Computer issue. Help!

[Waitey]

Hi all,

I've got a Windows 7 machine with some business critical programs on it which needs to stay Windows 7. It's motherboard and a few other things are dead.

So I've bought a new pc to let it live again, but it won't boot the original PC's hdd.

I've adjusted the boot setting the in bios to let it boot old OS's but after booting I just get a black screen.

Help.

 

[SharkyUK]

With a change of hardware like that it's unlikely to work mate; you can't really just stick the HDD into a new machine and expect it to work unfortunately 😧 Your best bet is to install the drive as a non-bootable device and then pull off the important data you need. Then re-install the Windows 7 apps that you need for your business on the new machine, and reinstate the necessary data.

 

[Paprika123]

Did you replace the parts with the exact same items?

 

[Andy.]

It could be a missed BIOS setting that is causing the problem:

Try using Legacy boot instead of UEFI or visa versa.
Try switching the disk mode from RAID to AHCI to IDE to see if one works.

Did you buy an off the shelf PC and then replace the hard disk with you old one, or have you built a new one?

 

[Waitey]

Right old PC was some Zoostorm thing. Running off a one month old SSD.

New one is a little cheap lenovo.

After a brief test this morning I think it is booting, but I don't have the drivers for the display card, ergo the black screen. I'll see if I can find the drivers for the Lenovo's card and install them on the hdd.

 

[Goodj]

Pull the old drive, connect via USB or onto your motherboard. It'll load as a D: or other drive.

Pull all the files off it you need, then format everything and start again.

Other methods do exist, good luck

 

[Addicted]

Not gonna work with a motherboard update - all of your drivers will be completely wrong (and if it does work it'll run like s**t).

It'll also run like utter s**t.

Best bet is a fresh install on the new pc, and copy stuff across.

 

[M90SR]

As said connect to the new computer via USB to SATA and transfer data. Although this is a bit hit and miss as if the hard drive is corrupted Windows will ask you to format it which you don't want.

 

[Waitey]

Ah well worth a try.

Can I transfer the retro office software we have on the old machine too?

 

[Goodj]

Ah well worth a try.

Can I transfer the retro office software we have on the old machine too?

If you can get the registration keycodes and a copy of the software installer, yes

 

[Paprika123]

Jellybean keyfinder works on external drives I'm sure now too.

 

[Waitey]

If you can get the registration keycodes and a copy of the software installer, yes

Why does this have to be such a ballache?

 

[Goodj]

Why does this have to be such a ballache?

The alternative is to buy your way out of the problem.

I'm having to drop £400 on getting the data off of my old NAS, which has a decade of media and ALL my keycodes on it...... getting those codes back will pay the data recovery fee, several times over

 

[iain187]

Why does this have to be such a ballache?

because you didn't have a backup plan for something critical

HTH

 

[Darren S]

Why does this have to be such a ballache?

It isn't, really.

You've effectively taken the ignition barrel and wiring loom from a Ford and are attempting to start up a Vauxhall with it. Although there is a lot of crossover in terms of specs and compliance, the chances of the two articles working are very slim indeed.

I guess I'm preaching here, but having things backed up on a totally separate media is worth the time and effort to do. You should always ask yourself the question "What if?" with regards to PCs. It might run fine and without a hitch for years. Or decide to pack in, within two weeks.

I despair at work when people have wedding pictures, baby photos, achievement records etc, on a rickety PC or laptop - and simply ignore advice to get the damn thing backed up. I've seen people pay four figures to recover data from a failed laptop - the information on it was that vital.

 

[Waitey]

It isn't, really.

You've effectively taken the ignition barrel and wiring loom from a Ford and are attempting to start up a Vauxhall with it. Although there is a lot of crossover in terms of specs and compliance, the chances of the two articles working are very slim indeed.

I guess I'm preaching here, but having things backed up on a totally separate media is worth the time and effort to do. You should always ask yourself the question "What if?" with regards to PCs. It might run fine and without a hitch for years. Or decide to pack in, within two weeks.

I despair at work when people have wedding pictures, baby photos, achievement records etc, on a rickety PC or laptop - and simply ignore advice to get the damn thing backed up. I've seen people pay four figures to recover data from a failed laptop - the information on it was that vital.

Everything is backed up.

Its just that some of it doesn't like running on windows 10. Finding a new unit with Win7 pro on it is also a ball ache. I could just fix the old PC but its getting on a bit. This day and age there should be a migration system for moving my backed up files and programs to a new PC and auto setting them to run in compatibility mode.

 

[Goodj]

This day and age there should be a migration system for moving my backed up files and programs to a new PC and auto setting them to run in compatibility mode.

There is, but it takes the end user to set them up and use them, and it's a bit late now.

Alternatively, you COULD have a pair of mirrored RAID drives in a NAS box, It's only be a few hundred quid to sort, then all your data is double-backed-up every day.

Also, even if you tried your drive in another "similar spec" PC, I wouldn't put much hope on it booting up and working without a significant piss about. That said, you could luck into a Safe Mode start up, which, for what you need, is more than sufficient to asset-strip the old drive.

 

[iain187]

the operative word in my post was 'plan'
what good is a backup if you don't know how to/ cant use it?

I sure you are getting annoyed at my lack of content now so here

you can download a W7 ISO https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows7
you will need your CD key so, as someone mentioned in this thread if jelly bean key finder can get the key of an external drive, that would be a good idea.
Get a USB HDD caddy, connect HDD to new PC and see if you can get a key off it. Or the PC might have a certificate of authenticity sticker on it with a key if you are lucky but they aren't always valid

you can use that to install W7 on whatever new PC you have an if you have a backup as you say off you trot.

There is, but it takes the end user to set them up and use them, and it's a bit late now.

Alternatively, you COULD have a pair of mirrored RAID drives in a NAS box, It's only be a few hundred quid to sort, then all your data is double-backed-up every day.

Also, even if you tried your drive in another "similar spec" PC, I wouldn't put much hope on it booting up and working without a significant piss about. That said, you could luck into a Safe Mode start up, which, for what you need, is more than sufficient to asset-strip the old drive.

RAID is redundancy not a backup!

Better than nowt though to be fair.