Booting Vista on Different PC Computers No label

I install Vista Ultimate on one PC. It is an HP Pavilion a1700n.

I remove the 40 GB IDE HD from the HP PC and put it into a Compaq EVO
510 PC.

Result: Vista does not boot.

I have researched the subject but still have not found a solution.

The microsoft vista deployment step by step seems awfully complex.

Has anyone found a simple way to solve this problem?

I have also tried the reverse (from compaq to HP PC): Same result!

With XP I could boot into safe mode or just boot normally and XP would
detect and install the new hardware it finds.

Somtimes I would need to install XP from CD on the target PC to copy
the boot.ini and hall.dll files to a usb flash drive. Then I would
restore the image of XP on the target PC. I would boot into recovery
console and copy the files form the flash drive to the target PC
(boot.ini to C:\ and hal.dll to C:\windows\system32). Most times I
could then boot the target PC normally or in safe mode.

However, with Vista I am stymied!

Any practical solution?

Chris

http://drpcdr.ca

>

<> wrote in message

Even if one ignores the fact that moving a windows installation from one
machine to another is *likely* to fail due to dramatic differences between
the Windows HAL and the *actual* hardware of the other computer --

The Windows installations on both Compaq computers and HP computers are BIOS
locked --
The Motherboard BIOS of a Compaq is decidedly different than the Motherboard
BIOS of an HP.

Steve

<> wrote in message

<snip>

Unless the hardware is the same (or very close)
you need to perform a fresh install

Post in reply to:
Stop multi-posting; it is ignorant!

wrote:

That would be the normal reaction, yes.


It just seems that way because it's intended to be used by experienced
IT professional in a corporate enterprise environment.


Install Vista with the hard drive in the computer on which the OS is to
be used.



Yes, of course.



Not reliably. And doing it this way isn't very likely to result in a
stable installation.

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed OEM
installations are BIOS-locked to a specific motherboard chipset and
therefore are *not* transferable to a new motherboard - check yours
before starting), unless the new motherboard is virtually identical
(same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the one
on which the WinXP installation was originally performed, you'll need to
perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation, at the very least:

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directo...;EN-US;Q315341

Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with WinXP Installed
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this point.
You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the OS. (If
you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as picking up a
Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch style
foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K before it,
is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to accepting any
old hardware configuration you throw at it. On installation it
"tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This is one of the
reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much more stable
than the Win9x group.



Install Vista with the hard drive in the computer on which the OS is to
be used.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

Anyone interested in duplicating my experiment? How about condensing
13 pages of the step by step for deploying vista. I just need the
necessary commands to successfully clone my vista image?

Image technology serves 2 purposes: 1. it reduces time because once
the image is restored on the target PC all that remains is to install
the specific motherboard devices. All tweaks, applications, firewall,
antivirus, etc, etc need not be setup again. Furthermore, when you
work with images containing half a dozen user accounts, the work is
multiplied many times again because many multi-user software require
setup while logged into each user account!

2. once a system is successfully setup, I can create an image backup
which can be used to restore the system when it becomes corrupted in
the future without loss of data stored in my documents (including
folders related to pictures, music and other downloads from file
sharing applications, favorites of Internet Explorer, the data of
outlook express and outlook, etc)

ccchar...@inbox.com wrote:

Guesss what guys? I have proved you all wrong in the past, now the
present and soon the future as well!

I have had some preliminary success in my experiments.
Further experimentation is necessary!

Purpose: to boot vista (installed on an HP a1700n) on a Compaq Evo
510.

Apparatus: 1 Compaq Evo PC, 1 HP a1700n PC, 1 40 GB HD, 1 20GB HD, a
3rd HD drive with a functioning Windows XP installed, 1 Vista Ultimate
CD, one 2 GB flash drive (a 500 MB flash drive will do), Freediff
software from http://saltybrine.com

Method: Iinstalled Vista Ultimate on HP Pavilion a1700n using 40 GB HD
Also installed Vista on Compaq Evo 510 PC on 20 GB HD

On HP PC:

Installed Vista from Vista CD onto 40 GB HD

1. Set folder options to see all protected system files and folders

2. In command prompt piped the output of the dir command to a text
file on my flsah drive as follows:
c:\windows>dir *.* >e:\win1.txt
c:\windows>cd system32
c:\windows\system32>dir *.* >e:\sys1.txt

3. disabled hiberfil.sys in command prompt: as follows:
c:\windows\system32>powercfg /h off
Restarted the PC and observed that hiberfil.sys had disappeared from
root directory, C:\

4. Told windows to not use paging file and deleted pagefile.sys from
root directory, c:

On Compaq Evo 510 PC:

Installed Vista from Vista CD onto 20 GB HD

1. Set folder options to see all protected system files and folders

2. In command prompt piped the output of the dir command to a text
file on my flsah drive as follows:
c:\windows>dir *.* >e:\win2.txt
c:\windows>cd system32
c:\windows\system32>dir *.* >e:\sys2.txt

3. Disconnected 20 GB HD and reattached my 250 GB HD setup with XP pro
SP2.

4. Downloaded and installed freediff.

5 Ran freediff comparing win1.txt with win2.txt and sys1.txt with
sys2.txt.

6. Noted the differences highligted by freediff.

7. Attached the 20 GB HD as slave to compaq Evo 510 and booted into XP

8. Took full possession of the permissions on the windows folder
(Vista) on the 20 GB HD

9. copied all the files and folders reported to be different by
freediff from windows to my flashdrive folder, win

10. copied all the files and folders reported to be different by
freediff from windows\system32 to my flashdrive folder, sys.

11. Disconnected 20 GB HD and connected 40 GB HD as slave and booted
into XP.

12. Deleted files and folders reported to be different by freediff and
replaced them with the files and folders on my flash drive. All files
and folders in the win directory on my flash drive were copied to the
windows directory on the 40 GB HD and all files and folders in the sys
directory on my flash drive were copied to the windows\system32
directory on the 40 GB HD.

13. Connected 40 GB HD as master on IDE 1 and booted normally. I
received the following error:

windows\system32\config\system
status 0xc000000f

info: windowas failed to load because the system registry file is
missing or corrupt

14. I put the Vista CD in the cd drive and booted into vista repair.
Vista repair recovered the regiistry from a backup.

15. I booted into safe mode successfully

16. I rebooted normally successfully.

Now the question is: can I get an image of Vista created on the HP
a1700n (and loaded with programs and tweaks) to function on the Compaq
Evo?

That will be my next experiment!




Bruce Chambers wrote:

4 The Geek in your bones, Here R the specs:

PC1 = Compaq Evo 510, 2.5 GHZ, 20 GB HD, IDE NO SATA, Mfg 2001 - 2002

PC2 = HP a1700n, 2 GHZ Dual Core, AMD Athlon 64, 4 SATA, 2 IDE, Mfg
Oct 2006

Thanks 4 all your encouragement and support!

The 40 GB Drive boots Vista normally. It shustdown normally. Howere
a restart gives a black screen!

I and many PC owners can and do live with this minor instability.
Usually in older versions of windows the pc will hang and never
shutdown when attempting to restart.

You shutdown then power on the PC to restart the PC.

Serendipity doo dah. Serendipity day. And I almost wiped it with
Bootit!!!

Background:

Just before Christmas, I installed a 6 User Windows Vista on the
Following:
I installed it from scratch because my hal file trick did not work for
my 5-User XP image
Also at this time I did not have the HP a1700n PC. So the laptop was
more recent, and, therefore, more suitable for being the master image
than my vintage Compaq Evo 510.

Gateway ML3109 Laptop PC, ATI Chipset. It ran low-end Pentium 4
speed (1.5 GHZ).

I spent some days creating a Vista image to clone PCs. I created the
image on DVD and CD media, 1 DVD for the OS (C and 1 CD for the data
(D.

I had promised him the laptop for Christmas and just finished it
Christmas Eve.

I was disappointed when the image did not boot, neither on the Compaq
nor the HP I bought just after Boxing Day, 2007.

Purpose:

Tto Boot Vista Image of Gateway Laptop onto Compaq Evo.
Why the Compaq Evo. Well I figured I had the files already on the
flash drive. And I sought the shortcut route going straight to step 11
of Previous post!

Method:

ON Compaq Evo:

1. Connected 80 GB HD (containing Restored Laptop Vista bootit image)
as slave and booted XP.

2. Deleted files and folders reported to be different by freediff
and replaced them with the files and folders on my flash drive. All
files and folders in the win directory on my flash drive were copied
to the windows directory on the 80 GB HD and all files and folders in
the sys directory on my flash drive were copied to the windows
\system32 directory on the 80 GB HD.
Whenever I could not delete I renamed! Could neither delete nor rename
hiberfil.sys but did delete pagefile.sys from root directory of 80 GB
HD.

3. Connected 80 GB HD as master on IDE 1 and booted normally.

Results:

I got black screen! Could not boot into safe mode neither!

4. I put the Vista CD in the cd drive and booted into vista repair.
Vista repair ran for 20 minutes. It said it had recovered system
files. However, I got a black screen again while trying to boot in
safe mode and normally from the Compaq Evo.








ON HP Pavilion a1700n:

So I was ready to chuck it in and make a small image from scratch when
I made the mistake of not getting the bootit CD in the drive fast
enough before the bios attempted to boot from the HD. My fast HP beat
me to the punch!

And Quelle S U P R I S E!!! I booted normally successfully!!
All 6 users staring at me. And everything setup seem to work even
restart!

Conclusion:

Well my learned friends, it appears that repairs are done from the
Vista installation CD. And my hacking of system files forces it to
repair things it would not normally complete successfully from normal
usage.



ccchar...@inbox.com wrote:

Well, It's quite a learning curve...this vista...ehh?

I could not see my light scribe DVD Burner. Wasted hours trying
everything and still no CDROM.

I thought it may be related to a corrupt or missing cdrom.sys but I
discovered a simple registry hack posted on the net actually solved my
ghostly CDROM problem.
Apparently, it's caused by iTunes and the hack prevents iTunes from
functioning.
The Hack as follows:

best of luck
mike

Method 1: Remove the registry entry
Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry
incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These
problems might require that you reinstall your operating system.
Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify
the registry at your own risk.
Note If you had installed multiple CD-writing software products on
your computer, you need to uninstall the software products before you
remove the registry keys.

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Control/Cl@ss/{4d36e965-
e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}
4. On the File menu, click Export.
5. In the File name box, type savedkey, and then click Save.
6. Click the REG_MULTI_SZ data type UpperFilters, and then click
Delete on the Edit menu. When you are prompted to confirm the
deletion, click Yes.

Note If this data type is missing, go to Method 2.
7. Click the REG_MULTI_SZ data type LowerFilters, and then click
Delete on the Edit menu. When you are prompted to confirm the
deletion, click Yes.
8. Quit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also I hastily removed Zone Alarm because I could not connect to the
internet. Should have just switched to allow all! Zone Alarm had been
setup on the laptop which had now morphed to the HP PC I am using now
to post to this forum. I am running a solid Windows Vista.connected
via a router to DSL.

I removed errors in device manager then scanned for hardware changes.
No drivers were needed!

ccchar...@inbox.com wrote:

Without any special knowledge of Vista, I employed a brute-force-like
approach. This experiment could be refined to narrow down the number
of files and folders. My USB flash drive contained about 240 MB of
data. I do believe I had trouble copying files the first time.
However, was more successful in copying files the 2nd time just before
serendipity!

In C:\Windows, I found Differences in:

8 Folders, Debug, Inf, Panther, Prefetch, Rescache, Software
Distribution, System32, and Temp. System 32 was too big and
cumbersome. So I selected only what was different.
3 Files, Dtcinstall.log, Setupact.log, windows update.log

The C:\Windws\system32 folder contains almost 2,000 files.

In C:\windows\system32 I found differences in:

7 Folders, Catroot2, Code Integrity, Config, Drivers, En-US, Log
Files, and OEM
5 Files, fntcache.dat, license.rtf, perfc009.dat, perfh009.dat,
perfstringbackup.ini
4 Files in c:\windows\system32 folder of Vista installed on the HP
a1700n not in Compaq, nvapi.dll, nvd3dum.dll, sysfxui.dll, and
wmalfxgfxdsp.dll. These were removed.

The vista image, that had morphed to adapt to HP, had problems:
1. Could not see my CDROM. Fixed by uninstalling iTunes.
2. Zone Alarm malfunctioned. Removed Zone Alarm to access Internet. I
Installed Comodo Firewall.
3. Avast Antivirus would not start. Repaired it by performing on-line
program update. Then restarted the Avast service
4. Alcohol was not working. Removed it with difficulty.. Also spent
hours trying to find good burning software that can copy disks on the
fly. Finally found a July 2007 version of Nero 7 Premium that works
perfectly!
5. Skype was not working. Removed Skype.
6. Found a virus that came from the Vista Timer stopper crack by
cLony. Clony cracks work but they come with viruses! Beware!
7. IE explorer 6 favorites copied from my XP image appeared grayed out
but did function in Vista.

Virtual memory is automatically set to 1,193 MB with a recommended of
1,339 MB and a minimum of just 16 MB. Pagefile.sys is actually 1.17
GB and hiberfile.sys is 895 MB.
These 2 combined consume one third of the C:\ partition usage. The C;
\ partition is only 20 GB and only 6.7 GB is used by Vista and
installed programs.

To reduce deployment time, I will reduce the size of pagefile and
hiberfil.

How long would it take you to setup the following for 6 Users?

The Following Services Were Stopped and changed to Manual:

Background intelligent, COM + event system, cryptographics, desktop
windows manager session, diagnostic policy, function discovery
resource, IP helper, server, TCP/IP netbios helper, web client.

The Following Services Were Stopped and disabled:

Windows Firewall and Windows Update, System Restore

Performed Browser tweaks for maximum privacy in Internet Explorer and
Firefox

For Each of the 6 Users, I separated from the Windows partition, C:\,
my documents, music, pictures, videos, favorites, shared and
Addresses + Calendar. The data partition, D:\ is very small, only 1
GB. During deployment I resize the C:\ and D:\ partitions to suit the
customers HD.

My new Vista image is almost complete and contains:

Security Programs: Comodo Firewall, Avast Antivirus, Winpatrol,
iLSystem Wiper, Admuncher, Avast Antivirus.

Word Processing: Open Office, Adobe Reader 8

Tools: Everest 4.2 and Sequoia, BootitNG

Players: Real Player 10, VLC, Windows Media Player 11 comes with
Vista

Graphics: IrfanView, Paint.Net, PhotoFiltre

File Sharing: U-Torrent, Ares is set not to be default torrent
client. Originally on laptop dumped LimeWire Pro because it appeared
to be not working.

Cleaners: Ccleaner, HijackThis, RegSeeker

Chat: Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger

Burning Software: Nero 7 premium, DVD decrypter, DVD Shrink, DVD
Region, Magic ISO, UndercoverXP prints CD and DVD covers

Browsers: Firefox 2.007, Internet Explorer 7 comes with Vista

Address book + Scheduler: Essential PIM. Vista has neither Outlook
nor Outlook Express.

ht