HDD switch problem

I am switching my HDD, but my computer refuses to boot off my new drive.
It boots fine if the old HDD is inserted into the system, but refuses to start if it is not.
At the disk management window, the old disk is 'Disk 0' and has the properties of 'Healthy (System, Active, Primary partition)' and the new disk has the properties of 'Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition)'.
I tried fiddling with the MBR a bit with the tools from the installation disk (from my usb) but it didn't do anything.

 

A bit more information: the 'new' hdd has been used as the windows install directory from the christmas, and the old one was the windows hdd before that.

 

This is Windows XP, correct? Did you install XP on the new drive recently (when you added it to the system just now)?

I'm not sure what your last post means--christmas?

 

Both have Window 7.

 

The 'new' drive was installed to the system as a new disk (straight from the shop) in December, and the old drive has been there for longer.

 

Hi,

What exactly are you trying to accomplish when done? Run the computer with just the new drive or keep both drives in the computer?

Are the HDs IDE or SATA? Are they on separate cables or the same cable?

*****
If you disconnect the old HD. Leave the new HD in place. From the Win7 DVD run Start Up Repair 3 times it should make the new drive bootable by itself by creating new boot files on the new drive. (This will make the new drive bootable by itself but I believe if you reconnect the old HD you will still boot from that one by default. However, if you unplug the old one again you should still be able to boot off the new one by itself when needed.) EDIT: I'm thinking about this and this might only work with SATA drives. If you are using IDE drives you might have to make the new drive Master before running the start up repair 3 times. I'm unsure about that.

 

Run the computer with only the new drive attached. SATA, separate cables. Trying the startup thing.

 

Did not work, did that about 5 times.

 

Ok,

I missed that the partition on the new HD was not set to Active.

Is there only one partition on the new drive? If there is only one partition on the new drive then go ahead and right-click it in Disk Management and set it as Active. (There can be only one Active partition per disk so only change this if it is the only partition on the disk)

Then go back and try the Startup repair if it still doesn't boot by itself.

 

Working now
Thanks!

 

Good work!

Did it boot straight up after setting the partition active or did you have to use Startup Repair? If you had to use Startup Repair how many times did it take? ( I just want to know if startup repair takes 2 or 3 times on a non-booting system. I've read different number of times.)

Thanks!

 

It took 2 times.