Ususing old HD , with new Mobo and Vid Card

[stooge]

okay ive just bought a new PCI-e mobo, for my new Nvid 7600 GT(nice card, i wana use them *censored* thing), after reconnecting everything to the new mobo, i try to boot up windows, i reach the screen where i normally have to pick from two different versions of Windows XP(was like this before on old mobo), i choose the normal one, and it does nothing, just stays still without doing a thing, so im hmmm okay, must mean i have to re-install windows, i try to do so, and when i get to the searching for previous version of windows xp, it just freezez and stays like that for ever.

Im thinking i may have to reformat, if it comes to that.

People have said to me use ms-dos to reformat HD, but i dont know how i can get into Dos without a floppy drive, all i have is the windows xp cd and a cd drive.

[stooge]

okay after 3 hours of trying to figure this thing out, its definantly the boot file which im trying to repair, with that Windows Recovery program, but i need my admin password, which i dont know.
But my account im using has admin rights and not to mention this is my computer, is there any way to obtain it?

Ive allready looked at using a bootdisk, and editing the SAM.
To complicated.....

[GX1_Man]

For a LOT of reasons you will be better served by installing Windows fresh on that new hardware, plus you would have been done by now. Just boot with the CD in there and choose to format the drive and off you go.

Do you have data you need to save first?

[stooge]

Thats outa the question now, all i need is the *censored* admin password, i aint installing 100GB of software back onto it, cant back it up etheir, ive taken it from my other computer and put it in this one as a salve, and i can see all its files and acess them without problems, i just cant boot off it. Thats why im trying to use Windows Recovery, to repair the Boot file, and it asks for admin password....

[patio]

The reason this probably is never going to work is that XP install was from a different machine therefore all the drivers; registry entries etc are not for the new machine...

And i'm afraid a simple edit of the boot ini is not gonna cut it.

If it did everyone would be doing it.

[stooge]

that isnt the first time ive transferred that HD to a new computer. Ive done it 4 times before and never had such troubles, o well ive got everything i need and more and this HD right here, and ima gona clone it.

Could anyone here referr me to good HD clone freeware, or trail.

[patio]

The new HDD manuf. utility ( free ) is probably the best choice...they have come a long way.

I still believe cloning that HDD won't work but that's just me...

[stooge]

i couldnt find that one, but i mananged to download HDClone, im gona use this one, but im hoping it isnt full of spyware. http://www.snapfiles.com/get/hdclonefree.html

thats it there.

[stooge]

wait nvm its poop, do u reckon you could give me the URL to the one you suggested?

[patio]

I believe you mis-understood... the HDD you are cloning to I.E. Maxtor, Seagate, WD etc....each of these make HDD utilities that enable you to clone a drive.
They can be found at their respective websites...

[stooge]

Seagate dosnt have one...

[patio]

It's included in the Seatools package...

[stooge]

nvm i had a looksee and mirra says its bad for what i want to do.

Would be better if i could find one like acronis or somewhat. But i used up the 30 day trail on that one...

[patio]

nvm i had a looksee and mirra says its bad for what i want to do.

What does this mean ? ?   :-?

[stooge]

http://www.seagate.com/support/mirra/faq/index.html

Mirra is one of seagates HD utilities and in the FAQ it explains, you shouldnt use it for complete clones of HD's.