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Solve : Swapping HD from Celeron PC to P2 PC, Windows won't start? |
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Answer» HD donor PC is an old, self built ATX case, Celeron CPU, Intel D845EPI/D845GVSR Mboard. It was running fine until I removed the CPU cooling fan assembly to clean it Completely blocked with dust/nicotine/ect. The CPU came out with the fan assembly and fell, badly bending a pin on the CPU. No big deal. But I NEED to run that hard drive so I installed it in my Compaq 5170 but the boot process only gets through the memory check, then a cursor in the upper left of the screen blinks... and continues to blink. Why is it not starting? This is normal. In general you cannot take a hard drive with a bootable Windows system partition from one computer, and put it in another computer, and expect it to boot successfully. It won't work. Mainly because when Windows is first installed, the installer on the CD or DVD sets things up for the hardware (motherboard, display card, network, disk controller, memory controller etc) it finds. Occasionally such a swap will boot and run, sometimes you have to change some drivers, but most often the result is either unstable or won't even boot. Think how easy piracy would be if each newly installed Windows hard drive could just be cloned and put in another computer. Even with identical machines you get issues with activation because the hardware ID generated at install time will be different. If the data on that disk is vital you will need to mount it as a slave or with a USB or Firewire adapter as an external drive. Okay. But first, my Compaq Motherboard doesn't support 2 HD's (that I know of), but at the moment I'm having a bit of success via XP SP2 recovery disc from another PC I have. I have the XP product key for the donor machine with original hard drive that XP was installed on from the builder. I just don't have a recovery disk that came with that machine. I am using this XP SP2 install CD registered to me for another PC, in repair mode. It's all been DOS type entries so far but I've made it as far as where it ask to enter the "load identifier", which it accepted when I entered the key code for the specific XP install on this hard drive. But now it ask "Enter OS Load Options:" C:\WINDOWS> What do I enter here? *************************** OR It looks like this would be simply a case of saving my user files and SETTINGS to a CD, then installing a fresh copy of XP onto this HD using my XP SP2 install disc, then transferring user files and settings if that's all I wanted to keep, but I also want to keep XP product key on this hard drive. If I transfer the user files I want to disc for reinstall later, can I still install a new copy of XP onto this hard drive (with the product key that belongs to it) using the XP disc from my other XP SP2 install (which is a different product key)? I'm not trying to get a free install of XP here or anything like that. I'm not asking for help with any pirate stuff. I know the forum rules regarding this. I just want to keep the XP install with it's product key on this HD. Quote If the data on that disk is vital you will need to mount it as a slave or with a USB or Firewire adapter as an external drive The Compaq PC I'm trying to put the drive into has no hard drive. That hard drive crashed. I need this to be the main hard drive for this machine. OR I just need to figure out why this PC runs this drive (Seagate) fine but won't start-up with the WD.You may need to do a complete reinstall. But try this... Enter OS Load options. When you receive this message, type: /fastdetect and then press ENTER Quote can I still install a new copy of XP onto this hard drive (with the product key that belongs to it) using the XP disc from my other XP SP2 install (which is a different product key)? Try both product keys, the old one first. Quote from: Salmon Trout on January 24, 2011, 12:40:10 AM Think how easy piracy would be if each newly installed Windows hard drive could just be cloned and put in another computer.I don't know anything about cloning a hard drive, but I've used my 98, 98SE, Me, XP, Vista and Vista 64bit install disc to install Windows onto several different hard drives on various PC's I've owned. I've done this for years. And I've run 2 different PC's with the same install, same product key. And had no problem doing this. I have never received any message/warning/questions ect. from Microsoft pertaining to this. These product keys are purchased, registered, and operated by me only. Have I been in the wrong all this time? I really don't know, but with all the hard drives I've had go bad, I'd hate to think I was suppose to purchase a new OS for each? Quote newly installed Windows hard drive Maybe that's the difference, like with a new PC bought from Wal-Mart ect., but doesn't Microsoft have a system within their OS that prevents this? Quote from: Salmon Trout on January 24, 2011, 02:50:47 AM You may need to do a complete reinstall. But try this... I get: The COMMAND line is not recognized. ?Sounds like you will need to do a fresh install. |
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