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June 7th, 2008 18:00

Older IDE hard drive will not work with old Dell XPS 400 desktop

I bought an IDE to SATA adaptor as my plan was to boot from the old hard drive and then clone the drive to a new SATA drive.  The old drive is from my G'pa,s old computer and it will boot on his old computer but on my Dell XPS 400 it shows the BIOS boot screen and then the "windows was shut-down unexpectedly" and all the start options but no matter what i do it just reboots.  The old drive is running XP and it came from a non-dell computer.

10 Elder

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46K Posts

June 7th, 2008 18:00


@emh593 wrote:
I bought an IDE to SATA adaptor as my plan was to boot from the old hard drive and then clone the drive to a new SATA drive.  The old drive is from my G'pa,s old computer and it will boot on his old computer but on my Dell XPS 400 it shows the BIOS boot screen and then the "windows was shut-down unexpectedly" and all the start options but no matter what i do it just reboots.  The old drive is running XP and it came from a non-dell computer.


emh593

Sorry, but you cannot install an IDE hard drive from an 'older' different system, into a XPS 400 and expect it to work as the boot drive, the differences are just to great.

Bev.


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10 Elder

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46K Posts

June 7th, 2008 19:00


@emh593 wrote:
Ok,then can I get a new hard drive,put XP on it and then transfer the documents and programs to it from the old hard drive?


emh593

More info, please.

Do you intent to install the new hard drive [IDE or SATA?] in the XPS 400 and load XP?

Do you intent to keep the new drive in the XPS 400, or install it in a different system?

Bev.


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8 Posts

June 7th, 2008 19:00

Ok,then can I get a new hard drive,put XP on it and then transfer the documents and programs to it from the old hard drive?

8 Posts

June 7th, 2008 20:00

I plan to install the new drive (SATA) and load XP. I plan to keep the SATA drive in the XPS as the primary boot device.  Right now the XPS has no hard drive as it crashed several months ago.  All I need to do with th IDE drive is get the documents and programs off of it and on to the new drive.

10 Elder

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46K Posts

June 7th, 2008 20:00

emh593

After you have installed the new SATA hard drive in the XPS 400, loaded XP, fully patched the system with the required updates and it's running to your satisfaction.

Then install the IDE drive as the secondary and transfer the files and folders to the new primary C:/ drive.

Only data files and folders can be transfered, all applications and programs need to be reinstalled from their discs or from the publisher's website.

Bev.


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8 Posts

June 11th, 2008 21:00

I followed your advice but when i try to install win XP it says "Unknown Drive" and will not install.

10 Elder

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46K Posts

June 12th, 2008 03:00



@emh593 wrote:

I followed your advice but when i try to install win XP it says "Unknown Drive" and will not install.







If you are not using RAID, enter the system setup, scroll down to drives, press Enter or + to expand the drive menu then down to "SATA Operation", press Enter.

Change the SATA operation mode to "RAID Auto/ATA" press ESC to save and exit the BIOS.

Then XP should install without a problem.

Are you using a Dell OEM copy of XP, that's the same version factory installed in the XPS 400, a retail copy of XP, or ?

Bev.


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Message Edited by shesagordie on 06-11-2008 11:41 PM

8 Posts

June 12th, 2008 11:00

I am useing an OEM from Compusa
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