Computer starts with windows 98 loaded HD, but not Windows 2K HD.

[UMDstudent]

Hi,

We are running an office PC that was acting somewhat as our office file server. All of the sudden, it would start shutting itself down and rebooting. Eventually it wouldn't even get past the status bar when loading windows 2000.

Computer:
P3 733 MHz with 382 MB Ram.
Windows 2000

I put a hard drive into the system that had windows 98 on it, that drive loaded just fine(after installing all the correct drivers).

I put the windows 2000 hard drive into a different computer and it too loaded just fine after going through the driver installation.

When I put the windows 2000 drive back into it's original computer, it still has the same issue. It will load to about 50% on the graphical windows 2000 screen and then restart. Doesn't matter if I start in safe mode or not.

I thought maybe the processor was bad, but I'm not sure now since the computer runs windows 98 just fine. Any ideas out there?

Thanks, Mike

 

[Green Man]

It could be a corrupt driver. Does it boot to safe mode?

 

[UMDstudent]

It won't boot in safe mode either. I just tried the windows 2K drive in a newer P4 machine and it loaded also.

If that windows 98 SE hard drive wouldn't have loaded on the computer, I would have chalked it up as a bad processor, but I'm not sure anymore.

 

[Green Man]

Trying it in a newer machine doesn't mean there isn't5 a corrupt driver.
To reload all drivers, go to winnt\system32\config and copy system.sav to system. Say yes to overwrite.
to do this, put the drive in another machine or boot with BartPE or whatever...you probably know that.
Now, when you reboot it will redetect all hardware, It's best if you have driver CDs or have downloaded all drivers to the hard drive...for obvious reasons.

Good luck

 

[UMDstudent]

Thanks for that info. It's something to try that I haven't already

 

[UMDstudent]

Oh, and would it be possible that the processor is bad, even though I'm able to load a different operating system?

 

[Green Man]

Originally posted by: UMDstudent
Oh, and would it be possible that the processor is bad, even though I'm able to load a different operating system?

Maybe, but it's not seeming like a hardware problem. You should still test the system if you can get it to boot.

 

[Mutilator]

Another option would be since you can get it to boot in another PC then boot it up on that PC and look in the event log to see if the PC is BSODing at startup in it's normal PC - if so it'll tell you why (IE what driver is having the problem).

 

[UMDstudent]

I'll look into the event log and let you know if I find anything.

Thanks!

Oh, and I purchased a new processor just for the heck of it...same thing. I also tried booting up a windows xp loaded hard drive. It wouldn't startup either. It would definitely be cheaper/easier to buy a new computer, but I'm interested in figuring out where the problem originated from.