New Used PC Help

[VirusType2]

So I got an upgrade for my secondary computer. A used mobo/CPU, etc.

I put it in a better case last night when I got home.

The upgrade is from 768MB to 2GB of RAM and now I have SATA slots, which I really like.

Had only Molex connectors on the Power supply, so I crimped on a SATA power connector.

So I put in the hard drives that were in the previous computer. I guess since this is a different motherboard, Windows threw a fit. I haven't done this many times, so I guess there is no way to boot into Windows if you do this. I can't get safe mode to work either. Let me know if you think I'm wrong, then I can start to look into a different reason it won't go into Windows XP.

So I figure I must put the Windows XP install disc into the drive and re-install. This is where I ran into a problem. The light on the drive lights up, but the DVD drive doesn't open.

I had trouble finding a resource to let me know how to crimp the wires correctly for the SATA power connector. I may have crimped the wrong wires! Why won't the drive open?

Please help me find a resource to crimp the SATA connector.

This is what I used, and now that I'm having a problem, I would like a 2nd opinion.



I found a 'how to' guide, but all the images are missing from the server.

search search searchsearch search searchsearch search searchsearch search searchsearch search searchsearch search search

Oh god damn it. according this, the image above is backwards. I hope I didn't **** anything up. Now I need a 3rd opinion.
Image:

diagram for the above: http://www.satacables.com/assets/images/power-cable-sata-15-pin.jpg

EDIT: rewired it, it works now. Luckily nothing was damaged. I shouldn't have been so hasty. Reinstalling XP now...

 

[StardogChampion]

Are you sure you have to reinstall Windows...? It's on your HD not your motherboard/CPU.

 

[VirusType2]

Not sure. It won't boot into windows. All hardware was changed except the actual HDD with Windows on it. I figured since so much hardware had changed that XP would not work, and it won't. I don't know the easiest solution.

I put the XP disc in the DVD drive and decided to try something called 'Microsoft XP recovery console'.

I then executed "fixboot C" EDIT: because that sounded like it might help (not because I know what I'm doing): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

and it repaired the boot sector

Still doesn't work

I hate to reinstall, since I've got a new installation of SP3 on that hard drive. and I'd have to update the shit out of a new installation.

Any ideas?

EDIT2: I got an option to repair the current installation, and selected that. I think this will work.

 

[VirusType2]

It took a while to repair (and I had to find my XP serial key), but the repair completed and everything is how it was before the upgrade. Everything is still installed and everything is how I left it on the desktop. Unfortunately, Right clicking 'My Computer', it looks like it reverted to Service pack 2. Still better than reinstalling everything.

hopefully this thread will be helpful information for someone.

 

[VirusType2]

So. HP won't let me download the motherboard driver from their site, for some reason.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=sp26757.exe&aq=f&aqi=&oq=&fp=ed1a83d7582cb0e6


And it looks like my video card just died. (found a lot of dust) now locks up PC on boot, and artifacts on Windows boot screen. I thought I cleaned it like a month ago. Never got to try it on this new computer. I really wanted to compare the performance using the same card.

Also, seems like my new DVD burner died as well. (probably from crossing the wires earlier in the thread. Ooops) Worked before this 'upgrade.'


Yeah, I'm kinda not happy.

 

[huntingbear]

aw yeah artifacts that early are def a bad sign.
what do you mean HP won't "let" you? Are you using Firefox? If so try to download from IE; and the reason it reverted to SP2 is because that's what version of XP was on that disc that you used to repair.
You should make one of these for next time.
http://www.nliteos.com/guide/

 

[VirusType2]

for some reason I can never download from an ftp server (or at least the one that HP uses.). Thanks for the suggestion, but ie won't let me get it either. I have no idea. IE says 'a connection with the server could not be established'). My brother should send it to me in my email when he gets my request, if it works for him.

I'm hoping my DVD burner is just having some software issue. The repair to SP2 seems to have screwed up my codecs.

I think I'm just going to nuke this installation once I get everything off the drive, just to be sure.

Would like to take this computer out back for a minute with a baseball bat.

EDIT: Video card definitely KIA. Installed motherboard drivers. uninstalled burner software, reinstalled burner software. DVD burner now working. That's pretty fortunate, considering I hooked up a 12v line to a 3v input earlier. Stupid stupid.