New Systems OS will not boot...

Just completed building new system with Soltek socket 754 board and AMD 3000+.

Bios sees hdd just fine.

When POST is finished, system just reboots. Then says Windows didn't load properly the last time and how would I like to load windows; safe mode, safe mode with networking, etc.

No matter which option I choose, the system just reboots and takes me back to this message.

Now, the hdd is formated with NTFS Windows XP Pro service pack 1, and was installed in an AMD Thunderbird 900 on an Asus MB. The drive is good as I am using it to post this message.

What am I missing here, or what more is needed to diagnose this problem. Is it that Windows just can't handle the new hardware without a clean install?

Any suggestions are most appreciated.

 

[mechBgon]

There are ways to get the existing WinXP installation to run with the new mobo. Personally, I've gotten some weird behavior in the aftermath, though. If you want to try it, one method I've seen dclive recommend is to switch your ATA controllers to the Standard IDE Controller driver, shut down, and then swap mobos and ride it out.

Another method is to start Windows Setup from CD-ROM, and at the first Repair screen, don't choose Repair. Press ESC as if you were doing a fresh installation. Then it will proceed a little further and offer to repair the Windows installation on C:\WINDOWS and now you choose Repair, and it will go through the motions of installing Windows except it adopts all the apps and data in the process.

After either measure, you would want to install your motherboard's chipset drivers, reboot, and install your video drivers and other additional drivers. If you use the Repair-install route, then realize that your installation will be stripped of any security patches, making it potentially vulnerable to worms. And we wouldn't want that :evil: so make sure your firewall is up before you plug the computer into the modem, and then get your security tightened up. Security suggestions here, including some stuff that might not be obvious.

 

[Nothinman]

You're supposed to run something like sysprep to prepare Windows for a major hardware change, it doesn't deal with those sorts of things well as you can see.