Trouble Adding New (primary) Hard Drive

[Bagelmeister]

Hey, I recently decided to upgrade the HD on the computer I recently got, partially because the old HD is running out of space, and is an old PATA drive. I had no issues installing the SATA (a 250 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10), and Vista recognized it and installed drivers. So I then cloned the old PATA drive, then rebooted the computer and made the page file on the new drive and when I rebooted for that to happen went into the BIOS to make the SATA drive the boot drive. No problems, so I shut down, and disconnected the PATA drive.

It boots up normally in the beginning and then it takes 2-3 loading the desktop, which just finished as a light blue background with no icons. I started Windows Task Manager and managed to manually get AIM and Firefox online.

In the feature to browse for programs to start up in WTM, the search feature appears to be nonfunctional. Even files and programs that clearly on-screen in the browser are not found.

Finally, I noticed that in the processes tab for WTM, the number of running processes is unusually low. There is less than 10 running.

I'm not sure whats wrong by any means, considering SATA doesn't use jumper settings to pick the primary and secondary drives, so when I disconnect the PATA, it should be a seamless transition considering both drives have the same data. Hopefully someone can enlighten me, thanks.

[Pete_C]

Hey, I recently decided to upgrade the HD on the computer I recently got, partially because the old HD is running out of space, and is an old PATA drive. I had no issues installing the SATA (a 250 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10), and Vista recognized it and installed drivers. So I then cloned the old PATA drive, then rebooted the computer and made the page file on the new drive and when I rebooted for that to happen went into the BIOS to make the SATA drive the boot drive. No problems, so I shut down, and disconnected the PATA drive.

It boots up normally in the beginning and then it takes 2-3 loading the desktop, which just finished as a light blue background with no icons. I started Windows Task Manager and managed to manually get AIM and Firefox online.

In the feature to browse for programs to start up in WTM, the search feature appears to be nonfunctional. Even files and programs that clearly on-screen in the browser are not found.

Finally, I noticed that in the processes tab for WTM, the number of running processes is unusually low. There is less than 10 running.

I'm not sure whats wrong by any means, considering SATA doesn't use jumper settings to pick the primary and secondary drives, so when I disconnect the PATA, it should be a seamless transition considering both drives have the same data. Hopefully someone can enlighten me, thanks.

I wonder if your changing and removing drives has altered any drive letters or boot loader entries hence causing it to look for a non existent drive for say the swap file?

Maybe you should do a repair install?

[Bagelmeister]

I wonder if your changing and removing drives has altered any drive letters or boot loader entries hence causing it to look for a non existent drive for say the swap file?

Maybe you should do a repair install?

I recall that when I accessed the files on the browser from WTM the drive was F, or what the second drive is designated as anyway. When I re-connected the old drive, that was will C, so I'm not sure if that's the issue. So I think that's ruled out. Would it be possible (and I wouldn't know, just conjecturing) that however the system is still looking for a non-existent drive, but in this case, the C drive, since there is no drive designed as C when the old one is unplugged? In that case, I should try and find out how to swap the letters for the drives, no?

[Bagelmeister]

Okay, so I tried something which in hindsight was completely stupid, but seemed like a good idea at the time. I figured that if the computer was looking for a drive designated as C, I could change the old drive to another letter (Z) and the new one (F) to C, and then reboot. I knew that when there was no C drive physically connected I'd have to start up programs through Task Manager, but I wrote down the file name (compmgmt.msc) so that I could access it through the browser and then change the F drive to be the C drive. However, the computer is now not allowing me to access it, giving me the error,

F:\Windows\System32\compmgmt.msc

The specified path does not exist.

Check the path, and then try again.

Alright, so then I turned on Windows Explorer to access it through Administrative Tools, still doesn't work, and also tried turning it on from the the list of programs in the System32 folder. Still no luck.

Also, this issue has appeared with some other programs, so its not just an isolated problem.

Edited June 10, 2008 by Bagelmeister

[JSKY]

Your using Vista.

Look here Vistas-System-Recovery-Console and try #1 on the list, running your new hard drive. (remove your old one). And see if this helps.

If not try these Fix Vista Master-Boot-Record and see if these help.

One of these tips should strighten out the boot loader.

[Bagelmeister]

Your using Vista.

Look here Vistas-System-Recovery-Console and try #1 on the list, running your new hard drive. (remove your old one). And see if this helps.

If not try these Fix Vista Master-Boot-Record and see if these help.

One of these tips should strighten out the boot loader.

Well, thanks, but I think I solved the new problem I created. I figured that since I make C turn into Z, if it was going for the F drive, then by un-connecting it I could use the old C drive again and hopefully regain all those old functions, which worked out. It already set itself back as the C drive and so I plugged the F drive back in but booted from the old one just to be safe.

Anyway, thanks, I'll try this ASAP.

[Samuel4u]

Even i had the same problem.

[Bagelmeister]

Your using Vista.

Look here Vistas-System-Recovery-Console and try #1 on the list, running your new hard drive. (remove your old one). And see if this helps.

If not try these Fix Vista Master-Boot-Record and see if these help.

One of these tips should strighten out the boot loader.

I finally had the time and read up on your solution, but the problem is I currently don't have the Vista install disc with me, but I can hope to get it in the near future. Is there some other possible workaround I can try that doesn't require the actual disc with me?