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