This isnt really my area of IT so could really use someone else's opinion..

Hard drive taken from a broken machine. Fitted to a working one and it loads up the dell screen then loads a black screen with a flashing curser in the top left corner. Have played around with settings in the BIOS but can't get it to load Windows XP.

Can mount and access the Windows partition with a linux disc and can see all the files. Can also get to the recovery consoe with a windows xp disc.

Any idea on what I could change through various commands in the console?

Be great to fix and getting it booting before I give up and wipe the drive and reinstall Windows XP.

Rod

Is the working machine the same spec as the broken machine (primarily the same motherboard and processor). If not, you aren't going to be able to boot up XP on the working machine because the operating system doesn't contain the correct HAL drivers.

and check the master ans slave jumper on the HDD

Can you mix n match HAL drivers from the working PC (taken from working PC's old hard disc) and overwrite the same files on the old broken PC's hard disc?

Or why not just backup the data files you need then reinstall WinXP?

no it's not the same spec. do you think there is there a way of adding these drivers via usb?

happy to backup the files and reinstall but just worried that if the hard drive and machine arent compatible then it wont let me get past the CD part of the windows install?

hmm what do i need to check for on the jumper? again surely its connecting the machine ok because i can mount and access it through linux..?

To be fair, I've been in this position before. Really, the best option is to boot into Linux, put a USB stick in and copy off all the files you need. Then reinstall XP. It's best to format the drive and do a clean install, although you could install over the top of your old installation, but any software you had installed won't work (even though the program files will still be there).

I'm sure that messing around with the HAL drivers is quite a ball-ache/nigh impossible, although I first attempted it nearly 10 years ago so there might have been easier methods developed since.

The hard-drive and machine will be compatible when you do a new install of XP. It's just the current XP on that drive is missing loads of ingrained files which it needs to work, files which are determined during the install process itself.

gotcha. well ive been advised to try 2 commands in recovery console - fixmbr and fixboot. if these dont work then I won't bother with the drivers I will just back up through linux, shred the drive and reinstall XP

I'd suggest to FIRST back up through linux!!! Those commands CAN do nastynastynasty things.

May I suggest the use of a USB to IDE/SATA adapter to hook up the drive to your PC.

Thanks kayjay.. Did even know you could get an IDE to USB adaptor! Will see if we have one in work otherwise I will mount it as it is and copy bits over to an external hdd.

Rod

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid...0&_from=R40

There you go, dozens of 'em! This is the easiest way of using your drive in another computer.

i've always just left the hard drive connected to the motherboard and mounted it in linux then copied data to a usb or external hdd. what are the advantages of using this cable, will transfers be faster do you think?

thanks

Probably much the same as using another external disk and linux; you're doing the same move; either from internal to usb or from usb to internal.

You should be able to repair the existing installation using the repair function in the windows install disk. This should leave all your files and programes intact as well.

any idea how?

try this...

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/138-how-to-repair-windows-xp/

Totally agree

Sometimes your lucky and it will boot up in windows...however it will then tell you there has been a substantial hardware change and give you a few days before it locks the whole OS.

One last attempt at repairing Windows with the repair install hyperlink is referring to later. If it's a no go then I will be backing up, wiping and reinstalling XP.

thanks all

As mentioned above, if you do a repair install off an XP CD (has to be the same version as that installed on the HD though) it'll pick up the hardware changes and should work OK. I've done that a few times when upgrading a motherboard without a clean XP install and it worked fine.

Unfortunately they removed that repair feature on Vista and Win 7.

Cheers graham. This is where is gets tricky as I don't know what version of XP was installed on the hard drive! I only know it's XP due to locating a couple drivers in the windows system folders and googling them.

Anyway of finding out which version it is through commands via the recovery prompt or maybe through Linux?

I have tried using an XP sp3 cd and wasn't given the option to repair when installing so guess its not that version.

Did it pick up the disk though? Did it give you an option to install a fresh install? You may need to install the drivers using the F7 option during the windows install process.

I think Graham is referring to Home or Pro versions rather than the various service packs.

Used xp pro sp3 and had no luck. Yes it recognised the disc but didn't give me any repair options. Also pressed f6 during setup to install drivers.

No other versions of xp at home or in work so will backup and reinstall everything on Sunday. That's after a bit of DIY on the coupe. And there's me thinking Sundays were a day of rest. Pah!