Ghost 8 - Disk Image of EIDE/FAT32 not booting on Serial ATA

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PcolaTech

Created a disk image of a Windows 2000/FAT32 system running on a 8GB
EIDE drive using the PCDOS-bootdisk/ghostcast method back to a server.
This image file was in turn burned to a CD. The new PC that I'm
wanting to dump this image on is totally different hardware and has a
40GB Serial ATA drive. This new PC originally had an XP-Pro NTFS
installation on it that I intended to overwrite after using the GDISK
'wipe disk' feature.

Using the PCDOS-bootdisk/CD method to dump the image, I again used all
of the defaults to dump the image onto this new PC with no errors.
However, upon attempting to boot the new PC with this image, I only get
to the initial DOS (black) "Starting Windows 2000" screen and then it
goes to a lovely blue-screen-of-death with "Inaccessible Boot Device".
Neither Safe Mode, nor Safe Mode Command Prompt will boot.

Here is what I tried to remedy this so far:
1. Rewipped the target drive using GDISK from the boot disk.
2. Recreated the Master Boot Record using GDISK
3. Reset the ATA drive to 'active' from the GDISK utility

I've done some research on Symantec's knowledge base regarding Serial
ATA but everything I've read mostly refers to problems running Ghost in
the first place - a problem I'm not having.

I should point out that I did not use the Sysprep method on the Source
PC since I've never had to do this in the past even between different
hardware types. Based upon the nearly instaneous blue-screen that I
get during boot up and the fact that I cannot go into safe mode, I
really don't think that this is a component driver issue such as video,
NIC, etc.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I can recreate a new disk image of
the source PC if recommended.

Thanks in advance,

Scott

(e-mail address removed)
 
PcolaTech said:
Based upon the nearly instaneous blue-screen that I
get during boot up and the fact that I cannot go into safe mode, I
really don't think that this is a component driver issue such as video,
NIC, etc.
Click to expand...

It is, unfortunately.

You're trying to boot an installation of Windows 2000 created on one
hardware platform on another, totally different platform. The kernel
loads the disk controller driver early in the boot process, and you're
asking it to boot Windows using the installed driver for the pATA
controller on your old motherboard on your new, incompatible sATA
controller, so it's having a hissy fit.

On the old machine, go to device manager and delete as many of the
motherboard-specific drivers as you can, replacing with Microsoft
generic equivalents. Set the display adapter to standard VGA. Replace
the hard disk controller drivers with the Microsoft Standard IDE/ESDI
Controller drivers. Install the driver for your new machine's sATA
controller on the old machine.

Re-create the ghost image, re-install it on the new machine, and pray.
If the image boots, Windows will promptly go into an orgy of finding new
hardware, so have your driver CDs and floppies to hand.

It may well be easier and cleaner to install Windows on the new machine,
set it up as necessary, then copy over the user data from the old box
via LAN.
 
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