Help with starting computer

Hi
I have been having trouble a couple days with my main computer. I posted for help in Hardware... but here is my Software problem.
While I am waiting for a new Motherboard.... I decided to swap hard drives so I could work with my data. I took the HD out of my main computer and put it in my gateway that was working fine.
Well, it gets into a booting cycle and never completes the task. I have to hit
F1 to log on but while it's verifying "DMI pool data" then it immediately cycles again. I dont have any idea why or how to stop it and fix it.
Thanks for any help you can give me.

I am running Windows xp mediacenter, 2 GB ram, Athlon 62X2

 

Different drivers IMO...load the full list ratrher than just the one you need....:cry

 

What?????

Gofergal, When you hooked up the second hard drive how did you go about it? Did you slave it to your primary drive? If so did you jumper the drives accordingly? Primary set as master, secondary set as slave? Perhaps that is what's hanging your bios up.......

 

No, I removed the first one (C) and replaced it with the one with my data.
I have gone back now and put the drive back the way it was... and added the data one as well. (now F) My computer now boots up.
Is there an easy way to copy everything over from (F) to the primary drive (C) now?
All I really need is to access my data. I can see all my files except my documents and a few things like that. Is there a way to find those on (F).. ? Also... I am trying to find a few drivers ... like you said.. i should add the whole list but I do not know how to do that.
grr there is sooo much I dont know. and I do not want to screw anything up that cant be fixed!! It's hard enough to fix the stuff that can!!

Thanks

 

When you take a hard drive from one PC and install it in another totally different PC, 99% of the time you'll get boot problems with Windows XP. The Windows is configured for all the hardware in the first PC and when it has to try to load up, it looks for this hardware. When it doesn't find EXACTLY what it's looking for in the 2nd PC, it will crash and try to reboot and it will continue to until the user (you) interrupts the process....

 

Thanks everyone for your help. I am now trying to move my outlook express, favorites, and some of the other things that I am missing... over to C drive. Any suggestions? It cannot find my address book on F... nor can I find any folder where it seems to be hiding. I need my other outlook folders as well if I can find them.
Thanks