Booting PC with Windows 10 drive from another PC

[frenchscottie]

I have a HP 280G1 Microtower Business PC that has a faulty motherboard. It has an Intel® Pentium® G3250, and windows 10.
He has all his files backed up but he doesn't want to have to reinstall all his programs as he is an accountant and he has customers that have to have there accounts done by 31st.

I suggested putting his hard drive into a refurb. PC as I have put a drive from another machine several times and it has booted ok, just had to update the drivers. He agreed as a new motherboard from HP will cost about £300.
I had a refurb PC with an Intel Core 2 Duo for sale and he agreed to buy it.

I cloned his drive and put it in and it just sits at a black screen with a curser. I booted from a windows 10 disk and tried a startup repair but it said it couln't do it. If I try SFC /Scannow it says it can't continue as
a repair is pending, probably because I booted from the DVD. I put my pc's own hard drive in it and also connected his, and booted, it booted ok. I then ran the windows 10 setup file and tried to do an upgrade to repair windows but it doesn't ask which drive just want's to do the c: drive.
I put another Windows 10 hard drive in this PC and it booted ok.

I know that on windows 7 it was nearly impossible to do it, but windows 10 seems more tolerant.

So has anyone did this before and came across the same problem, or have any idea what to try next to get his drive to boot.

 

[Dave 1973]

I just had something similar. I cloned a HDD to an SSD. The computer would boot from the HDD but not the SSD.

I put the SSD in a docking station and changed the boot order to boot from the SSD in the docking station. It booted fine

from the docking station. It turned out the SSD driver was missing and when I booted from the docking station Windows

supplied the correct driver for the SSD. After Windows put the driver in I could boot directly from the SSD installed in

the PC. The PC was running Windows 10.

 

[Porthos]

I put another Windows 10 hard drive in this PC and it booted ok.

The problem is whether the orginal computer is MBR or UEFI. The original machine seems to be from the Win 8 generation so it was most likely UEFI. The "new " machine needs to be set correctly in the BIOS. If not it was the other "way"

 

[Computer Bloke]

The "new " machine needs to be set correctly in the BIOS. If not it was the other "way"

And I don't fancy your chances of finding a Core 2 machine that supports UEFI...

 

[Porthos]

And I don't fancy your chances of finding a Core 2 machine that supports UEFI...

You are correct, I overlooked that.

 

[sapphirescales]

Aside from how improper it is for a computer repair shop to offer a Core 2 Duo machine for sale in 2019, two possibilities come to mind:

1. The drive wasn't imaged properly
2. The old, old, OLD computer doesn't support booting from UEFI boot sources

Go back to the drawing board and offer an acceptably modern computer for 2019 and make sure you image the drive properly.

 

[Porthos]

Aside from how improper it is for a computer repair shop to offer a Core 2 Duo machine for sale in 2019

True but, A business class core 2 with a SSD and 8 gig memory runs 10 really well. but if you are replacing a newer computer by swapping drives or imaging it is not a wise or even usable choice. The lower cost core 2's are great for people who just surf the web and get email and will fit most lower income budgets.

 

[sapphirescales]

True but, A business class core 2 with a SSD and 8 gig memory runs 10 really well. but if you are replacing a newer computer by swapping drives or imaging it is not a wise or even usable choice. The lower cost core 2's are great for people who just surf the web and get email and will fit most lower income budgets.

It's not about running well - it's about age and reliability. We're talking about a 10+ year old computer here. I don't care if it's blazing fast; statistically speaking it's probably not going to last long.

 

[Diggs]

A business class core 2 with a SSD and 8 gig memory runs 10 really well.

I sell quite a few of these actually (except with 4 GB) as Pandora/Spotify machines. I've never had reliability issues and people are amazed how they are "faster" than their new i5 on a spinner.

 

[frenchscottie]

The problem is whether the orginal computer is MBR or UEFI. The original machine seems to be from the Win 8 generation so it was most likely UEFI. The "new " machine needs to be set correctly in the BIOS. If not it was the other "way"

On the original machine it says on the Hp label with the seriel number etc that it was a WIn 8 Pro downgraded to Win 7 Pro, which has now been upgraded to Win 10.

 

[Diggs]

Regardless, what are the BIOS settings?

 

[frenchscottie]

The drive was imaged properly.
I had W10 running on it with 4Gb ram. it might be older but it is a better machine and in his price range.
As technicians we can only advise not force and offer the best they can afford or we would be doing a mis-service.
I was sure the other W10 hard drive I booted in this PC was UEFI. I'll check if it is UEFI tomorrow.

 

[River Valley Computer]

It's not about running well - it's about age and reliability. We're talking about a 10+ year old computer here. I don't care if it's blazing fast; statistically speaking it's probably not going to last long.

This is all very good for your WEALTHY clients where you live - not all of us are as fortunate(?) as you to live in a high income area.

Yes - we sell Core 2Duos all day long. For the people that only do Emails, surfing, etc. We sell only the higher quality computers like Del SFF Optiplexs and HP business class systems. We sell them for $99-$149. I'm sorry but a person on a fixed income could not afford you and your systems.

You know sometimes it's nice to help a customer out and feel good about seeing the smile on their face then to see dollars signs coming from the sale. Yes we are in business to make money but not to rip customers off. Life is not all about money!!!!

One other thing - think about the good will you get this way. Cheap advertising.

 

[frenchscottie]

This is all very good for your WEALTHY clients where you live - not all of us are as fortunate(?) as you to live in a high income area.

Yes - we sell Core 2Duos all day long. For the people that only do Emails, surfing, etc. We sell only the higher quality computers like Del SFF Optiplexs and HP business class systems. We sell them for $99-$149. I'm sorry but a person on a fixed income could not afford you and your systems.

You know sometimes it's nice to help a customer out and feel good about seeing the smile on their face then to see dollars signs coming from the sale. Yes we are in business to make money but not to rip customers off. Life is not all about money!!!!

Here Here, well said.

 

[Markverhyden]

Back to @Porthos's point. I'd bet the old machine was booting UEFI so the drive was configured as GPT which will not work on BIOS only machines. Which is what I'd guess the replacement is. Never had to try it but I don't think there is a way to non-destructively convert GPT to MBR.

 

[sapphirescales]

One other thing - think about the good will you get this way. Cheap advertising.

The only thing I can think of is the angry customers writing bad reviews because you sold them a 10+ year old piece of junk that lasted 3 months. I'm sorry but if your budget is $100 to $150 you need to save more. Stuff costs what it costs, and I've found that the cheaper the client, the more demanding they are. I just had a client in here last week that came in super p*ssed because the laptop he bought from a pawn shop for $150 "only lasted me 2 years!" I got that client out the door ASAP. Why is it always the cheap clients that have unrealistic expectations?

 

[nerd2u]

I just installed a core 2 due replacement PC for a federal customer last week it does what they need.

How many programs does he have to reinstall? May be faster to simply reinstall the software then fight with getting the image to Boot

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

 

[frenchscottie]

I just installed a core 2 due replacement PC for a federal customer last week it does what they need.

How many programs does he have to reinstall? May be faster to simply reinstall the software then fight with getting the image to Boot

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

I'm not sure, i'll have a look tomorrow. If he has the programs on disk i'll install for him but I have a feeling he might not still have the disks.

 

[Philippe]

[...]
I was sure the other W10 hard drive I booted in this PC was UEFI. [...]

You need to know:
Hard drive -> GPT or MBR ?
Motherboard -> UEFI or BIOS ?

Anyway, try to disable "secure boot". If your hdd is MBR then you must Enable "CSM" (Compatibility Support Module) in the UEFI.
Also, look for this HDD setting: "AHCI / IDE", and try the other one...

 

[frenchscottie]

The Hd was a GPT and the His PC was a UEFI.
I persuaded him to go for the new motherboard at £350 as it is for his business and shouldn't go the cheap way.