Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)
Awhile back I upgraded from Windows ME to Windows XP Home edition. I kept it
up to date with automatic updates, including service pack 2. Recently a
component on my motherboard (a toroid inductor, of all things) somehow got
fried & rendered the whole board useless. I could not find an identical
replacement, but I bought one
"pretty close to it" from a used computer parts store (that doesn't offer
refunds on used items). In the meantime, I was able to access the contents of
my hard drive with an external enclosure connected via USB to an ancient
laptop running windows 98. Though I could access my files, most were useless
because they were created with modern versions of the various software, and
few were backwards compatable with the earlier software versions installed on
my laptop. When I put my hard drive into its newly resurrected tower (with
the new motherboard) I was greeted with the stop error 0x0...7b. Well, I did
LOTS of research on how I might get around this problem, and, so far, the
answer seems to be: "If I wasn't smart enough to have the foresight to keep
identical backup hardware available (silly me), then I'm S.o.l." - a
collateral casualty of Microsoft's war against piracy. (Oddly, the
explanation given on Microsoft's website seems to have changed from 'It's an
antipiracy measure' to a lame excuse that "since XP can't be preconfigured
with all the possible hardware combinations out there, it is very unlikely it
will know how to communicate with your specific configuration. Sorry, kiddo.
Tough break." And yet during both the upgrade from ME, and a subsequent clean
installation on a brand new hard drive in the same tower, XP had no problem
at all figuring out how to communicate with my specific hardware
configuration. But I digress....)
So, my current situation is this: I've got a tower with two 40 GB hard
drives. One of those hard drives has a copy of the entire contents of my old
20 GB drive. I can not boot from the 20 GB drive (attempting to results in
the stop error mentioned above) but that is the drive that has all my
software installed. Yes, I realize I can reinstall all the software and
transfer my files to the new system. No, that is not a prefered solution. Due
to a variety of factors it would be an ordeal to reinstall everything, then
get the relevant updates (only some of which are still available online), and
re-customize everything to my preferences. I tried to use the files &
settings transfer wizard, but appearantly it doesn't support a transfer from
one folder to another on the same drive, or even one partion to another on
the same drive, or even an entirely different hard drive if it is installed
on the same machine as the destination drive. I have several obsolete towers
I can place the old drive in so that I can establish the type of connection
that is supported.....but attempting to boot that drive in any of those
towers results in the stop error. Plus, if I could boot up with that drive I
wouldn't need to worry about transfering my settings and files; I'd just keep
using that hard drive. (You have no idea how much love I'm feeling right now
for Microsoft.) Does anyone have any suggestions? BTW, I know I'm
overlooking something simple or obvious, and that my understanding of the
problem and the information about it I've discovered so far is just simply
wrong. Please help me anyway.
Awhile back I upgraded from Windows ME to Windows XP Home edition. I kept it
up to date with automatic updates, including service pack 2. Recently a
component on my motherboard (a toroid inductor, of all things) somehow got
fried & rendered the whole board useless. I could not find an identical
replacement, but I bought one
"pretty close to it" from a used computer parts store (that doesn't offer
refunds on used items). In the meantime, I was able to access the contents of
my hard drive with an external enclosure connected via USB to an ancient
laptop running windows 98. Though I could access my files, most were useless
because they were created with modern versions of the various software, and
few were backwards compatable with the earlier software versions installed on
my laptop. When I put my hard drive into its newly resurrected tower (with
the new motherboard) I was greeted with the stop error 0x0...7b. Well, I did
LOTS of research on how I might get around this problem, and, so far, the
answer seems to be: "If I wasn't smart enough to have the foresight to keep
identical backup hardware available (silly me), then I'm S.o.l." - a
collateral casualty of Microsoft's war against piracy. (Oddly, the
explanation given on Microsoft's website seems to have changed from 'It's an
antipiracy measure' to a lame excuse that "since XP can't be preconfigured
with all the possible hardware combinations out there, it is very unlikely it
will know how to communicate with your specific configuration. Sorry, kiddo.
Tough break." And yet during both the upgrade from ME, and a subsequent clean
installation on a brand new hard drive in the same tower, XP had no problem
at all figuring out how to communicate with my specific hardware
configuration. But I digress....)
So, my current situation is this: I've got a tower with two 40 GB hard
drives. One of those hard drives has a copy of the entire contents of my old
20 GB drive. I can not boot from the 20 GB drive (attempting to results in
the stop error mentioned above) but that is the drive that has all my
software installed. Yes, I realize I can reinstall all the software and
transfer my files to the new system. No, that is not a prefered solution. Due
to a variety of factors it would be an ordeal to reinstall everything, then
get the relevant updates (only some of which are still available online), and
re-customize everything to my preferences. I tried to use the files &
settings transfer wizard, but appearantly it doesn't support a transfer from
one folder to another on the same drive, or even one partion to another on
the same drive, or even an entirely different hard drive if it is installed
on the same machine as the destination drive. I have several obsolete towers
I can place the old drive in so that I can establish the type of connection
that is supported.....but attempting to boot that drive in any of those
towers results in the stop error. Plus, if I could boot up with that drive I
wouldn't need to worry about transfering my settings and files; I'd just keep
using that hard drive. (You have no idea how much love I'm feeling right now
for Microsoft.) Does anyone have any suggestions? BTW, I know I'm
overlooking something simple or obvious, and that my understanding of the
problem and the information about it I've discovered so far is just simply
wrong. Please help me anyway.
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