark]

Hi

My PC failed, so I was given another system - a Dell desktop 2004 model
Optiplex GX270.

I had put a new HDD IDE drive in the old PC with Win XP SP3 installed. So I
put it in the 'new' system. Now it won't boot from this HDD.

Without success, I have tried booting from the CD and repairing as described
at
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

The original HDD from the Dell runs ok and I can get this HDD to load. I can
then access the troublesome drive as D: once I've booted. Everything appears
to be there.

I've spent hours and cannot get it to boot.

I want it to boot so that I can access the registry and run the programs on
it.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Cheers
Mark

 

[Malke]

Hi

My PC failed, so I was given another system - a Dell desktop 2004 model
Optiplex GX270.

I had put a new HDD IDE drive in the old PC with Win XP SP3 installed. So
I put it in the 'new' system. Now it won't boot from this HDD.

Without success, I have tried booting from the CD and repairing as
described at
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

The original HDD from the Dell runs ok and I can get this HDD to load. I
can then access the troublesome drive as D: once I've booted. Everything
appears to be there.

I've spent hours and cannot get it to boot.

I want it to boot so that I can access the registry and run the programs
on it.

If the Repair Install didn't work, there are too many differences between
the old system and the new one. A clean install would need to be done.
Since you have a working XP box now with the Dell, copy your data over to
it from the old hard drive and reinstall your programs from installation
media. Move on.

Malke

 

[Mark]

Hi Malke

Now I am panicking!

Are you sure that is the case?

To reinstall all the applications and get everything working is very
difficult and is not an acceptable option.

In my opinion it is pretty poor that my computer can fail and I can't put my
HDD into another and not get it to work.

Mark

 

[Malke]

Hi Malke

Now I am panicking!

Are you sure that is the case?

To reinstall all the applications and get everything working is very
difficult and is not an acceptable option.

In my opinion it is pretty poor that my computer can fail and I can't put
my HDD into another and not get it to work.

There is nothing "poor" about this. That's the way computers and operating
systems work. It isn't limited to Windows.

1. Copy your data to your working install.
2. Install programs from installation media.
3. Configure the computer to be exactly as you like.

Note: The above normally takes approximately 3 hours from start to finish.
It is annoying, but not a huge deal. It will not even take you that long
since you already have a working XP installation.

4. Purchase an external hard drive and Acronis True Image. Image your
perfect install and store the image on the external hard drive. TI also
does incremental backups. Now if you need to restore - ON THE SAME HARDWARE
- it will only take a few minutes.

Malke

 

[Mark]

Thanks Malke, much appreciated

I believe it is 'poor' as on earlier versions of Windows and other
operating systems it was not a big deal. One just had to swap the HDD, and
it would at least be running in a few minutes. Then all one needed to do was
tweak it.

I do have backups of most stuff. But my setup has been developed over a long
time is very complicated. Thus, it is annoying that it is going to take many
hours to fix.

I've already spend quite a few hours, and I've got a lot more to go yet.

Why can't XP simply revert to a generic setup when all else fails. Surely
that is not too much to ask?

But that is not to say I'm ungrateful for your assistance.

So, thanks for your help. Taking your time to answer is much appreciated.

Cheers

Mark

 

[Mark]

Btw.
(Been working on new setup for a couple of hours)

Would it be possible to clone the old drive now? ie as it is presently a
secondary drive.

My thought is to clone it to my USB external drive (or alternatively
reinstall my 500gb interanl 'backup' drive [which is still sitting on the
desk], reinstall XP on the old HDD from the CD, then reapply the cloned
image.

Then I can go back to using it as my primary drive which is my prefered
option.

Thanks

 

[Dragomir Kollaric]

There is nothing "poor" about this. That's the way computers and operating
systems work. It isn't limited to Windows.

Sorry I peg to differ, with the OS of my choice, I could
very well transfer it from one PC with a complete different
hardware to a much older model. First PC was a AMD Athlon
1800 the other was a PII with less then 600MB of Ram. The
only thing I needed to change was the driver for the
video-card, and that wasn't difficult.

<cut>

I've a Magazine here that contains instructions on how to
make a *back-up* copy of win95/98. It boils down simply to
copy the folders "Windows" and "System" and give them new
names. Now if something goes haywire, one can (I guess under
DOS) simply rename the 4 Folders, and get a working System
back in 5 minutes. Couldn't the same be done under XP? And
no I don't have the opportunity to try it myself....

Malke

Dragomir Kollaric[/QUOTE]

 

[Bob I]

Sorry I peg to differ, with the OS of my choice, I could
very well transfer it from one PC with a complete different
hardware to a much older model. First PC was a AMD Athlon
1800 the other was a PII with less then 600MB of Ram. The
only thing I needed to change was the driver for the
video-card, and that wasn't difficult.

<cut>

I've a Magazine here that contains instructions on how to
make a *back-up* copy of win95/98. It boils down simply to
copy the folders "Windows" and "System" and give them new
names. Now if something goes haywire, one can (I guess under
DOS) simply rename the 4 Folders, and get a working System
back in 5 minutes. Couldn't the same be done under XP? And
no I don't have the opportunity to try it myself....

Nope, thats not always possible in the NT operating systems, they are
more stable than that. Under the old DOS systems you could do that, and
that was one of the features that lead to their instability.

 

[Dragomir Kollaric]

Nope, thats not always possible in the NT operating
systems, they are more stable than that. Under the old DOS
systems you could do that, and that was one of the
features that lead to their instability.

OK, but who would run "DOS" all the time given they had
other choices? Haven't been using NT based OS's at all, so I
don't know much them. But I need to hang out in these
groups, to pick up bits and pieces of advice for people who
can't really keep their PC up to date.... And if I can offer
a little myself if I'm able.



Dragomir Kollaric[/QUOTE]

 

[Bill in Co.]

OK, but who would run "DOS" all the time given they had
other choices? Haven't been using NT based OS's at all, so I
don't know much them.

Come again? You're (essentially) using one right now, as contrasted with
the Win9x line, if you're using WinXP.

 

[Dragomir Kollaric]

On 2008-08-29, Bill in Co. hit the keyboard and wrote:

Come again? You're (essentially) using one right now, as contrasted with
the Win9x line, if you're using WinXP.

No I'm *NOT* using any MS OS at ALL here at my own PC.


Dragomir Kollaric[/QUOTE]

 

[Mark]

All I'm wanting to do is something that one would assume would be quite
easy.

System failure. Remove HDD. Put it in another (newer) PC. Presto away it
goes. Tweak to accommodate newer system.

I don't think that is too much to ask from NT based system or anything else.

Considering the resources that MS have, it is a shame that they do not
accommodate this or throw some resources to making it happen. Surely we can
have a generic fallback position for occasions such as this without loosing
many many hours of work - so far restoring my system has taken about 35
hours to get it all running up to speed. Now I remember that some IS depts.
have to 'pay' for downtime of PCs. If that were the case here, I'm sure MS
would come up with something quick smart.

Mark

 

[Bill in Co.]

All I'm wanting to do is something that one would assume would be quite
easy.

System failure. Remove HDD. Put it in another (newer) PC. Presto away it
goes. Tweak to accommodate newer system.

No. There is no "presto" here, since all the hardware is different.

I don't think that is too much to ask from NT based system or anything
else.

Yeah, it is, since all the hardware is different, and all the preexisting
software has to somehow magically interface with that new hardware. So
when you put that HD in the new computer, what do you expect (unless it were
an *identical* computer)??? There is no intelligent life form in there to
be able to sort the whole mess out, and it IS a mess, with all that
different hardware. If you're lucky, you can run the repair option, and
hope for the best.

 

[Dragomir Kollaric]

All I'm wanting to do is something that one would assume would be quite
easy.

System failure. Remove HDD. Put it in another (newer) PC. Presto away it
goes. Tweak to accommodate newer system.

I don't think that is too much to ask from NT based system or anything else.

Have you read my previous post? I moved a complete installation from
one PC to another with a complete different Hardware. Unfortunately
for you this wasn't done with Windows, aren't you curios which OS
allows something like this?

Considering the resources that MS have, it is a shame that they do not
accommodate this or throw some resources to making it happen. Surely we can
have a generic fallback position for occasions such as this without loosing
many many hours of work - so far restoring my system has taken about 35
hours to get it all running up to speed. Now I remember that some IS depts.
have to 'pay' for downtime of PCs. If that were the case here, I'm sure MS
would come up with something quick smart.

You forget, that the license is very restricted, I'm sure some-one
can fill you in.

Mark

Dragomir Kollaric[/QUOTE]

 

[Mark]

aren't you curios which OS allows something like this?

Yes, Dragomir, I am, but have not had chance to get back to it. So which is
it?

I've used CPM, Unix, DR Dos, MS Dos and Windows from 1.1. Plus an old Midi
OS and a couple of proprietary systems in the mid '80s for special tasks -
can't remember names off hand.

As far as I know, all of these would do what I want except Win NT based
systems. Hence my frustration.

In the past of dropped HDD into many machines and away they go. Obviously,
not done in the last couple of yrs.

Cheers...

 

[Dragomir Kollaric]

Yes, Dragomir, I am, but have not had chance to get back to it. So which is
it?

I've used CPM, Unix, DR Dos, MS Dos and Windows from 1.1. Plus an old Midi
OS and a couple of proprietary systems in the mid '80s for special tasks -
can't remember names off hand.

As far as I know, all of these would do what I want except Win NT based
systems. Hence my frustration.

I've installed Gnu/Linux (Ubuntu version) on the box.

The motherboard in my PC died, and I figured I'll give it a
shot, dropped the HDD from one PC (AthlonXP 1800) into a
older Pentium II. Figured that if it would not work I could
at least transfer the data to the spare HDD, but lo and
behold it worked, had to edit on boot-up the boot-loader and
then later the file for it. Hooked up the same monitor, used
the same NIC with the same IP...

I've installed the same OS at a friends PC, in the same way,
but we could never get the modem to work. It was a so called
"win-modem" and can't get to work in Gnu/Linux.

Other then that everything else got up and running.

So yes I can understand your frustration, but I better stop
the OT now....

In the past of dropped HDD into many machines and away they go. Obviously,
not done in the last couple of yrs.

Cheers...

Dragomir Kollaric[/QUOTE]

 

[Mark]

Ah I should have guessed. I've booted this HDD using a Unix based boot disk
that I've had for a long time and can get at the registry. If only I knew
what to change to get it too boot from XP.

That would save me so much work on the setup side of things. But so far I've
been unsuccessful at finding out. I figure if I can set the Mobo, VidCard,
Sound and HDD drivers to generic, I may just get it to go.

BTW I'd be interest to know what happened to CPM. Last I heard some boffins
had the licence and it was able to address large HDDs etc directly. It used
to boot in a fraction of the time of DOS. First time I used DOS I thought
there was a problem with the PC as it took so long to boot. I kept an old
CPM machine going for yrs just for quick jobs.

Anyway enough....

Mark