Hi, The computer came with an 80GB hard drive, and the issue is like this: a new 200GB hard drive was put in and Windows XP was installed onto it. Everything seemed to go fine, and when both drives are in, you can boot from either one (there's a choice when booting- either the first Windows or the second.) However- when the original drive isnt there, it doesnt boot from the new drive!? It says something to the effect of 'cant find OS' (or something with 'OS'.) Though in the BIOS the drive is very there and listed right etc... I have been trying to figure out what may have been done incorrectly, and I think I should note that there probably wasnt any kind of 'partitioning' done on the drive before installing Windows (unless Windows had that option within the install...) If anyone has any ideas, that would be very good! Thanks, Larry

Maybe a long shot but, there is also a priority selection in bios that lets you select where to boot from, and it maybe like boot #1 your first hard drive boot #2 CD rom #3 network #4 your second hd... perhaps you might find something there with changing priority? Also, it may not even see that second hard drive if you make it a slave, and it really should be a master now that you uninstalled your second hard drive (whatever your setup is your changing something). But since you can see it in bios, that confuses me too... What if you keep the original slave/master hookup however just rotate your two hard drives. Try removing that unwanted drive (from this different cord hookup perspective) and see if that works. Good luck, JB (maybe an odd answer might work. I can't think of any practical solutions, but one of these may work)

Thanks for the input, but right now they are both registered in the Bios, and when it is there alone, it is a Primary Drive. It seems that its somehow seeing the drive- because there is no error of 'no drive found'- but it is not able to bott off of it. Only when both drives are present does it feel 'at home' enough to offer the option of booting from the second one. It seems as though the first one has some 'key' which allows the systme to boot- only then it can choose to use the second hard drives version of Windows. This is all in non-technical terms, because I have no real idea of what the issue may be... Thanks again though, Larry

Does anyone else have any ideas??

I think it might make more sense if this forum pushed recently commented-on threads to the top. Because for example this thread, people might just look at it and see 4 responses, and figure it has been answered already...

People like to check those that are commented :) and activated, actually the more posts you get you might get linked to the HOT discussions on the front page. WELL XP also has a user key or some thing to that effect that generates as a number/profile of your computer makeup, and your might changing that formula enough by switching that HD out so you might be just creating a false dilemma that your pirating and causing Microsoft to go defunct. Does this happen with both OS to. I might tempt ya to try this with Linux :) because I highly suspect this is MS doing. Another thing I noticed, is that when I do a double HD's that when I goto bios, I'm not offered the option of putting one of those HD's as a startup on one of my computers (I honestly have no idea as another computer has the same setup), make sure your visiting that Boot Priority option when your going to bios, I mean the Bios can recognize the HDs, but if your not in priority for that solo HD your just asking for it.

Well, the boot loader files are on the old drive (you are multibooting), so how can it find them files when you remove the drive? Reinstall XP with only the new drive hooked up if you only want the new drive (actually: select "repair" install: much quicker). Best