Loading OS on different hard drives

Try using a different Vista disc. The one that comes with the computer is set up to use very specific hardware. If you can get a different Vista Home Disc you should be okay. You may have to call Microsoft to activate it. But the call is free and usually automated. You can legally use a different disc as long as you use the Microsoft code on the label on the computer.

Does it pass the POST (Power On Self Test)? Does it try to load the Windows OS?
If it pass the POST and cannot load the OS, its most likely that the hard drive is faulty you may have to replace with a new hard drive load a new OS and your applications.
If the OS load and you cannot log in to your Dell desktop, you may have to do a password recovery by entering answer your security question.

you can format your hard drive by loading new software, set the computer to boot from the cr rom in the bios and load the new os and restart it and it should take off and load

Remove the old drive and place it in a spare bay setting it as slave with the jumpers on the drive.
Fit the new hard drive set as master.
Swith on and boot your system with your OS disk in the CD/DVD Drive or USB Flash Drive.
Load your system on the new drive, the BIOS should see what has happened and automatically reset itself.
When your OS is loaded, download all the drivers you require to run VGA, DVD players etc etc
Copy any of the data on drive D as you require.
You will have two drives.
Otherwise just replace the drive and load your OS and drivers.
Hope that helps

Do you have a full installation disc or an Upgrade version of XP? The full install should give you an option for partitioning and formatting the new hard drive as part of the installation process. From Microsoft, read this page for details:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348 . You may need some additional drivers if you have a SATA hard drive. More screen shots and details are here: http://www.theeldergeek.com/hard_drives_03.htm .

An alternative way of dealing with the problem may be to use a third-party Partition Manager software (Symantec's Partition Magic, Paragon's Partition Manager). Paragon's site is
http://www.partition-manager.com/ . This site has various levels of Partition Management software (with different features available in the more expensive versions). You'll need the bootable CD version of the software (recovery disc, .iso) to do the partitioning.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells
(I thought the upgrade version could also be done to a new hard disc including the partitioning; all you needed was a Win OS disc from an earlier version to prove qualifying ownership.)

your vista install is corrupted... you need to format and reinstall... if same issue then hard drive is bad... get a new one...

I’m happy to assist further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/norman_d2fa496dce30c65d

Emachines don't use the cable select properties very well. Change your drive to Master, reformat and reinstall the operatiing system.

Reseat the hard drive and then get into bios and check if the hdd is detected ,if not you need to replace the hdd ,if detected reinstall the OS.

two work-around methods for those consumers who are experiencing the "freeze" issue: 1) Remove or disable the HDD
or,
2) Load three different Xbox 360 games to the main title screen of each game then load Major League Baseball 2K6 on Xbox 360. All three Xbox 360 games must be completely different before loading Major League Baseball 2K6.

Check out any hardware that doesnot supports windows xp. remove that and reload the os. it works. or remove all the additional addon cards like modem, network card, printers etc., (just maintain only hard disk, cd rom and floppy drive)then install the os. once os installs add the components one by one to so that the os will detect one by one cheers!