Question New build issue

lenjack

Platinum Member
Oct 10, 1999
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New comp is W10 home, 64 bit, 500G ssd, new mobo and memory. Old comp was W10 Pro, 32 bit, 240G ssd. I have the old drive installed in the new comp, with the thought I could boot from it, on an as need basis to copy some files, such as email addys, other documents, and the like. however, when I attempt to boot from it, it will occasional get to the desktop, but when I try to do anything with it, it will blue screen. Most times, it wont get to the desktop. It will simply blue screen.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm wondering if this is because one of the systems is 32 bits and the other 64.
 

Shmee

Memory & Storage, Graphics Cards Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 13, 2008
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Possibly a driver issue, as obviously the old and new computer have different hardware (I presume.) I would boot from the new drive that works, and copy over any documents from the old drive without booting from it. You could even have the old drive connected via USB.
 

lenjack

Platinum Member
Oct 10, 1999
2,706
7
81
Thanks for the response. Before I did this, I used a third drive, an external backup, to transfer an image of the old drive to the old drive in the new computer. It was a transfer, utilizing universal restore, restoring to dissimilar hardware.
 

lenjack

Platinum Member
Oct 10, 1999
2,706
7
81
Thanks. I'd like to. The old drive does show up as D, in "This PC", and I can open it, but I can't figure out how to find what I want.

For example: I use Thunderbird email, which I've installed in the new build. Tbird found my account, and configured it perfectly, BUT, the address book is blank, and I really need that. I found Thunderbird in the old drive, in Program files, but there are 81 entries, and not one to open it. Probably, one of these files, is the address book file. If I could find and open the address book file, I can open and copy it.

As far as not being able to boot from the old drive, before I did any of this, I used a third drive, an external backup drive, and did a universal restore, to the old drive, after it was installed in the new build, figuring this would obviate problems.


I'll deliver a 6-pak to the person who tells me how to either boot from the old drive and/or open the address book in the old drive.
 

deustroop

Golden Member
Dec 12, 2010
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I'll deliver a 6-pak to the person who tells me how to either boot from the old drive and/or open the address book in the old drive.

MozBackup is a simple utility for creating backups
of Mozilla applications like Thunderbird.
Find it here
Lastest is 1.5.2 Beta 1

Backup your operational Thunderbird and then install the backup in the new disk's Thunderbird. The addresses will be installed.
Friend Shmee is likely correct that you are having trouble booting the new eqipment on the old drive/set of drivers. If all you want, other than a correctly installed TB, is to transfer identifiable files from the old disk to the new, there is no need to boot the old drive. Just attach it, boot the new drive and copy and paste. If you want a second boot drive, that's another matter.
 
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lenjack

Platinum Member
Oct 10, 1999
2,706
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I tried this and instructed it to look in the D drive, where the old address file was stored, and I get "the selected file is not a valid backup file".
 

Steltek

Diamond Member
Mar 29, 2001
3,343
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Also, does the boot problem have anything to do with the fact that the new build drive is GPT, while the old drive is MBR?

The failure of the system to boot the old drive is likely a driver problem. If both drives are installed in the system, booting from the new drive should generally allow you to access the files on the old one if the new one is partitioned as GPT and the old one as MBR. The reverse isn't true.

Regarding partitioning, in general if you have more than one drive, if the boot drive is partitioned as GPT any other drives in the system can be partitioned as either MBR or GPT and the OS will be able to see them. OTOH, if the boot drive is partitioned as MBR, the OS won't be able to see any other drives on the system that are partitioned as GPT. This is the reason any time you replace your boot drive you always want to partition it using GPT if possible.

If you can't access the old drive to copy files, another option is to pick up a cheapo SATA to USB3 adapter (something like one of these) and use it to access the files on the old SSD. If you want, you could even pick up a cheap external SATA to USB3.0 external 2.5" drive case and convert the old drive into a 240GB external drive if you want to.
 

lenjack

Platinum Member
Oct 10, 1999
2,706
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81
I can access the files. I just don't know which is the address book. There are 81 files in The Tbird program folder. I cannot find the one to open Tbird on the old D drive, or which one is the address file.
 

deustroop

Golden Member
Dec 12, 2010
1,915
354
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I tried this and instructed it to look in the D drive, where the old address file was stored, and I get "the selected file is not a valid backup file".

Boot the old drive in the old machine, then run Mozbackup on the old drive. You will "backup a profile" and select Thunderbird as the app to backup. Complete the backup operation.The backup file has a .pcv extension. Be aware of where it is located. Then boot the new disk in the new machine with the old disk attached as "D". Run Mozbackup on the new machine, select " restore a profile" and again select Thunderbird. You mist then select the backup file to restore.It will be on the D Drive.
 

GrumpyMan

Diamond Member
May 14, 2001
5,780
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Out of curiosity, on the old machine, did you originally install the OS with only one drive hooked up, or did you have 2 or more hooked up at the time of install?