Help with Asrock Dual SATA-ll motherboard

[Popplesnop]

Hi,
I recently purchased the Asrock Dual SATA-ll motherboard with a x2 4400. I put my old 40gb hard drive into the build, as well as a new 160 gb SATA drive. My problem is that this setup will not allow me to run windows. It always pops up with a screen that says something to the effect of "Sorry for the inconvenience but Windows could not load this time. This might be due to the addition of new hardware, etc." Then it gives me options to start windows normally, or in various versions of safe mode. These never work. I believe this is a hard drive problem, but I am not for sure. Is Windows XP on my old hard drive not compatible with my new setup? Thanks for all your help in advance,

-ben

 

[pat]

Hi,
I recently purchased the Asrock Dual SATA-ll motherboard with a x2 4400. I put my old 40gb hard drive into the build, as well as a new 160 gb SATA drive. My problem is that this setup will not allow me to run windows. It always pops up with a screen that says something to the effect of "Sorry for the inconvenience but Windows could not load this time. This might be due to the addition of new hardware, etc." Then it gives me options to start windows normally, or in various versions of safe mode. These never work. I believe this is a hard drive problem, but I am not for sure. Is Windows XP on my old hard drive not compatible with my new setup? Thanks for all your help in advance,

-ben

Yes it is incompatible.. new hardware, new driver. Old installation has wrong drivers causing XP to fail loading

 

[Popplesnop]

Thanks for the very prompt reply Pat. Do you have any suggestions as to what steps I might take to fix this compatability issue. Thanks in advance,

-ben

 

[post_man]

You can try a repair. If that doesn't work then go with a clean installation of Windows.

 

[elpresidente2075]

Yeah, the most effective solution will be a clean install. Windows has a protection scheme that doesn't allow a transplant of a harddrive with a live install of windows. This thing has been looked as a retarded from the beginning, but it is still there under the guise of copy-protection, even though there are much easier/better ways of doing said copy.

Sorry, no more ranting from me...

Just do a clean install. You will be happier for it. If you are transplanting a drive from a white box (HP, Compaq, etc.) that is a nono that is the whole reason behind this copy-protection. Your reinstall disks won't work, but a good clean, LEGAL copy of windows is a short drive (maybe long, i dont know) and about 80 bucks away. Of course there is always linux that you could use. SUSE is my favorite. But im sure you like to game, so windows it is. At least try a dual-boot setup, just to learn a bit more about the open-source scene.

 

[drcroubie]

*adds another vote for "clean install"*

and since we're talking about winblows here, i'll add in "backup everything".

the easiest would be to stick everything back into your old computer (assuming it can take your new 160gb sata drive too), chuck all your personal, irretrievable, stuff (work/school/uni/whatever, photos, mp3s, and that 30gb porn collection) onto your 160gb drive, then when you reinstall on the new system, format the 40gb and use it for programs only, and use the 160gb for data only.

 

[elpresidente2075]

Another description of the perfect way of doing it. That sort of thing should be a sticky or something.