In a hard drive mess

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

"Raleigh" <Raleigh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A4ECA6B4-9BA8-44FB-8C7A-203493CBF8D8@microsoft.com...
>I would like to know if anyone knows how to transfer files from one
>internal
> HDD running Windows XP to another running Windows XP. Specifically, I
> updated my motherboard, CPU and video card. When I started the unit, the
> computer wouldn't recognize my first HDD, but would recognize my second
> HDD
> (probably because I hooked up the 40 pin cables wrong). In any case, I
> have
> a version of Windows XP on both HDDs and would like to transfer all of my
> Office 2003 files, Visio, Photodraw, and especially Outlook. Can anyone
> give
> me advice on how to get my computer files back to where they were. I
> don't
> mind being on my second HDD, but I do need access to all the info I had
> before. Thanks for any help.

Are both hard drives on the same IDE channel? If so, the "first" drive
should be set to master and the "second" drive to slave. You can also set
both to "CS" (cable select) and the order you connect them on the cable will
determine which is master and which is slave. Once these are set up
correctly, you should be able to boot with the first drive and then copy
files off of the second drive. As a routine, I have the BIOS in my systems
set so that the only boot device is my first hard drive which, in my case,
is HDD0. If you did the same, your system could not boot off of your second
drive.

Upgrading components, particularly a motherboard if it does not have the
identical chipset of the older board, can cause Windows XP to not boot. In
that case, you will have to do a "repair" install.