BleepingComputer.com: Cloned Hard Drive

I used Acronis True Image 10.0 to clone my desktop PC hard drive (Dell w/Win XP) to a good but used larger laptop hard drive. When I installed the cloned laptop hard drive in my laptop (Toshibia 2105CDS) I get a screen apologizing for my computer not opening Windows. I 'assume' this has something to do with two different makes of computers and 'bios' settings affecting the software.

Where do I start to get my laptop system working?

TIA,
Frogarri

What was the reasoning for cloning the PC for the laptop? If you have a WinXP cd you can run setup on the laptop and choose to format the current partition.

I cloned the pc to the laptop so they would be the same. After that I could keep them syncronized with any changes, etc.. That way I could use either one to work on, i.e., at home or on the road.
Frogarri

Good reason ... Does the laptop give you an error code?

No error code but a screen that reads as follows:

"We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or softwarechange might have caused this.

Blah, blah, blah

Then I get to choose from starting in the safe mode, safe mode with networking, safe mode with command prompt - Last known good configuration - start Windows normally.

I've tried all of these options but none have worked. I get a bar at the bottom of the screen that looks like Windows starts to load but then it stops.

Frogarri

you cant clone a hard drive boot drive from one machine and transplant it into a different machine without having done a driver strip first

this can be done by booting from the winxp cd and running a win xp "repair install" not reinstall

goggle search for "michael stevens win xp repair install"


or you can do like most IT staff does, after you make the clone, boot the original machine into the clone, then run win XP SYSprep on the drive to strip the operating system of all drivers

this needs to be done to "adjust" the severely different HAL inventory (hardware abstract layer) when the transplanted boot drive is fired up, when the new laptop tries to boot and it checks its hardware inventory the laptops hardware doesnt match that of the drivers in the OS>>>> so HAL says NO go; and gives you the sorry charlie message

but the real thing here is; you are trying to run two machines off one activation of windows; this wont work

the steps I outlined above will make windows boot, but it will also trigger the need for XP activation; that call will not go so well. The MS rep will know the hardware inventory from the desktop was much diff than the new laptop hardware, therefore a new copy of win xp is needed

sorry to rain on your parade; if this was a windows 2000 OS you would get away with it / but not XP

This post has been edited by linderman: 16 May 2007 - 08:30 PM

Good catch linderman, if the laptop has a windows XP key your in good shape. If not M$ is not going to be happy and you will be locked out of updates from the update site if you use both computers on the same key.


Edit: Do you have 2 registration keys.. If not we can't offer anymore suggestions it will violate Microsoft Licensing agreements.

This post has been edited by Sneakycyber: 17 May 2007 - 04:12 PM