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New computer Old HDD Windows wont boot up

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by nate0225

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I just got a whole new system, case, Power supply, motherboard, memory, video card but I am using my old HD to run it since I have Windows already installed on there. I hooked everything up and the computer started up like normal. Like several other people in here it came up to the screen asking me how to boot (IE safe mode, last known good configuration, or normal boot to windows). If I select normal boot it starts loading but then a blue screen blinks up for about 1/4 seconds and the computer reboots.. I have tried to catch it with pause/break but have been unable to. Can someone help me out please.

11 replies

by wancona

You are thrying to run the Operating System on a different platform than what it was installed on. What that means is, when it was initially installed, it copied the configuration files for a different motherboard, processor, bios, and everything else. When you replaced those things, you changed the configuration. You will probably have to do a clean install.

by nate0225

I actually have attempted to do a clean install . For some reason though my system will not find my CD ROM. I tried 8 different connections and went through BIOS and everything but it wont find my CD ROM. I used the XP boot disks to reinstall but when I get to the point to actually install is says cannot find a CD ROM drive.. What can I do?

by older mycroft

Your optical drive is also new?

Does it have its own driver disc?
I only ask because I had problems adding a LightScribe DVD drive, that the system did NOT RECOGNISE until I had installed the supplied software (drivers?).

You have only posted that the HDD will not boot into standard XP - might it boot into Safe Mode? That would allow you perhaps to access the optical drive.

by dumphrey

or borrow one from a friend for a short bit to let you do a clean install. I have had problems with the drive in laptop not being seen. If possible, try for an ATA cdrom and not a sata cd/dvd.

And are you able to boot the computer off of the XP cd, and then it "dies" at the copying files stage? Or does it even make it to the format the hard drive stage?

by joebvd123

Your old OS does not "recognise" any of the new hardware. I tried it once and learned for myself. Why or how didnt the new system come with windows? Slave the old drive [I always use the cd drive connection] to copy over to the new drive.

by nate0225

The system didnt come with Windows because I built the computer from scratch and didnt want to pay twice what I paid for the parts for a fresh windows install. My problem now is in trying to re-install windows from my CD is that my system "lost" my CD ROM. When I first hooked it up it was there or at least showed up in the IDE devices and then when I went to do the install with the 6 disk method and it got to the point to install it said "cannot find CDROM device". Now every time I turn the computer on and its booting the CD ROM is no longer listed and I even tried 3 seperate CD ROMs I have as spares.

by mjd420nova

The first thing you need to do is boot to the OS system disk and do a repair of the OS. This will characterize the OS of the different hardware and make the corrections and install the correct drivers for the new hardware.

by tintoman

That last answer is correct, you can repair the installation with the installation disk but if you have a problem with your system being unable to read CD's you need to check the jumper settings on the CD drive, some systems require that the jumpers are set to cable select and not master or slave. you can check the cmos settings to find out if your CD drive is being detected, although if it wasnt then frankly the setup programme would not function.

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