[alobmbe]

I have 2 phsical HDs. Both are partitioned in two. The boot up HD has windows on C:. I swapped this HD with another that had windows on it, but it would not boot - just a flasing cursor. So i returned to the origianl set up. But i still get the flashing cursor and i have to press F8 during the boot up process and choose the device (HD) that i want to use. Before it used to just boot automaically so it looks as if my experiment has upset some setting somewhere.

I hope i've explained this in a way that makes sense. My guess is it's something quite simple - can anyone help please?

 

[dai]

Re: PC won't boot automatically

boot into the recovery console and run

fixboot

you cannot usually put a hard drive from another computer in and expect it to boot

it looks for the m/board it was installed on and when it does not find it

then it stops dead in it's tracks

 

[alobmbe]

Re: PC won't boot automatically

Thanks Dai, but i've put back the original configuration exactly as before and it still stops. Also, the windows i was going to tryout on the spare HD was installed on this PC/MB. Perhaps it would do no harm to do what you suggest anyway, but i never seem to get anywhere with recovery console. It always seems to ask me to enter things that take me nowhere. Are there any good instructioons for using it you'd recommend?

 

[dai]

Re: PC won't boot automatically

to get to the recovery console
set the bios to boot from cd first
boot from the windows cd and choose install
press R when it asks and you will be in the recovery console
type help and press enter
it will then list all the commands available to you in there

once in run fixboot

 

[alobmbe]

Re: PC won't boot automatically

I went into the bios to choose the cd boot, but then noticed in the hard drives that the HD (C: and D was below the other HD (E: and F. So i moved the C: drive HD above the other one with the <+> key and the problem seems to be solved. Thanks for your time and for pointing me in the right direction.

 

[dai]

Re: PC won't boot automatically

glad you have it sorted