Black screen

[antonea]

Hi,

So, I am trying to fix my friends computer and I decided to just give her my little brothers old computer and put her hard drive in it. The hard drive crashed to do faulty memory in her other computer. So, I reformatted it and its working properly.

The computer I am putting it in was a computer that some guy built. There was nothing wrong with the actual computer. My brothers hard drive died and he just ended up buying a laptop.

Anyway, this computer used to run Windows XP and that is what is installed on my friends hard drive. When I put her hard drive into the computer for the first time it gave me a list of errors and took me into BIO's to do things like set the time etc. It also gave me a drop down menu of OS so I could choose which I was running. Only problem is, Windows XP isn't even on the list. I can choose: Windows 98/2000 or Other. When I choose other it takes me to a black screen with a flashing cursor and just sits there. When I change the pin on the hard drive to the 'Master with Slave present' (which was where the pin was placed on the hard drive to begin with) it says 'Operating System cannot be found.' When I take the pin out completely it just sits on the black screen with the cursor.

Suggestions anyone?

 

[kimsland]

Hi a tad difficult to understand, but after re-reading I've worked out the fix.

Microsoft's Windows XP Professional Repair Install step by step
http://www.windowsxpprofessional.windowsreinstall.com/installxpcdrepair/part3.htm

Microsoft's Windows XP Home Repair Install step by step
http://www.windowsxphome.windowsreinstall.com/installxpcdrepair/part3.htm

This is because Xp does not like changeing computers!

 

[antonea]

Hi a tad difficult to understand, but after re-reading I've worked out the fix.

Microsoft's Windows XP Professional Repair Install step by step
http://www.windowsxpprofessional.windowsreinstall.com/installxpcdrepair/part3.htm

Microsoft's Windows XP Home Repair Install step by step
http://www.windowsxphome.windowsreinstall.com/installxpcdrepair/part3.htm

This is because Xp does not like changeing computers!

hey! sorry, i was trying to make it understandable but i couldnt organize the information accordingly. haha sorry!

anyways, I am using windows xp media center edition!! do you have a link for this?

 

[ZenMatrix]

repair should be same for home edition

 

[kimsland]

That's strange the page doesn't exactly say it

But this guide, should be exactly the same:
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxpprox64/installxpcdrepair/part1.htm

 

[antonea]

if its not one problem its another...

i repaired it and when the computer restarted and went to the 'press any key to boot from cd...' i just left it alone and all it did was sit there for about...20min. So, I just shut the computer off manually. It usually goes after 30seconds or so. I don't know whats going on!

 

[kimsland]

Well there's always clean install !!
Who knows what's been happening with all these different partitions and operating systems.

Personnally I say, put the Windows CD back in and clear out all partitions and clean install.

By the way confirm Cable Select on Hard Drive and DVD drive (default usually)

 

[antonea]

Ah, I just did a clean install on this hard drive twice within the week. im afraid if i do that it will still get stuck on the 'press any key to boot from cd screen...' and that would...suck badly. haha.

i think ill do the repair again and go out to lunch and come back and see if it decided to leave that screen haha.

by the way...you guys are awesome here! ive been hit with like a million computer problems within the past two weeks and you all help out so much!
xxx

 

[antonea]

is there anything i can do to get past this screen besides clean install?