Windows keeps rebooting at startup

[wayneh07]

Hello,
I've copied a windows xp installation to a new sata drive in a new system.
Now I get 'error loading os'
I've tried fixboot, fixmbr and reinstalling over the existing os, but to no avail.
Anybody got any ideas?

 

[aford10]

When you say you copied the installation to a new drive, do you mean you did a fresh installation off the XP disc? Or you tried to restore a backed up image?

Did you get some kind of error when you tried to reinstall the 2nd time?

 

[wayneh07]

I mean I used a Linux live cd and copied the entire ide disk to the new sata disk, which I've done often in the past, but this time it won't load the OS.

 

[aford10]

Try doing a windows repair. Here's a helpful guide.
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/operatingsystems/ss/instxprepair1.htm

 

[wayneh07]

Tried that along with Fixboot, Fixmbr, and even (grasping at straws I think) chkdsk /r.
No luck with any.

 

[aford10]

Did the windows repair complete successfully?

You may also need to rebuild the boot.ini in the repair console.
bootcfg /rebuild

You remembered to put the hard drive back as the first boot device, right?

 

[wayneh07]

Tried that and now I have two choices at startup, but no change to the problem.
Yep the drive is registered as first master.

 

[aford10]

It sounds like an extra line was added to the boot.ini file. That can be easily corrected once you get windows booting. Do either option boot successfully?

 

[wayneh07]

Hi
I figured that, but at the end of the day, I decided that in order to get the system finished and back to the client, it was better to start a whole new installation. Not my first choice, but in the end my only one. So I'm still in the dark as to what was happening, but it's all good now.
Thanks for all your suggestions, they were much appreciated.

 

[aford10]

Alright, thanks for the update.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

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