Okay i have 2 computers with xp pro installed on it. I want to move one copy of it to my other computer with it already on it. I started by using Partition commander to Divide the HDD into 3 Primary NTFS Partiotions. I have tried a bunch of different things like having the partition i want to install the copy from the other machine be the first partition and just putting the XP disc from the copy i want to add in but when i do that after setup resarts i get a run stop error 0x00000007b(inaccesible_boot_device). i think the problem might be with the boot files or something. What is the best way to do this. I ideally want to keep the origianal xp and its stuff on the hdd but i want the new copy to boot when i start it. Anyhelp would be great (its a maxtor 120gb hdd)

Update: I copied the original partition to the third partition and erased the 2nd one so know it looks like this 2.13 gb FRee Space 25 gb Original XP 20 gb free space 70 gb original xp know i just want to clean install the copy of xp from the other computer to the 70 gb hdd partition. but when i try to do this i get the same stop error

well your post was complicated, if you have to boot devices on the same calbe you can bootthem both, it getting confuse as to which to use for install ,......i think

A very confusing post - to say the least... If you mean: can you transfer an XP installation from one PC to another (by moving the drive across) - NO... M$ XP anti-piracy issues will be invoked here... The new system will different hardware and volume numbers etc to the original PC where 'that' installation was made; thus it will not allow the transfer...? Likwise the ghost routine may not work either...? But... if you're saying: can I install a new (subsequent/second or third etc.) version to the current HD then the answer 'should' be yes... But the info you have provided thus far is VERY confusing... so it's hard to know what you are really saying you want and what you have already. Post back with 'accurate' details of current drive partitioning: order of partitions; sizes, types, formats. Also what is installed and where already - clearly... Then perhaps folks here can help you?

Okay sorry about the confusion. lets try this agian. Okay i have my computer with xp pro on it. We'll call that computer 1 and xp 1. Then i have a new better computer with xp pro. well call it computer 2 and xp 2. The specs for computer 2 are: P4 1.8 GHz 120 gb maxtor hd (ATA 133) DVD Drive CD burner DVD burner Floppy ATI 8500 Graphics Card 512 mb RAM i think its an abit max2 motherboard not sure about exact type So what i did was creat 2 partions on computer 2. one that was 70 gb and then one that was 25 gb. the parition order goes the 70 gb then the remaining space on the drive, then the 25 gb partion. xp 2 was on the 70 gb parition and i copied it and all the files to the 25 gb parition. then i formated the 70 gb partition with parition commander. then i tried using the disk from xp 1 to install it on the first partition, but i get a notice right after i press enter to install xp that says it cant find a hard drive. Do i need to format that partition with fdisk or something and if i do where could i find a boot disk for it. Thanks for the help so far. Anymore would be greatly appreciated.

Oh 1 other thing both of the partions are NTFS

If I take this right you have three partitions, one 25 with a working XP on it and one 70 with nothing on it, and one 20 with nothing on it. Now you boot up with the cd to install another copy of XP on the 70 and it should ask you if you want to install XP and then it should show you partitions and ask which one you would like to install on. But it doesn't ask you, it says there aren't any hard drives at all. There are alot of posts on this website of 3rd party partition programs, What I would do would be boot up with the cd and go to recovery console and type in diskpart it's basically the XP version of f-disk and see which partitions or drives it actually sees.