Forced to load new copy of winxp with new MB - how to revert back

[millervt]

I bought a new motherboard/cpu (ecs gf8200 if that makes a difference) to upgrade my failing dell 4600C. I first booted the new machine with a random old harddrive I had around, and it kinda booted, but I got a blue screen of death. But it did boot successfully through POST, which was my real intent, to make sure the new hardware seemed to be working.

Next I put in the "real" harddrive from the dell and tried booting - it immediately went into an infinite loop - I'd see the windows logo, then it would reboot back to POST, then windows, then POST, etc...

So, I tried booting to the original windows DVD and trying to REPAIR the windows install, thinking that some important driver was bad, and that repairing it might fix it. No joy, even with several repair attempts - still infinite loop rebooting.

So, semi-desperate to make sure that things actually worked, I let windows install a fresh copy into c:\windows1 (this pc only had one harddrive), and its working fine (not that I've done much with it, since I don't want to do all the work on this copy of windows to get it fully drivered and such)

when I boot up the PC, it now gives me a choice of which windows to boot to, with the default being the new one. If I choose the original one, I get the same behavior..boot -> windows logo -> reboot.

I'm resigned, if I have to , to reload/rebuild my applications and data in the new windows, but obviously would prefer not to. Any thoughts on relatively simple fixes so that I can boot my original windows? I'm assuming some low-level hardware driver is failing - I can boot into safe mode in my original windows, but I get a message that "windows xp setup can't run in safe mode - rebooting" and then it reboots.

any suggestions gratefully accepted.

 

[RebateMonger]

An XP Repair Install (Microsoft instructions) should have worked. To avoid hard drive size issues, it's best to use a slipstreamed XP Install CD, one that's been updated to XP SP1 or higher. After doing the Repair Install, you'll need to re-install any missing Service Packs or Windows Updates.

Another way to do it, that will USUALLY work, is to boot the drive to the original motherboard, go to the Device Manager, modify the hard drive controller to the generic "Intel PCI IDE controller", and shut the computer down. Move the hard drive to the new motherboard and boot it. Obviously this will only work if the old motherboard is still functioning.

 

[millervt]

well, I have the original pc still availble (would take a few minutes to reconnect to the various cables and such), so I can try that later today when I have a few minutes of consecutive time. that assumes it will boot successfully in the old system...

 

[millervt]

I assume, by the way, there is no easy way to move my applications from one install of xp to the other? Obviously I can move data easily enough...

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: millervt
I assume, by the way, there is no easy way to move my applications from one install of xp to the other? Obviously I can move data easily enough...

Not in general. Some applcations can just be "copied" and will work OK. Some won't work at all. LapLink makes a utility (PC-Mover?) they say will move applications, but it's not free and I haven't tried it.

 

[millervt]

yeah, if there is no foolproof way to migrate apps, i'd just as soon reload them - it takes longer to futz and find out later it isn't working because of some glitch in the migration than to just reload the darn thing to start with.