«

Hello everyone,

Studying for my A+ exam. I'm working on a real-life problem and am not
sure that the problem is. Working on transferring my brother's HDD to a
new(er) computer than what he has. The HDD was booting in the old
computer. When I transfer it to the new computer, It won't boot. After
the POST is complete the screen just turns black, with a cursor on the
upper-left corner. Hangs there forever.

Here's a run-down:

- 2 computers. Each has working and booting hard-drive.
- Each running Windows XP.
- Hard-drive from older computer won't boot in the newer computer.
- Hard drive auto-detects in the CMOS Setup program.
- The newer computer had Cable Select. Moved jumper on older hard drive
from Master to CS. Still hangs.

I'm not sure why it's hanging there. I can't get to windows Safe Mode,
since the screen turns black and hangs immediately after POST.

Any Suggestions? Thanks.

Viken K.

I'm going to presume that there is hardware in the second computer that the
OS doesn't recognize, probably something base-level, like a chipset.

How did the new computer's original hard drive behave? Probably normally...

Try yet another hard drive, if you do a fresh XP install on it, while it's
in the new computer, and you've got your problems, that's probably your
answer.

smackedass

I'll have to give that a try. I'll also try using the Repair utility on
the XP boot disk.

Havn't dealt much with just swapping xp hdds but I would suspect this might
have to do with XP noticing that the hardware is totally different. But
like I said never just tried swapping hdds, always done fresh installs.

Glenn

<> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> Hello everyone,
>
> Studying for my A+ exam. I'm working on a real-life problem and am not
> sure that the problem is. Working on transferring my brother's HDD to a
> new(er) computer than what he has. The HDD was booting in the old
> computer. When I transfer it to the new computer, It won't boot. After
> the POST is complete the screen just turns black, with a cursor on the
> upper-left corner. Hangs there forever.
>
> Here's a run-down:
>
> - 2 computers. Each has working and booting hard-drive.
> - Each running Windows XP.
> - Hard-drive from older computer won't boot in the newer computer.
> - Hard drive auto-detects in the CMOS Setup program.
> - The newer computer had Cable Select. Moved jumper on older hard drive
> from Master to CS. Still hangs.
>
> I'm not sure why it's hanging there. I can't get to windows Safe Mode,
> since the screen turns black and hangs immediately after POST.
>
> Any Suggestions? Thanks.
>
> Viken K.
>

On 20 Jan 2006 07:32:23 -0800, "" <>
wrote:

>Studying for my A+ exam. I'm working on a real-life problem and am not
>sure that the problem is. Working on transferring my brother's HDD to a
>new(er) computer than what he has.

Well, given that you want to become A+ certified, start with the
basics. You cannot 'transplant' a harddisk and expect the PC to
operate correctly.
It's even worse: you risk permanent damage to your hardware!

You install a harddisk, partition it, format the partition(s) and
then install an OS on the disk. Part of installing the OS is:
apply the correct drivers for your motherboards hardware.
(Normally, your motherboard comes with a setup CD that tells
windows what drivers are required and where to find them. On the
same CD usually.)

--
Kind regards,
Gerard Bok

You cannot 'transplant' a harddisk and expect the PC to
> operate correctly.

Yeah, what he said, which is kind of what I said, only I said it more
kindly...he's not BSing you.

smackedass

Gerard Bok wrote:

> On 20 Jan 2006 07:32:23 -0800, "" <>
> wrote:
>
>>Studying for my A+ exam. I'm working on a real-life problem and am not
>>sure that the problem is. Working on transferring my brother's HDD to a
>>new(er) computer than what he has.
>
> Well, given that you want to become A+ certified, start with the
> basics. You cannot 'transplant' a harddisk and expect the PC to
> operate correctly.
> It's even worse: you risk permanent damage to your hardware!

Damaging the hardware is exceedingly unlikely. Doing this on contemporary
machines generally takes a deliberate effort. There was a time when it was
easier.

Transplanting a disk is generally not all that much of a problem as long as
you make sure that the correct drivers for the new disk controller are
installed before you do the swap. That is the most likely cause of the
observed symptoms.

> You install a harddisk, partition it, format the partition(s) and
> then install an OS on the disk. Part of installing the OS is:
> apply the correct drivers for your motherboards hardware.
> (Normally, your motherboard comes with a setup CD that tells
> windows what drivers are required and where to find them. On the
> same CD usually.)

This is what one does in an ideal world. We don't live in an ideal world.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 06:37:24 -0500, "J. Clarke"
<> wrote:

>Gerard Bok wrote:
>
>> On 20 Jan 2006 07:32:23 -0800, "" <>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Studying for my A+ exam. I'm working on a real-life problem and am not
>>>sure that the problem is. Working on transferring my brother's HDD to a
>>>new(er) computer than what he has.
>>
>> Well, given that you want to become A+ certified, start with the
>> basics. You cannot 'transplant' a harddisk and expect the PC to
>> operate correctly.
>> It's even worse: you risk permanent damage to your hardware!
>
>Damaging the hardware is exceedingly unlikely.

No, it is not. Depending on things like CPU-type, available
north- and southbridge, type of harddisk interface, type of video
controller and many more, a suitable HAL is installed.

During install Windows makes sure that, for instance it does not
install microcode patches for a P4 when a Sempron is present.
Sabotage these installation saveguards and be ready to face the
consequences

--
Kind regards,
Gerard Bok

> Well, given that you want to become A+ certified, start with the
> basics. You cannot 'transplant' a harddisk and expect the PC to
> operate correctly.
> It's even worse: you risk permanent damage to your hardware!

However, I've done this in the past succesfully. In my experience, when an
XP system boots to a new system, it detects and installs the new chipsets
that it finds. In this case, though, I cannot even make it to the Windows
splash screen. It just hangs and displays a blinking cursor in the upper
right corner.

Viken K.

> Havn't dealt much with just swapping xp hdds but I would suspect this
> might
> have to do with XP noticing that the hardware is totally different.

Y'know, that didn't even cross my mind. I'll have to see of that's the case.

--
Viken K.
http://home.comcast.net/~vikenk