XP Setup Does Not Show Repair Option

[Bob L.]

I am running XP Pro and my computer has two hard drives as one is a
backup. I have upgraded my motherboard and video card. After doing so, XP
would not boot so I tried to do a setup/repair using my CD. The problem is
after I press F8 to do the repair, setup doesn’t show the XP installation or
other partitions correctly. All that is listed is one "Unknown Partition" of
131072mb. The hard drive I am trying to do the repair on is 500gb. I
suspected maybe my CD is bad so I reinstalled my original motherboard and
video card and setup works fine and shows all setup and repair options along
with the correct partitions at which point I didn’t go any further. XP also
boots and works fine in the original setting. What could be causing setup not
to see the correct partitions and what could be blocking the setup/repair
option using the new motherboard?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I am running XP Pro and my computer has two hard drives as
one is a backup. I have upgraded my motherboard and video card.
After doing so, XP would not boot so I tried to do a setup/repair
using my CD. The problem is after I press F8 to do the repair,
setup doesn't show the XP installation or other partitions
correctly. All that is listed is one "Unknown Partition" of
131072mb. The hard drive I am trying to do the repair on is 500gb.
I suspected maybe my CD is bad so I reinstalled my original
motherboard and video card and setup works fine and shows all setup
and repair options along with the correct partitions at which point
I didn't go any further. XP also boots and works fine in the
original setting. What could be causing setup not to see the
correct partitions and what could be blocking the setup/repair
option using the new motherboard?

What's F8? Is that for agreeing to the EULA? (I am trying to gather what
the connection between F8 and doing a repair installation of Windows XP is
in your case.)

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

In addition - it could be your copy of Windows XP is BIOS locked. It works
with the original hardware because it is an OEM copy. What you have done by
changing out the motherboard/processor/RAM/etc is change out the brain -
it's no longer the same computer - and it could be the OEM CD 'recognizes'
this.

In any case, you can also look at this:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm#warning2

 

[DL]

Perhaps its a sata drive and you need to install sata/raid drivers from
floppy early in the process via the F6 option
WinXP is extreamly unlikely to boot after the mobo is changed

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

It sounds like you need to supply a driver for the hard drive controller.