New Motherboard and hard-drive

Ok - probably a dumb question.

I have recently replaced my motherboard and processor and also fitted a new hard-drive in addition to the existing ones. Windows 7 will not boot up properly. Should I / Do I have to do a full new install of Windows 7? If so would it be ok to re-install on the drive where it presently exists or should I format and partition the new SATA drive and load it there? If that is the case would it be better to temporarily disconnect the old drives?

If the latter would it then be sensible to remove the old Windows 7 installation?

Help - as always fully appreciated. Thanks in advance.

First of all remove the new hard drive and try booting up just with your old hard drive(s) with the new mobo and CPU.. Ensure the BIOS boot order for the HDDs is correct. See what happens.

Also try a safe mode boot.

Win7 should be able to cope with the mobo and processor change most of the time.

Edited by Pipexer (Sat 16-Jul-11 14:44:38)

If that fails, try a Repair Install rather than a reinstall. Also make sure that the SATA controller is set to the same mode (ATA or AHCI) that it was previously. ATA is probably the best choice.

Edited by deleted (Sat 16-Jul-11 15:48:03)

IMO it's better to be running in ahci mode vs ata mode...

Even if the original install was in ATA mode? My understanding is that, in that case, the computer won't boot if set to AHCI mode.

Edited by deleted (Sat 16-Jul-11 15:48:32)

In reply to a post by AEP:

Even if the original install was in ATA mode? My understanding is that, in that case, the computer won't boot if set to AHCI mode.

In Windows XP this is true but I believe Vista and 7 can handle this as it natively supports AHCI.

I've never tried it but according to this link you need to make some registry changes. So we have something of a Catch 22 - how is the OP going to make these changes if he can't boot his Windows 7 in the first place?

I'm not convinced that AHCI is that much of an advantage anyway on a normal desktop.

I tried booting without the new drive but the result is the same. I have run startup repair but it cannot repair automatically. It states a patch is preventing the system from starting. It also reports an error code 0x490.

Last night it reported that the following file is missing or corrupt "Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe but it hasn't reported that fault at all today. I have run disk repairs and it made some corrections on the main system disk and all is now reported OK but it will still not start Windows properly. I think I am going to have to concede and install Windows 7 afresh on the new drive whilst having the old ones disconnected unless anyone shouts that it will cause more problems rather than less. Oh the joys of Windows

In reply to a post by AEP:

I've never tried it but according to this link you need to make some registry changes. So we have something of a Catch 22 - how is the OP going to make these changes if he can't boot his Windows 7 in the first place?

I'm not convinced that AHCI is that much of an advantage anyway on a normal desktop.

I will go and check whether AHCI is enabled in the BIOS before I do anything else. Though as you say how I can edit the registry when I cannot get it to fully load is one of life's mysteries. At least it is raining so I am not in trouble with SWMBO for not painting the exterior

If the SATA is set to AHCI but the original install was to an ATA drive, changing the BIOS setting would allow it to boot. You could then edit the Registry if you wished to.

0x490 basically means "can't see hard disk", which is why I suppose this could be the problem.

In reply to a post by AEP:

If the SATA is set to AHCI but the original install was to an ATA drive, changing the BIOS setting would allow it to boot. You could then edit the Registry if you wished to.

0x490 basically means "can't see hard disk", which is why I suppose this could be the problem.

Thanks - The BIOS was already enabled for AHCI but I do not know whether the previous system/mobo supported this or not though Windows7 was clearly previously loaded and operating like a dream until the issues of a month ago.

I guess the 0x490 issue could well be the new hard drive not being seen as I haven't yet formatted or partitioned since I was going to do that once the OS was up and running.

I'll go and dig out the previous mobo manual and see what it says about AHCI. The 'old' set up was 3 SATA drives if that helps at all.

Thank goodness I have my trusted iMac to converse with all the helpful people here

I think the current BIOS setting is possibly the problem. Try changing it to ATA (or IDE) and see if it makes any difference.

In reply to a post by AEP:

I think the current BIOS setting is possibly the problem. Try changing it to ATA (or IDE) and see if it makes any difference.

Will do. Can't do any more harm - I can always change it back.

I have just attempted another Startup Repair and I have the following report - I will give the complete details
Problem Signature 01: 6.1.7600.16385
Problem Signature 02: 6.1.7600.16385
Problem Signature 03: unknown
Problem Signature 04: 21201042
Problem Signature 05: AutoFailover
Problem Signature 06: 10
Problem Signature 07: BadPatch
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033

I have no idea what all that means.

I can get to the System Recovery Options - I am guessing that as I have changed the motherboard and processor there would be little point in using the last recovery point?! Don't even know whether it would work anyway.

If you've replaced your motherboard then you would definately be better off doing a new full install of Windows 7, otherwise your old hard drive will still have the old drivers for your previous motherboard.

Have you tried booting into safe mode?

In reply to a post by BB4Tickton:

If you've replaced your motherboard then you would definately be better off doing a new full install of Windows 7, otherwise your old hard drive will still have the old drivers for your previous motherboard.

Well I have taken your advice. I have spent all of yesterday evening and most of today trying to sort it all out. It would have been quicker to install from scratch on the new drive. Once it is working properly I can then re-attach the other three drives and go through the process of deleting the old Windows 7 and presumably the old XP Pro that I had as a dual boot system. Though I have never had to use it so it isn't the end of the world but would have been good to keep just in case. I expect all my drive letters will also then need sorting out. Oh great joy

However thanks to all those who tried to assist - as always much appreciated. I am looking forward to using my new i5 2500K processor

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

Have you tried booting into safe mode?

Oh yes - same issues

Well I have a system up and running on the new hard-drive. Just going through the laborious task of loading the various motherboard etc drivers and will then attend to the 83 Windows updates!!! Once that is all done I will then re-introduce the other hard-drives with all my other programs on.

Oh happy days ........... well so far anyway

I tried to do what you tried to do, but it did not work for me either. mine just kept giving me the blue screen of death. So I had to do a new install as well. Yet i done it for a mate of mine who had a new motherboard and CPU and it worked ok.

I think it depends how much different the new board is. I went from a Nvidea based board to a AMD one, my mate went from a AMD board to another AMd one but with a higher chipset model.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I tried to do what you tried to do, but it did not work for me either. mine just kept giving me the blue screen of death. So I had to do a new install as well. Yet i done it for a mate of mine who had a new motherboard and CPU and it worked ok.

I think it depends how much different the new board is. I went from a Nvidea based board to a AMD one, my mate went from a AMD board to another AMd one but with a higher chipset model.

For thinks that are supposed to be logical they sure do strange things from time to time. However I now have at last an up to date Windows 7 system again - though I lost count how many updates were required and every single one required a re-boot.

It was also necessary to re-load Microsoft Office and other programs as although they were still sitting on the older disks in the end it was just simpler for the registry to load again.

My main concern now is how to allocate an unallocated partition. Not sure whether to start a new thread or not, although it is loosely connected to my original topic. I am sure Billford will tell me if I need to start afresh.

So the situation is this: New Samsung Hard Drive (Disk 3 for some reason) is partitioned into System 100MB/ C:195.21GB/ D:244.14GB/ & E: 250GB
C is the boot system disk, D & E primary partitions. I have an unallocated 242GB that I want to make F drive and primary partition. I tried to do this using Windows Disk Management but it made the whole drive a dynamic one and not a simple one so I reversed that action. So today's dilemma is how to allocated the 242GB to the vacant F drive. Views welcome please.

For completeness the other disks are split into drives G through to N

Basic disks do not allow more than 4 primary partitions, and you already have 4 primary partitions (System, C, D, E)

You can however have 3 primary partitions and a 4th extended partition - this extended partition then can allow multiple logical drive (letters).

You might be easier just converting it to a dynamic disk and then you can create more than 4 partitions, otherwise, you need to delete the E partition (assuming it's at the end of the disk and the unallocated space also follows it) partition it as an extended and then create logical drives within.

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

Basic disks do not allow more than 4 primary partitions, and you already have 4 primary partitions (System, C, D, E)

You can however have 3 primary partitions and a 4th extended partition - this extended partition then can allow multiple logical drive (letters).

You might be easier just converting it to a dynamic disk and then you can create more than 4 partitions, otherwise, you need to delete the E partition (assuming it's at the end of the disk and the unallocated space also follows it) partition it as an extended and then create logical drives within.

Thanks for the reply.

OK I understand the maximum of 4 primary partitions but what purpose does the system partition serve at only 100MB out of a TB hard-drive. Is it possible to copy whatever is on that partition to the C drive where Windows OS resides? I certainly didn't ask for that partition to be created.

Second question, in two parts - a) what is the advantage of a dynamic disk? and b) are there any disadvantages? I have not come across dynamic disks before.

The 100MB partition is automatically created by Windows Vista and above, it's purpose is primarily there for future-proofing your install for bitlocker, if you were to encrypt the drive, then the 100MB partition at the start is the unencypted part which is required to boot to initially. I'd leave it alone as it contains information required to boot.

Dynamic disks, assuming you will only be using Windows 7 on your computer (i.e., not linux), then you should not have problems converting it to dynamic. The primary disadvantage is they are not as compatible with some DOS/linux OS and based utilities and perhaps slightly harder to recover because not as many tools out there which support the partition table.

Advantage is more than 4 partitions (128 iirc) (which are called volumes when a disk is in dynamic form), partition sizes larger than 2TB, and options for spanning/striping disks within Windows.

You MUST create a full backup before attempting a convert though It has been known for the OS to stop booting after a convesion.

Just delete the last partition (E:), then create two logical partitions out of the free space. Personally, unless I was using the extra partitions for linux installs I'd just have one large D: drive. But that's me, I'm sure you have your reasons from a multi partition setup.

Thanks Pipexer.

I think I will just extend the E partition to take up the unallocated space.

In reply to a post by 12eason:

Just delete the last partition (E:), then create two logical partitions out of the free space. Personally, unless I was using the extra partitions for linux installs I'd just have one large D: drive. But that's me, I'm sure you have your reasons from a multi partition setup.

Thanks - I will just have a larger E partition and leave F drive free should I ever instal another hard-drive.

In reply to a post by lenaspell:

Thanks Pipexer.

I think I will just extend the E partition to take up the unallocated space.

Mission accomplished

When it comes down to it, the only reason I keep windoze and programs files on C: and vids, pics and music etc on D: is a) I can use mydefrag to sort system and data disks separately, and b) I can copy my appdata folder across to D: whenever I need to reinstall windows and so not lose my program settings. Any more windows partitions than those two is pointless imo.

eta: obviously if you have another physical disk, an extra partition on that is good for backup.

Edited by deleted (Mon 18-Jul-11 22:01:24)