I am replacing a bunch of win xp sp2 clones at a site with a bunch of Dell Optiplex 320s. 4 of the PCs require cloning (too much specific software installed). So I set the ide controllers on the source pc to std ide and backed it up with Acronis 9.0. Then I restored the image to an Optiplex blowing away the partition that was there. When I boot it up, I get the GUI and see the welcome screen for just a second, then the video shuts off ,the hard drive light sticks on and you cant power off like the chipset freaked! I do this process all the time with 100% success. So I took the drive out of the dell and put it in an array of pentium clones about my lab. The drive boots and runs XP! Even in an old Dell dimension with a pci sata adapter. I put the drive in a second new optiplex and the chipset “locked” in that one. I can boot it to safe mode on the optiplex, just not protected mode. I have uninstalled the video driver and even put in a pci adapter. Same failure.
– Wild man, Wild.
Please help
:Ron