Need help fixing old Gateway

[viridiancrystal]

Recently got an old gateway from someone, and the hard drive was fried (why they were giving it away). Found a replacement that came out of another oldie from a friend. It starts up to the boot menu, but says the network is the first boot priority, not the hard drive. I set hard drive to first boot in the bios, but it didn't help. Need advice on what to do now. Do i have to format and re-install Windows (XP)? Just a small tweak in the bios? Maybe somehow boot from a usb drive?

 

[RealBeast]

It may also need a new bios battery to hold settings. They are CR2032 model that cost like $1-2 at Home Depot.

I would flash to the latest available bios if there is a newer one, and then format and install the OS on the new HDD, which should be the master device if it is IDE. Set the boot priority to cd then hdd, then nothing or lan if it insists on a third choice.

 

[daship]

Well you cant just drop a hard drive from one PC into another and expect it to run. You need to have a Windows disk, boot from it format it, and install windows fresh.

 

[viridiancrystal]

k thats guys, much eaiser than i was expecting it to be. Boot from windows disk, format hard drive, install windows. Thanks.

 

[RealBeast]

Yup, and the format will be part of the install process, so it really just requires you to select the drive and give it a partition size -- I use the entire available disk, while some like a smaller system partition and then create a second partition later for programs and data.

 

[biscuitasylum]

Well you cant just drop a hard drive from one PC into another and expect it to run. You need to have a Windows disk, boot from it format it, and install windows fresh.

that, my friend.... is very very untrue. It's very possible to do. I've done it many many times.

 

[zloginet]

This pc could be older then others think... Might there be a jumper issue on the harddrive? Have you made sure the harddrive shows up in the bios?

 

[daship]

that, my friend.... is very very untrue. It's very possible to do. I've done it many many times.

Ya sometimes it may boot, but in the OPs case it didn't. Even if and when they boot you have problems from old drivers and registrys ect...... If you do it right the first time you save yourself headaches later, and don't have to suffer performance loss. Just because something appears to work because you get it to boot, doesn't mean everything is working as it should. Theres alot more going on under the hood then omg it booted hooray.

 

[biscuitasylum]

Ya sometimes it may boot, but in the OPs case it didn't. Even if and when they boot you have problems from old drivers and registrys ect...... If you do it right the first time you save yourself headaches later, and don't have to suffer performance loss. Just because something appears to work because you get it to boot, doesn't mean everything is working as it should. Theres alot more going on under the hood then omg it booted hooray.

Allow me to elaborate... Ive done it many many many many many times. Point is... it can be done and it can be done effectively.

Its not a guarantee that it will always work, I know that... but to say "Well you cant just drop a hard drive from one PC into another and expect it to run" is so far false its not even funny.

Your second response... was more logical... especially to someone who has done it... many many many many times.