Upgrade MB but old HD doesn't work

[imported_Granite]

I'm a relative newbie but I have built a few systems and would appreciate any help. I had an old computer with an Abit VH6T MB w/ Celeron CPU running Win98SE. The HD was too small so I recently got a new Seagate ST340014 40GB. Installed Win2k on it and it ran fine but of course it's now even slower. Fine, I get a Asus A7N8X-X MB w/ Athlon XP 2000 & 256MB PC3200. I figured I could just pop in the old HD and go. It POSTs fine, finds and correctly ID's the HD. It boots up and reads the splash screen for Win2k from the HD completes the progress meter at the bottom of the splash screen and quits with a BSOD saying Inaccessible_Boot_Device. If the HD is inaccessible, how did it read the splash screen and start Win2k?

Usually I change the MB and the HD at the same time and do a format/install of the OS on the HD. But this is the first time I have tried to upgrade the MB using an "old" HD.

I can get the CD to work so I could reinstall Win2k over the old one on the hard drive I suppose. I've not done this before so I'd like some advice. I could do a full format/reinstall (all my stuff is backed up)but I'd like to avoid that if an easy fix is available.

 

[soulflyfan]

it sounds like you tried to boot an old install of windows after a motherboard change. this can work sometimes, but can cause alot of problems, including boot errors. Ideally you'll reformat and reinstall wondows, but a repair might also work, tho i would reccommenda completely fresh install in the long run. good uck and godspeed

 

[Sideswipe001]

A repair should do the trick. The problem is the motherboard drivers have changed (the IDE one in particular), so once windows starts to load, it tries to use an incorrect driver to access the HD. Nothing you can do about it except repair or reinstall windows.

 

[imported_Granite]

I have never done a repair of an OS before. When I inserted the Win2k CD it comes up like it it usually does when I have a new (unformatted) HD. I killed it because I did not want it to format my HD without checking all my options. If I let the CD run, will it eventually find my HD and I'll be able to repair that installation or will it only reformat?

 

[JBT]

It will act like it is going to do a reinstall but don't worry there will be a option to repair the instillation rather than format.

 

[imported_Granite]

Thanks a bunch guys. I'll try it when I get home.

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: Granite
I'm a relative newbie but I have built a few systems and would appreciate any help. I had an old computer with an Abit VH6T MB w/ Celeron CPU running Win98SE. The HD was too small so I recently got a new Seagate ST340014 40GB. Installed Win2k on it and it ran fine but of course it's now even slower. Fine, I get a Asus A7N8X-X MB w/ Athlon XP 2000 & 256MB PC3200. I figured I could just pop in the old HD and go. It POSTs fine, finds and correctly ID's the HD. It boots up and reads the splash screen for Win2k from the HD completes the progress meter at the bottom of the splash screen and quits with a BSOD saying Inaccessible_Boot_Device. If the HD is inaccessible, how did it read the splash screen and start Win2k?

Usually I change the MB and the HD at the same time and do a format/install of the OS on the HD. But this is the first time I have tried to upgrade the MB using an "old" HD.

I can get the CD to work so I could reinstall Win2k over the old one on the hard drive I suppose. I've not done this before so I'd like some advice. I could do a full format/reinstall (all my stuff is backed up)but I'd like to avoid that if an easy fix is available.

Method #1: Boot with the old drive in the old motherboard. Change the IDE controller to IDE-Standard. Place the HDD in the new motherboard, and boot. It should now boot.

Method #2: Boot with the old drive in the old MB. Install your MB drivers for the *new* motherboard. Place the HDD in the new MB, and boot. It should now boot.

Method #3: Do both steps.

You'll be fine. I wouldn't suggest repair install until do do both of these steps. #2 is easy, so try it first.