Problems transferring to a new PC after crash.

[John Gilmer]

A week ago I had two XP machines: A & K (after by daughters.) Both are "e
Machines" from a Big Box store. (I also have a W-98 machine which I am
using now.)

Machine A is a little more than a year old. I got it so both kids could
use a computer at the same time. It has the new "one machine license"
software we purchased in the last year.

Machine K is several years old. I stopped putting new kids' stuff (except
for Tax Software) on it since getting machine A.

Two years or so ago I got a second hard drive for Machine K. The new drive
(K-2) was several times larger. I partitioned the drive and copied all of
the original hard drive (K-1) onto the first partition with PLENTY of room
to spare. Using the software that came with the disk I made the disk the
boot drive. I copied an image and with a few minor problems which didn't
upset me, I was able to run all the software that had been installed on the
drive that came with the machine. I kept K-1 connected and used it for
copies of important files.

Then the machine "Crashed." Took it into the shop and "they" said they
couldn't get a replacement eMachines mother board. They sold me what they
call a "white box" and put the original drive. Since I had TONS of data on
K-2, I just left the K-1. Got the machine back and it works just fine.

But when I tried to get the machine to boot on K-2, it only got to the point
where it said it was having troubles and asked if I wanted to do a start
with simple drivers, etc. (standard XP screen without graphics). I tried
all the options but it would not boot. (Clearly XP could read it, however.)

I tried all kinds of "Mix and Match."

Both K-1 and K-2 will boot the A machine. (K-1 gave a warning message once
fully started that I would have to re-activate). K-1 will boot the "new" K
machine. But K-2, as said, will not.

Is there a way of making XP "try harder" to boot?

I will take the machine back to the shop on Monday but I would like to get
it going with all the programs before then.

Thanks,

jlg

 

[paulmd]

A week ago I had two XP machines: A & K (after by daughters.) Both are "e
Machines" from a Big Box store. (I also have a W-98 machine which I am
using now.)

Machine A is a little more than a year old. I got it so both kids could
use a computer at the same time. It has the new "one machine license"
software we purchased in the last year.

Machine K is several years old. I stopped putting new kids' stuff (except
for Tax Software) on it since getting machine A.

Two years or so ago I got a second hard drive for Machine K. The new drive
(K-2) was several times larger. I partitioned the drive and copied all of
the original hard drive (K-1) onto the first partition with PLENTY of room
to spare. Using the software that came with the disk I made the disk the
boot drive. I copied an image and with a few minor problems which didn't
upset me, I was able to run all the software that had been installed on the
drive that came with the machine. I kept K-1 connected and used it for
copies of important files.

Then the machine "Crashed." Took it into the shop and "they" said they
couldn't get a replacement eMachines mother board.

Yep. Emachines do that, probably the usual sordid story involving dead
power supply and dead wotherboard. The shop, however does not need an
emachines board, if you have a black and silver, a compatible micro atx
motherboard (accepts your procesor and ram), and a new power supply,
will work just fine. If its an older etower, then yes, a new machine is
justified.

Given bench fees, it might be a wash, howewer.

They sold me what they

call a "white box" and put the original drive. Since I had TONS of data on
K-2, I just left the K-1. Got the machine back and it works just fine.

But when I tried to get the machine to boot on K-2, it only got to the point
where it said it was having troubles and asked if I wanted to do a start
with simple drivers, etc. (standard XP screen without graphics). I tried
all the options but it would not boot. (Clearly XP could read it, however.)

"inaccessable boot device?" Yep, you get that with HDD transferrs.

I tried all kinds of "Mix and Match."

Both K-1 and K-2 will boot the A machine. (K-1 gave a warning message once
fully started that I would have to re-activate). K-1 will boot the "new" K
machine. But K-2, as said, will not.

Is there a way of making XP "try harder" to boot?

It's called a "repair" install, it requires a real XP cd (not the
emachines restore cd).

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Its a straightfoward operation for any shop to do, and they will clean
up any driver issues afterward.